Lion's Mane Instructions

Welcome to your Lion's Mane Mushroom Journey

Thank you for purchasing a Circular Harvest Lion’s Mane Mushroom Grow Kit! We hope you enjoy growing these mystical mushrooms as much as we do. Please share your mushroom growing journey with us on social media by tagging:

@circular_harvest

What's Included?

Mushroom Substrate
Substrate is what your grow kit is made out of. It is a mixture of upcycled sawdust and soy hulls which provide the mushroom mycelium the proper nutrients needed to grow.
Spray Bottle
The kit includes a spray bottle because mushrooms need a high humidity (85-100% humidity) environment to form their unique
shape, so spraying them several times a day is critical for their growth.
Recipe Card
We have included a link to our recipe page to help inspire your culinary dishes.
More Recipes

9 Simple Steps to Gourmet Mushrooms

1. Start your grow kit before the date stamped on the bottom of the kit for the best yield.

2. Place your grow kit somewhere that does not get direct sunlight and stays at a temperature of 10-20 degrees Celsius.

(We recommend placing the grow kit on your kitchen countertop!)

3. Remove the circle cut-out from the front of the box.

4. Using a clean knife, cut an X in the bag to expose the substrate to the air.

5. Fill your spray bottle with water and mist the substrate until it's damp.

6. For best results, mist the substrate 2-5 times depending on how dry it gets.

(TIP: We recommended avoiding misting the mushrooms directly. It can give the mushrooms bacteria blotch, instead mist the air around them.)

7. Your mushrooms will need good airflow once they start growing. Try to fan them 1-2 times per day if they are in an area of the house with little air flow.

8. Once the mushrooms are mature (use photos below as reference), simply pull the cluster off by hand to remove from the substrate. You can eat them right away or store in the fridge in an air tight container with a moist paper towel.

9. Take the substrate bag out of the box and soak it with the hole facing down in a bowl of cold water for 12-24 hours. (this rehydrates your substrate to ensure a better 2nd harvest).

10. Place the bag back in the box and start your misting schedule again. You should see signs of your second harvest in around 4 weeks. (The mushrooms need a rest period before they fruit again so could be a bit longer or shorter).

Lion's Mane can take longer to grow than our other strains. You should be able to see the first sign of mushroom formation in about 21-30 days provided that the right conditions are being met.

Your grow kit will fruit mushrooms 2 times! After your final harvest, we recommend either placing your kit in your garden or buying substrate to extend the life of your kit.

Your can purchase sterilized substrate from us HERE.

Circular Harvesting Guide

Too Early!
Notice that the fruit body is still very small likely only 5-6 inches. long
Good to Harvest!
Notice the size is about the size of an open hand or bigger and hasn't started to brown yet.
Too Late!
Notice the browning. If the size is close to the size of your hand and it is browning it is over mature but still good to eat. If it is still very small and browning it could be bacteria blotch from misting or standing water on the fruit body.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if there are already mushrooms growing on my kit?

This is normal. Once the mycelium has covered the entirety of the fruiting block the mushrooms want to fruit. Cutting the plastic gives them an influx of oxygen to fruit toward but some of the pins are just a bit too eager! You can cut the plastic above the baby mushroom for it to flourish.

When do I harvest my mushrooms?

Mushrooms should be harvested before the caps flatten out and release their spores! Mushrooms grow very quickly so it is important to keep an eye on them every day looking for the ideal time to harvest. If you wait too long and the caps do flatten out (see photos below for reference). Do not worry! The caps are still edible, but they may just not stay fresh for as long. If they look mouldy or dry, they were probably left too long. Lion’s Mane should be harvested before it turns yellow and mushy. Since they do not have caps, you can gauge when to harvest them by the length of their teeth. When the teeth are about 1/4 inch long or it starts to brown, it is time to harvest.

Do I take the block out of the plastic?

No! The kit is ready for growth once you remove the cut-out and slice an X in the bag. However, You may want to remove the bag from the box to do the soaking method mentioned under Step 4 on the grow kit page for best results.

How many times will the mushrooms fruit?

Typically, a grow kit will fruit mushrooms two to three times (less amount every harvest). To ensure another harvest, remove the mushrooms and any left-over pieces from the hole so the substrate is exposed again. Make sure to soak the substrate in a bowl of cold water for 3-6 hours after harvesting. This ensures the substrate has enough water to support more mushroom growth. Once soaked, drain excess water and start your misting schedule again.

The substrate block seems dry and is not producing mushrooms…

It’s been 2 weeks and I still have no mushrooms starting…

Be patient sometimes the mycelium takes time to fruit. However, there are a few factors that may prevent your mushrooms from fruiting. It may be too warm in your house, so placing the box in the fridge for a day can help initiate pins or just find a cooler area of the house. It may be too dry, if you have not done the soaking method mentioned in Step 4 on the grow kit page then try that first. You can also try increasing your misting.If after 4 weeks and still no sign of growth, message us and we will send you another kit for free. If using a Chestnut kit, wait up to 2 months before contacting us.