Question 1

How many harvests are you guys getting?  I'm looking at this from an economic standpoint -- so is it cheaper than buying mushrooms at the grocers?

Accepted Answer

I actually got 2 decent harvests from my first one, then I broke the brick apart, blended it with coffee grounds and a sterile (boiled) mixture of  wood ships and cardboard, separated it out into 6 bags, let the mycelium take over (call it maybe another 2 weeks) and once I had white bricks, I cut Xs in them and started the water spraying process over again. I got probably 4 lbs over the course of 3 months, so it was fairly worth it for me, but I would recommend having a dedicated grow area if you want to expand and get more harvest for your $
Overall a good kit to start a grow, but it’s not worth it if you just do front and back of the box. 
I ended up having to stop because spring arrived and so did fruit flies and fruit fly larva, but I’m pretty sure that I got close to the upper end of what was reasonable for the amount of mycelium anyways.

Question 2

Does this have to be used as soon as received in mail? Will it be effective if received but not used for 1-3 weeks? Trying to time when to buy this.

Accepted Answer

I bought this for my son for Christmas.  It arrived early December.  I hid it in a closet and wrapped it and it spent a few weeks under the tree.  We opened it on Christmas day and it is new years day and we have a large harvest growing...probably will be ready in a few days.  It is winter in Ohio with low humidity indoors so that could be part of the reason it kept well.  I can imagine that if the bag got wet it could spontaneously sprout, so just keep the box and inside bag dry while you are storing it.

Question 3

Should this be kept inside the home or in the garage?  How long does a batch typically take to grow?  What recipes do you use them in?

Accepted Answer

we kept ours in the kitchen.. the first batch took a bit longer because we discovered we did not soak it enough.  The second batch only took less than a week.  Honestly, we didnt eat them, I procrastinated and didn't pick them soon enough and they wilted.  As soon as they grow you almost have to eat them.

Question 4

Mushrooms grew on the first side in 7 days. Harvested.  The carton and plastic fell apart.  I put it on a foam plate and put a plastic bag around the entire thing. Misting. Not growing. 9 days second side.  Any suggestions?

Accepted Answer

I haven't tried growing the other side yet. We had a major forest fire right after my first harvest, so everything was put on hold.  But i had an incredible amount of mushrooms from my first harvest. And even though I quit misting the box, another very large shroom grew out of the box. I'll try the other side soon, after soaking it. Most of all, I learned how to grow these delicious mushrooms. As I live in the forest with many decaying logs around, I can order some spores and have a large harvest. I'm very glad I tried this first.

ASIN	B0BN93FF99
Best Sellers Rank	#14,604 in Patio, Lawn & Garden ( See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden ) #37 in Plant Germination Kits #3,390 in Plants, Seeds & Bulbs
Brand Name	Back to the Roots
Color	Shiitake
Customer Reviews	3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars (674)
Expected Blooming Period	Year Round
Expected Plant Height	65 centimeters
Expected Planting Period	All year round
Indoor Outdoor Usage	Indoor
Item Type Name	Grow Kit
Item Weight	16 ounces
Manufacturer	Back to the Roots
Manufacturer Part Number	14002
Material Features	Organic
Model Number	14002
Moisture Needs	Moderate Watering
Number of Items	1
Number of Pieces	1
Other Special Features of the Product	Air Purification
Plant or Animal Product Type	Vegetable
Style Name	Organic Shiitake Mushroom Kit
Sunlight Exposure	Partial Shade
UPC	810667030865
USDA Hardiness Zone	5
Unit Count	1 Count

Back to the Roots Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit, Organic Mushroom Log

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