Mushroom grow-kit help
Lion’s Mane Grow Kit: Setup, Tent Care & Harvest
Give your Lion’s Mane kit a gentle start and a moist, airy tent. Follow these opening steps, daily care instructions and harvest signs.
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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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Lion’s Mane only: use the included humidity tent
Lion’s Mane is the only Nature Lion kit supplied with a humidity tent. The tent is a loose cover that helps keep the air around the mushrooms moist.
Make a few air openings
Cut a few slits in the tent before putting it over the kit.
Drape it loosely over the box
Leave room around the growing opening. Don’t seal the tent around the bottom or press it against the mushrooms.
Mist the inside 2–3 times a day
Mist the inside walls of the tent to keep them moist, then put it back over the kit. Continue the gentle care of the block’s opening while you wait for mushrooms. Avoid soaking the mushrooms themselves.
Once mushrooms grow, give them a daily air break
Take the tent off for 1–2 hours once a day, then replace it. Keep the kit away from a drying fan or heater during the break.
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What you’ll see as it grows
Look for white growth near the opening, followed by a fuller cluster and hanging teeth. Once mushrooms are present, don’t scrape or squeeze them. Keep the tent loose, mist its inside walls and remember the daily air break.
If the growth becomes very branchy, check that the tent has slits and isn’t sealed. If it yellows while still small or stops growing, send us a photo rather than assuming it is ready to harvest.
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Harvest Lion’s Mane when its teeth develop
Look for a firm, white cluster with hanging teeth roughly ¼–½ inch long (6–12 mm). Pick before it yellows or softens. Support the cluster and cut its attachment to the block with a clean knife; avoid squeezing the delicate teeth.
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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.