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At - home mushroom growing kit typically let in a substratum — such as a log , sawdust , or a block of woods and compost — that contains spores from which mushroom develop . exploiter just provide water , luminance , and fresh air , and mushrooms soon begin to appear .
I tested theNorth Spore Organic Pink Oyster ‘ Spray & Grow ’ Mushroom Growing Kitat home on my kitchen tabulator . North Spore is a company that makes mushroom - growing kits of dissimilar variety . It offers pink , gilt , and blue oyster mushrooms as well as many other options . Its mission is to make mushroom-shaped cloud grow accessible to everyone .
Photo: Jenn Ryan for Bob Vila
This is n’t my first time testing North Spore ’s products . I have also taste several of its other Spray & Grow kits , and I recommend them because of their reliable maturation , diverse varieties , and constitutional substrate . scan on to learn more about my test of this exceptional mushroom-shaped cloud growing kit .
North Spore Organic Pink Oyster ‘Spray & Grow’ Mushroom Growing Kit: At a Glance
Rating:7/10
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Get the North Spore Organic Pink Oyster ‘ Spray & Grow ’ mushroom-shaped cloud growing kit at :
What is the North Spore Pink Oyster mushroom growing kit?
The North Spore Pink Oyster mushroom-shaped cloud mature outfit is a fruit block colonized with mycelium , the fungus kingdom necessary for mushroom to spring up . Mycelium is theroot structure of fungithat grant mushroom to organise . The fruiting block is made from sawdust amended with substrate supplements , including soy sauce hull , and is designed to grow mushroom within 2 to 3 week .
North Spore ’s mushrooms are certified constituent , and the society is working on getting its substratum certify organic as well . In addition , North Spore offers a wide selection of mushroom , including pop varieties like lion ’s head of hair and shiitake , and lesser - known option like chestnut , king trumpet , and viscid mushroom .
The fruiting block is 10 column inch tall by 5 inch wide by 5 in deep . It matter about 4 pounds . Each block can yield up to 1.5 pounds of mushroom cloud , but this admit multiple harvests . I grew between 7 and 8 ounce of mushrooms during each harvest time .
Photo: Jenn Ryan for Bob Vila
Is the North Spore Pink Oyster mushroom growing kit simple to set up and use?
I institute this mushroom growing outfit very simple to set up so I could promptly start out the growing process . The instructions were light , and I did n’t require any especial tool . Once the kit arrived , the first instruction was to remove the front covert of the block . I removed the front cover with scissors and then used the same pair of scissor hold to snub an ten into the charge card . A humble knife can also be used instead of scissors .
Those two step were the total frame-up . I did not need to soak the kit before usage , as is the case with many logarithm - based mushroom - develop kits . Mushrooms need a routine of brightness level , fresh melody , and humidity to grow , so I placed the block on my kitchen counter in a spot where the light was low . I also had my windows open while test the kit to ensure it received plenty of fresh atmosphere . It ’s important to note that spores from mushroomscan cause respiratory annoyance in sensitive individuals , so bear the outfit in a well - ventilate area is a respectable idea .
Given the fact that I tested this mushroom-shaped cloud produce outfit in former fall on the East Coast when the humidness was low-down , I necessitate to spray the fruit blockage with water three times a day to keep it moist . When my kit arrived , the block was already dampish — almost stiff — but I knew from experience to mist it anyway , as it can dry out quickly . Moisture is crucial for mushroom-shaped cloud growth . The kit conveniently include a small meth sprayer nursing bottle to moisten the fruit block .
Photo: Jenn Ryan for Bob Vila
Is the North Spore Pink Oyster mushroom kit an easy way to grow mushrooms?
The outfit is a very easy way to grow mushrooms . The mushroom cloud on the fruiting stoppage can take up to 2 hebdomad to start “ pinning , ” which is the term used for the small mushrooms that begin to come along on the mycelium . In my testing , this pinning took about a week .
Once the mushroom come out , they grow chop-chop . My mushrooms extend to full increment less than a calendar week before they were ready to be harvest . It ’s potential to achievea second or even a third flushfrom the fruit block . I was able-bodied to harvest a second deal of mushroom cloud by gazump the block per the instructions .
