Bloom Bags FAQ

Grow Bags 

What is the shelf life of my grow bag? 

Inside your Bloom Bag is a living organism, so we recommend activating it upon receipt. If you need to wait, you can store them in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight or in a refrigerator for around 4 weeks. Pink Oysters don't tolerate temperatures below 40 degrees, so skip the fridge with these and instead opt for something else like a cellar, pantry, or cool porch tucked away from the sun.

All of the species used in our kits are very vigorous and viable, so after storing for a few weeks, they may start fruiting in the bag! It's no issue, but some recipients can be surprised or concerned which is why we have activation and storage recommendations.

How do I ID my mushrooms inside my kit? 

Your kit was inoculated in a sterile environment with a selected mushroom culture. It is incredibly unlikely you would ever have a competing species grow from your kit. However, if you'd like to make sure what is growing from your kit is indeed the correct species, simply take a photograph and email it to us for confirmation (info@bloomspore.ca), save the listed species at the front of your bags for reference. 

**We get this question most often with the golden oyster kits. As they begin to form pins (baby mushrooms) they can sometimes resemble lion’s mane mushrooms. They start out completely white and a little blob-like. As they mature, the caps develop their signature yellow hue and more shelf-like structure. If you’re in doubt, wait a day or two to see if the yellow cap appears.

We do sometimes make mistakes, being human and all. So, it is possible we packed a mushroom bag in the wrong box. If this sounds like what happened, please reach out! We want to make it right for you.

My Bag Doesn’t Look Quite Right? 

You just got your Spray and Grow Kit, but something isn’t quite right. To make sure you successfully fruit some mushrooms, we’ll help you troubleshoot through hiccups along the way.

First, inspect your kit upon arrival and keep the packaging. Each kit is packaged with a batch-specific sticker, located somewhere on the substrate bag. We track quality control with these numbers, so it’s helpful to know if you need to be in touch with a member of our team. If you notice any strange colors (green, black) or foul smells before opening your bag, please get in touch with some photos. We’ll be able to determine if something happened in transit and get you a new kit. A healthy kit should have white or off-white mycelium weaving through its brown substrate and have a pleasant earthy smell.

 If the mushroom block is broken upon arrival, there’s hope yet! We often see this as a result of jostling around in transport. While it’s still in the bag, we recommend gently pressing the block back together and allowing it some extra time to bounce back before cutting it open to start the fruiting process. It may take about a week to re-establish itself. If your bag is already open, gently smoosh it together as best you can and make sure to keep the block moist. We recommend using a humidity tent. Take a trash bag or other large loose bag and cut lots of ½” holes throughout - mushrooms need fresh air to form correctly! Drape the bag over your block and mist the inside of the bag every day. When you start to see baby mushrooms form (pinning), you can remove the bag and keep misting the block.

If your mushroom block looks “dead” or like nothing is happening, there are a few possible causes. Lion’s Mane mycelium is notoriously fine and often appears very light or unnoticeable- especially compared to Oyster kits. If you have a Lion’s Mane kit and the block holds together, the mycelium may be difficult to see. For other kits, it's possible the block was broken up in transit and needs some time to grow back together. Give it a few days, making sure to keep it misted, and see if the mycelium becomes more noticeable. We guarantee all of our kits will fruit within two weeks, or we’ll send you a replacement.

 What if my block has gnats? Humans aren’t the only organisms that love mushrooms! It’s possible the bag broke in transit, and these opportunistic creatures decided to make a home. Get in touch with some photos, and we’ll replace it for you. It still may be possible to fruit it outside - you can try these tricks while waiting on a new kit to arrive.

 If your mushroom block seems dry and hasn't produced any mushrooms yet, try using a humidity tent. Take a trash bag or other large loose bag and cut lots of ½” holes throughout - mushrooms need fresh air to form correctly! Drape the bag over your block and mist the inside of the bag every day. When you start to see baby mushrooms form (pinning), you can remove the bag and keep misting the block.

 If your block still seems dry using the humidity tent or if your block has produced once or twice and dried out in between, you can give it a boost by soaking it in some water. Take your bag out of the box and let it soak, cut side down, in a bowl of water for an hour for oysters. Let a lion's mane kit soak for 10-15 minutes and keep an eye on it, the mycelium of these mushrooms tends to be more delicate so soaking for too long can result in your block disintegrating. Pat the block dry before putting it back in the box. Mist as you would 2-3 times per day, a little extra if you live in an arid or dry climate.

 

Can we reuse our block? 

Give your block some fresh air

The simplest way to encourage more fruitings is to move your kit outdoors. A change in environment or temperature shift can sometimes be a cue for fungi to produce more mushrooms.

