Frequently Asked Questions
Grow Your Own 🍄 VIBE Kit!
Still have questions? Feel free to reach out! 613-514-0525, info@theurbanbotanist.ca
Mycelium produce mushrooms (fruiting bodies) in order to produce spores.
Exposed mycelium needs ambient light and fresh air to produce mushrooms.
As mycelium spreads across the surface of the block, small white dots appear called hyphal knots.
Hyphal knots become primordia (aka: pins) within a week.
Pins become mushrooms, doubling in size every 24 hrs.
Our mushrooms eat rye grain, and grow in a mixture of coco coir, vermiculite, and gypsum.
Popular grains include: rye berries, wheat berries, whole oats, wild bird seed, and popcorn.
Spawn is grain with mycelium growing on it.
Substrate is the grow medium, providing nutrition, moisture and space to branch out.
Spawn is mixed with substrate (aka: spawn to bulk) to create a grow block.
Watch our "When to Harvest" How-To Video
Harvest mushrooms before veils break and release their spores.
Spores are visible as purple-black dust, and will stunt growth on the block.
Expect to yield 1 oz (28 g) dried mushrooms.
Fresh mushrooms contain 85-95% water and must be air dried 7-10 days to prevent spoilage (4-6 hrs in a food dehydrator).
Store dried mushrooms in the freezer, or at room temperature with a silica packet.
- A crop of harvested mushrooms is commonly called a flush
- Grow blocks regularly produce 2-3 full flushes, followed by rogue giants
- Flushes diminish as resources are depleted (nutrients, water)
- Early flushes often produce many, smaller mushrooms
- Later flushes often produce fewer, larger mushrooms
- Mushrooms double in size every 24 hrs
- Once fruiting begins, expect to harvest within 3-5 days
- Pluck mushrooms by pinching the base and twisting
- Mushrooms easily bruise blue-green when handled
- Bruising indicates psilocybin content
- Mushrooms breathe in oxygen (O2), and breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2)
- CO2 is heavier than O2 and will build up at the surface over time
- Pins grow upwards in search of fresh air
- Unusually long stems indicate too much CO2 build up
- Light merely provides direction for mushroom growth (above ground)
- Mushrooms grow in the shadows, artificial lighting can be avoided in most cases
- Indirect sunlight, or ambient indoor lighting is sufficient (lights on around the house)
- Direct lighting is only needed in complete darkness (a closet, etc.)
- Minimal LED lighting is recommended (low intensity, low heat)
- If using a timer, set timer to ON 8-12 hrs
- Mushrooms tolerate a wide range of temperatures 15-30 C (55-85 F)
- Lower temperatures slow growth and encourage denser fruiting bodies
- Higher temperatures accelerate growth but can be lethal over 30 C (85 F)
- Perfect temperature control is not required
- Comfortable room temperature is sufficient
Each strain grows slightly differently and are meant to give you a variation in experience, however this is all very subjective to the user. All of our strains are easy to grow, and are magic when consumed. We like to recommend golden teachers for beginners!