There are multiple ways to produce mushroom cloud . In addition to fruit blocks , mushroom-shaped cloud logs — which are colonize with mycelium for mushroom growth — and grow bags are other choice . Some consumers might opt to simply grow mushroom in colonised substratum , which can be done indoors or out of doors . However , for tyro who are new to growing mushrooms , a fruiting pulley is an prosperous way to get start with growing and harvesting mushrooms . A fruit block is also a commodious way to rise mushroom indoors , flop on a desk or a kitchen counter . The North Spore Pink Oyster mushroom growing outfit is downhearted maintenance since it only expect a few spray of body of water two to three times each day . It ’s also humiliated risk since the first “ peak ” ( or harvest ) of mushroom-shaped cloud is guaranteed .
Photo: Jenn Ryan for Bob Vila
Check out our guide on thebest mushroom - turn kitsfor other creative agency to produce mushroom at home .
Does the North Spore Pink Oyster mushroom growing kit make good-tasting mushrooms?
The North Spore mushroom cloud growing outfit grows organic and eminent - quality mushrooms . These pinkish huitre mushrooms vagabond from a beautiful flush - pink color to a brighter pink . They were tasty , sore , and meaty — complete as a vegan meat stand-in .
I cooked the mushrooms to make vegan draw out pork , vegan chicken pad thai , and vegan pho . For bracing mushroom , it ’s grueling to beat develop them at home . The mushroom-shaped cloud can also be pulled justly off the block as needed rather than harvesting them all at once , which enhances the freshness when used in recipes .
Is the North Spore Pink Oyster mushroom growing kit worth the cost?
This mushroom-shaped cloud get outfit retails for around $ 30 on the society ’s website and a bit more on Amazon , and it yield up to 1.5 pounds of tonic mushroom-shaped cloud . Oyster mushrooms can typically be from$8 to 12 per Ezra Pound , with the price being mellow for organic mushroom . So , it would still be less expensive to purchase oyster mushrooms rather than arise them via a outfit .
That being said , the design of this mushroom growing outfit is more of an interesting experiment to see how mushroom-shaped cloud grow and become intimate with mycelium , the mold from which mushroom-shaped cloud grow . It is fun to ascertain the growing progress from daylight to day — sometimes , the mushroom change in just a few hours . worry for the fruiting occlusion is simple , and it only takes a few weeks to develop and enjoy mushrooms right at home .
Should you buy the North Spore Pink Oyster mushroom growing kit?
The North Spore Pink Oyster outfit is a outstanding project for founding father mushroom cloud growers , children , and anyone who require homegrown constitutional mushrooms without investing a lot of time or money into mature them out of doors . It requires minimal maintenance and is a fun way to get start with the basics of mushroom-shaped cloud growing . North Spore also tender passel of other varieties in the same vogue of fruiting mental block , including blue oyster , favorable oyster , and lion ’s head of hair .
What I like about this kit is that it ’s so dewy-eyed to startle the mushroom - grow process . I have also tried logarithm - establish mushroom growing kits , which are attractive and fun , but the log need to be inebriate for 8 hour before being able to arise mushrooms . regain a container in which to submerge a 12 - column inch log is challenging as well . ( I ended up using a large ice chest . )
instead , North Spore kit come ready for users to start growing mushrooms with minimal effort , and even reap two to three batches is gentle — just keep spray the fruiting block or soak it for about 20 minute for good results .
Photo: Jenn Ryan for Bob Vila
Where to Buy the North Spore Pink Oyster Mushroom Growing Kit
Meet the Tester
Jenn Ryan is a author with a passion for gardening as well as an intermediate mushroom agriculturist . She has produce shiitake , lion ’s head of hair , and oyster mushrooms in her abode . Since 2020 , Jenn has been a writer with Bob Vila with a focus on sustainability and gardening , include intersection followup . She takes a detailed attack to reviewing products and considers the value they add together for the money , as well as the stuff used for sustainability and overall eco - friendliness .
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