Oyster mushrooms are a classic first project. They grow fast, tolerate beginner mistakes and are delicious cooked. A sterile kit removes the hardest part, preparing and sterilising substrate, so all you have to do is add the culture and look after it.
1. Pick a kit and a species
For a first grow, choose a compact kit such as the EZPZ Grow Kit, the twin-box MiNO Grow Kit or the All-in-One Grow Bag. See all beginner kits.
For species, Blue Oyster is the most forgiving. Golden Oyster and Pink Oyster are brighter and like warmer rooms. King Oyster has a thick stem and a meaty texture.
2. Inoculate
- Wash your hands, put on gloves and wipe the injection port with an alcohol wipe.
- Shake the liquid culture syringe gently so the mycelium is spread out through the liquid.
- Push the needle through the port and inject the amount your kit recommends; MiNO kits, for example, need about 1 to 1.5ml each.
- Remove the needle and wipe the port again.
3. Colonisation
Keep the kit somewhere dark or dim, clean and at a steady room temperature, roughly 18 to 24 degrees C. White mycelium will spread through the grain over the following weeks; the kits we sell typically take 2 to 6 weeks depending on type. Do not open it. If you see green, black or pink patches or a sour smell, that is contamination and the kit should be discarded rather than fruited.
4. Fruiting
When the substrate is fully white, give it light, fresh air and humidity. Most kits include a humidity tent for this. Mist the inside of the tent, not the mushrooms directly, and fan the air briefly once or twice a day. Blue oyster fruits well at roughly 12 to 20 degrees C. Golden and pink oysters prefer warmer conditions, roughly 20 to 28 degrees C.
5. Harvest and cook
Pick when the cap edges are still slightly curled under and before they flatten out and drop spores. Twist and pull the whole cluster. Oyster mushrooms should be cooked thoroughly: sauteed in butter or oil with a little garlic is hard to beat. Many kits will give a second flush after a few days of rest.
Going further
When you want bigger harvests, move up to a monotub kit. To understand what each stage does, read liquid culture vs grain spawn vs agar, or try something different with our Lion’s Mane guide.
Our kits, cultures and supplies are intended for legal species such as gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. Growing mushrooms that contain psilocybin is illegal in the UK. 18+ only.