1. Take the mushroom block out of the box (and recycle the box!)
2. Leave the block in the plastic bag
3. Place the block cut side up in a shady area where it will receive rainfall
4. Check on the block periodically, especially after rain or humid days

Leaving the plastic on your kit helps to keep moisture in, preventing the block from drying out. Feel free to spray it periodically when it’s looking parched as you would inside. After a couple of weeks, you should expect mushrooms after heavy rainfall or after a big temperature shift.

We like to put our kits under cover of fern fronds. The vegetation creates a humid microclimate for fungi to thrive.

Bury your block

Do you have a shovel and a little bit of outdoor space? Then this next method is for you! And it’s sure to turn some heads when mushrooms clusters pop out of your garden or lawn.

1. Take the mushroom block out of the box (and recycle the box!)
2. Remove the plastic bag
3. Dig a hole the size of the block in a shady area
4. Tuck the block into the soil
5. Cover the block with 1” of soil or mulch
6. Water as you would the plants in your garden
7. Check on the block periodically, especially after rain or humid days

Burying the mushroom block helps protect it from the elements, and the fungi can wick moisture from the nearby soil. Adding a little mulch or soil on top also gives the block a buffer from direct sunlight. With any luck, your block will fruit in a couple of weeks! You can even try burying different types of blocks next to each other as a feature in your landscape. Imagine bright mushroom bouquets bursting from the ground!

Inoculate some containers

If you’re feeling creative, you can use your Spray and Grow Kit like you would spawn, and inoculate some containers! This process works best with oyster mushroom kits that are hydrated well or have recently fruited. After digesting most of the block’s food, the hungry mycelium will happily jump to more substrate.

You’ll need a few extra materials for this method. First, you need something for the fungi to grow on and eat; we call this a substrate. Chopped straw is ideal because of the smaller particle size, making it easier for the mycelium to jump from piece to piece- like crossing a bridge. Other clean agricultural by-products may be used too, but we find the most success with straw.

Then, you need a container to hold the mix. Airflow is important; choose a container with plenty of holes like a hamper, plastic gardening pot, or bucket drilled with holes. Lids are optional! You will also need a vessel for soaking your substrate and a weight of some sort to keep it submerged. Any pot or bucket or tub will do. We used bricks and an old grill rack, but make use of whatever you have on hand. In a pinch, bags filled with water work really well as weights!

1. Gather your materials and get set up
2. Soak your substrate for 20 min - 1 hour or until fully saturated
3. Let excess water drain off your substrate
4. Measure for ideal hydration by squeezing the substrate in one hand - only a drop or two should drip out. Adjust hydration if necessary
5. Alternate layers of the substrate and the crumbled up mushroom block, leaving the top and bottom layers substrate
6. Lightly compact the straw, especially if it’s not chopped, to remove large air pockets
7. Place it in a shady or semi-shady area and water as you would your plants

Depending on how big your container is and environmental factors like temperature and humidity, your container could produce mushrooms in a month or two. This method takes a bit longer than the previous two because the fungi have all of that new material to consume before they’re ready to flush. But that added material also means the possibility of more mushrooms! Just make sure the containers stay properly hydrated. You don’t want them to dry out, nor should they be soggy.

Inoculate some mulch

The last method is very similar in concept to the container method. By using the Spray and Grow Kit like spawn, we can inoculate mulch in the style of mushroom beds. If you have some perennials, trees, or even a garden you’d like to mulch in, this is an excellent method for incorporating mushrooms.

You can inoculate established mulched beds or start new ones, though we’ve found using fresh mulch inoculated with oyster kits to be most successful. More mature mulch may already have some fungal inhabitants that can compete with the inoculum. And that’s where oysters come in, as perhaps the most vigorous fungi that we cultivate. These resilient fungi can handle some environmental stressors, often out-growing potential contaminants. If you’re inoculating established beds, we recommend adding some fresh mulch to the mix to hedge your bets. And feel free to use straw or wood chips as your mulch!

1. Gather your materials
2. Spread an even but light layer of mulch around a shady area to inoculate
3. Spread the crumbled block evenly on top of the mulch
4. Keep alternating layers of the mulch and the crumbled up mushroom block, leaving the top layer as mulch OR mix the mulch and block with your hands and cover with a top layer of mulch
5. Water the patch generously to get it hydrated
6. Keep an eye on the patch and don’t let it dry out - water as needed

Similar to containers, this method may take longer to be fruitful. Expect to wait 1-3 months depending on temperature, moisture, and total volume inoculated. Warm and humid weather with smaller volumes may produce faster if kept properly hydrated.