Mushroom grow-kit help
Chestnut Mushroom Grow Kit: Care & Harvest
Chestnuts take their time. Start your Nature Lion kit with an X cut and gentle misting, then allow 4–6 weeks for the first sprouts.
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Open your Nature Lion kit, step by step
These steps are for Nature Lion oyster, chestnut and Lion’s Mane boxed kits. You’ll need your kit, the included spray bottle, clean water, a clean knife, and a clean fork if you prefer it for scraping. An adult should handle the knife.
Open the growing window
Stand the box on a stable surface. Open the window on the back of the box to uncover the bag inside. Keep the block in its bag and box.
Cut an X
With a clean knife, carefully cut an X through the exposed plastic and 1–2 inches into the block. Keep your other hand out of the blade’s path. Leave the four plastic flaps attached.
Lift the flaps and gently scrape
Lift the flaps of the X. Use a clean fork or knife to gently scrape away the white mycelium on the exposed surface. Mycelium is the white mushroom growth covering the block. You are roughening the surface, not digging out a hole. This helps encourage tiny mushrooms to form at the opening.
Give it its first mist
Fill the included spray bottle with clean water. Gently mist the exposed surface underneath the flaps of the X, then lay the flaps back down. Leave the surface damp, without puddles.
Keep up the daily care
Repeat the gentle mist underneath the flaps 2–3 times per day until mushrooms begin to sprout. Return the flaps after each mist.
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Find a comfortable spot indoors
Set your kit where it gets indirect daylight and you’ll remember to check it each day. A kitchen counter or shelf away from direct sun is a good starting point. Avoid heaters, air-conditioning vents and fans blowing straight at the opening.
Leave space for the mushrooms to grow out of the box. Don’t shut the kit in a cupboard or seal it inside a container. Check the temperature guidance on your particular kit if your room is especially hot or cold.
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Be patient: usually 4–5 weeks to sprout
Nature Lion chestnuts take an average of 4–5 weeks to show the first mushrooms, with 4–6 weeks a useful waiting range. This is longer than oysters. Continue misting under the flaps 2–3 times daily; don’t cut again just because you haven’t seen growth in the first week.
The chestnut kit does not include a humidity tent. Keep the surface damp and away from drying vents. If it has been more than 6 weeks without sprouts, send us photos.
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Once tiny mushrooms appear
Those little bumps or baby caps are called pins. Stop scraping and leave them attached. Let the mushrooms push through the opening; don’t force the plastic flaps over them or keep lifting flaps that catch on the cluster.
Keep checking 2–3 times a day. Gently mist any exposed block surface that needs moisture without soaking the developing mushrooms. Once mushrooms start growing, check their harvest cues every day.
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Harvest chestnuts while the caps are still rounded
Pick when the caps have opened enough to look like little mushrooms but are still rounded, before they flatten out. Support the cluster at its base and gently twist it away from the block. Trim off any growing material stuck to the stems.
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After picking: prepare for another crop
Trim any growing material from the harvested mushrooms, refrigerate them and cook them thoroughly before eating. Remove loose mushroom pieces from the kit opening.
The following routine is for Nature Lion boxed oyster, chestnut and Lion’s Mane kits. Another maker’s kit or a shiitake block may need a different routine.
Let the block rest for about one week
Give your kit about a week between harvesting and soaking. Keep it away from direct sun and drying heat.
Soak for eight hours
Keep the cardboard box out of the water. Use a clean container and clean water, allowing water to reach the block. After eight hours, let excess water drain away.
Check the block’s weight
The hydrated block should weigh about 3–3.5 lb (1.4–1.6 kg). Weigh the drained block, without the cardboard box or soaking container.
If water has not soaked in, help it reach inside
The mycelium covering can keep water from entering. Gently scratch the surface with a clean fork, or poke a few holes around the block, then soak again. Drain and check the weight again. Do this between crops, not when mushrooms are developing.
Resume care and watch for another harvest
Return to the original misting routine. For Lion’s Mane, use the slit humidity tent, mist inside 2–3 times daily and give growing mushrooms their daily 1–2 hour air break. Pick the next crop using the same cap or tooth signs as the first. Timing and yield can vary.
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Not sure? Show us your kit
Email info@naturelion.ca with a clear photo of the whole kit and a close-up of the opening. Tell us the mushroom variety, when you opened it, where it sits and how often you mist. Include your order number if you have it. We can help you choose the next step.
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More help with your grow
For more background, read the related guides below. Follow the Nature Lion instructions above for your boxed kit.
Keep a photo diary with Dr. MycoTek
Want to remember how your mushrooms grew?
A few photos on your phone are a good start. If you’d like to keep dates and photos together, you can use Dr. MycoTek. It’s optional—everything you need to follow this guide is on this page.
Continue exploring
Set up your kit
Open the box, cut the X and give your kit its first mist.
See the growing stages
Know what you are waiting for and what comes next.
My kit isn’t growing
Check the timing, moisture and location before changing anything.
Know when to harvest
Learn what to look for and how to pick your mushrooms.
Nature Lion opening and care instructions apply to our boxed kits. For another maker’s kit, follow the instructions supplied with that product. Growth photos show individual examples; timing and results vary.