Most people love mushrooms and for good reason! Add them to any ordinary dish and you’ll elevate it to something much more scrumptious and satisfying. Fortunately, you can easily grow mushrooms in your own home with a mushroom growing kit from the variety that are available in stores.
The most common mushrooms by far are the white button mushrooms you can find in most stores. The more exotic mushrooms such as shiitake, cordyceps militaris and oyster add different textures and tastes but can be expensive and are ot always available in some locations. So why not grow you own? One thing is for sure, growing your own food has many benefits including a feeling of pleasure from achieving something useful.
Mushrooms are not like other growing species and don’t need light to grow, which makes them ideal for growing indoors. They do however need a temperature of around 70°F to 80°F to get started and twice daily spraying with water to keep the growing medium damp.
As you might imagine, with the help of a kit, growing mushrooms can be a lot of fun! Beginners, children and students alike will find growing mushrooms fascinating. In addition, teachers love that mushroom growing kits can make class projects enjoyable and rewarding for everyone.
In this article we recommend some of the mushroom growing kits on the market that we think are the all-round winners. We made our selection based on factors such as growth rate, ease of use, helpful instructions and customer reviews. When including shipping, prices range from around $20 to $50.
All the kits we recommend contain growing medium, mushroom spawn and instructions. Some have the spawn already mixed in with the medium and some you mix in yourself.
What’s your favorite mushroom? Or maybe you want to try something new . . . each of the kits below produces a different mushroom. Choose from crimini/portabella, cordyceps militaris, white button, pink oyster, oyster or shiitake.
Willow Mountain Mushrooms: Crimini/Portabella/Baby Bella Kit
This Willow Mountain Baby Bella Mushroom Growing Kit is a 12 x 12 x 12 inch mushroom growing kit that produces up to 4 pounds of crimini/portabella gourmet mushrooms over a 4 – 6 week growing cycle. The crimini mushroom when allowed to grow to maturity becomes the larger portabella mushroom, hence the different but similar names.
Pros
- Video instructions on the company website
- Can grow a lot of mushrooms in a relatively short time
- No chemicals or pesticides used
- Good customer service
Cons
- A little pricey when you include shipping cost
- No visible guarantee
Root Mushroom Farm: Cordyceps Militaris Kit
This Root Mushroom Farm Mushroom Growing Kit makes a perfect gift for kids and grownups alike. If the name cordyceps militaris is new to you, this mushroom is also known as Scarlet Club Fungus or Caterpillar Killer. The kit is very compact, weighing just 10 oz with dimensions of 8 x 8 x 5 inches. It has a unique and fascinating design that makes growing mushrooms a real pleasure.
Pros
- Inexpensive with free shipping
- Cultivated mushroom has a high growth rate
- 100% guaranteed
- Free shipping
Cons
- Smaller harvest than Willow Mountain kits
Willow Mountain Mushrooms: White Button Kit
This Willow Mountain White Mushroom Growing Kit is similar to the crimini growing kit from the same company, this kit takes up a 12 x 12 x 12 inch space and produces up to 4 pounds of mushrooms over a 4 – 6 week period.
Pros
- Video instructions on the company website
- Can grow a lot of mushrooms in a relatively short time
- No chemicals or pesticides used
- Good customer service
Cons
- A little pricey when you include shipping cost
- No visible guarantee
Forest Origins: Pink Oyster Grow Kit
At just 7.2 x 5.6 x 4.7 inches, the Forest Origins Pink Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit contains everything you need to grow delicious pink oyster mushrooms. Just add water to get started.
Pros
- Lasts for months unopened, so it’s great for a gift
- Includes a spray mister
- 100% guaranteed
- Free shipping
Cons
- Smaller harvest than the Willow Mountain kits
Back To The Roots: Organic Kit
The Back To The Roots Organic Mushroom Growing Kit produces gourmet oyster mushrooms and is one of the less expensive kits. It is unique because you get to harvest your mushrooms in 10 days! Just add water to get started. The kit includes a Mushroom Discovery Book that takes you through the cultivation process.
Pros
- Kit includes a spray bottle and Mushroom Discovery Book
- Online instruction video
- Very fast growth
- 100% guaranteed
- Free shipping
Cons
- Mushrooms can sometimes burst out of the box
Root Mushroom Farm: Shiitake Kit
The Root Mushroom Farm Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit is unusual in that the mushrooms grow on a log. Shiitake mushrooms are touted for their many health benefits and their rich savory taste. This kit will provide mushrooms for many months with multiple crops. But don’t delay when you receive the kit as they’ll be ready to start growing straight away.
Pros
- Includes a shiitake mushroom log
- Includes a spray mister and humidity tent
- Growth starts straight away when received
- Multiple crops for up to 16 weeks
- 100% guaranteed
- Free shipping
Cons
- Can be kept in fridge for a week, but can’t be left longer than that
Final Thoughts
You and your children can have a lot of fun with mushroom growing kits. You can grow hard-to-find mushrooms inexpensively in a relatively short time, and you’ll love the difference in quality and taste when your mushrooms are home grown.
If you’re interested to learn more about mushrooms, especially some of the more exotic ones and what their health benefits are, this source has some great articles on the benefits of medicinal mushrooms and how to grow them.
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