The Best Mushroom Growing Kits
Below is a list of the best mushroom growing kits that I recommend for the home cultivator. These kits are fun, relatively inexpensive, and easy to use. I've had a lot of success with these mushroom kits, and I hope you do too!
Remember to read the directions carefully and watch your humidity levels. I think a lot of people's failures with mushroom kits in general can be chalked up to either keeping the kit too wet or too dry.
Whether you're interested in growing shiitake mushrooms for food or reishi for medicinal purposes, these mushroom growing kits are a fun and educational way to get started. They make a great gift, and an even better conversation piece!
Shiitake Mushroom Kit
 Shiitake mushrooms are touted for both their delicious taste and health benefits. Your Shiitake mushrooms can be harvested at 2 week intervals for up to 16 weeks. A 50 to 80 F environment is best for cultivation. Certified Organic! The Shiitake Mushroom Kit will produce 2 or 3 pounds of mushrooms over a 12 to16 week period, in crops that will spring forth in approximately two week intervals. Buy the Shiitake Mushroom Kit at Amazon.
Read my full review of this shiitake mushroom kit here.
The Oyster Mushroom Growing Kit
 Practice bioremediation at home! Recycle old newspapers, coffee, and espresso grounds by inoculating them with Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus). The Pearl Oyster spawn fruits in a wide temperature range, making it suitable for inoculation across the country. A fascinating project for people of all ages. Kit comes complete with 1 gallon of Pearl Oyster Sawdust Spawn and detailed instructions. Buy the Espresso Oyster Mushroom Garden Patch at Amazon.
Reishi Mushroom Garden Patch
 Ganoderma lucidum, known as Reishi by the Japanese and Ling Chi by the Chinese, has long been sought after for its beneficial properties. Reputed to have many health stimulating properties, Western studies are increasingly authenticating what Eastern cultures have known for thousands of years, that this mushroom stimulates the body's immune system. A 70-80 F environment is ideal. Once grown, this mushroom is generally broken up, powdered and steeped in simple teas. Buy the Reishi Mushroom Garden Patch at Amazon.
Once you've grown some Reishi check out my articles: How to Make a Mushroom Tea and How to Make a Ganoderma Extract.
Maitake Mushroom Growing Kit
 Maitake mushrooms (Grifola frondosa), also known as Hen of the Woods, are succulent and delicious. They are also one of the most popular and widely recognized medicinal mushrooms. A 55 to 70 F environment is needed for this kit. Simply unwrap and water once or twice a day. Clusters of Maitake will spring forth in 2 to 3 weeks. Once your first flush has been harvested, the Maitake Mushroom Patch must be transferred to an outdoor bed for subsequent fruitings, which can occur in 6 to 12 months. Buy the Maitake Mushroom Garden Patch at Amazon.
The Children's Enokitake Mushroom Garden
 The perfect science project for your kids! Your child can watch Enokitake (Flammulina populicola) mushrooms come to life before their eyes. Each kit comes with an instruction booklet including interesting facts about fungi and an interactive watering calendar. (Note: even if your child does not water this kit, it will still grow.) A 40-60 F environment is best. Buy the Children's Mushroom Garden at Amazon.
The Turkey Tail Mushroom Garden Patch
 Favored by shamans throughout the ages, this delightful mushroom kit produces shelf fungi (Trametes versicolor) with multiple, colorful zones. The mushrooms can be made into a medicinal tea, and are highly valued for being the natural source of the anti-cancer agent PSK. These ornate mushrooms can also be used to make artful adornments such as necklaces and ear-rings. Grows best at 65-75 F. Buy the Turkey Tail Mushroom Garden Patch at Amazon.
Pioppino Mushroom Growing Kit
 Popular in Italy, Pioppino mushrooms (Agrocybe aegerita) have a mellow and attractive flavor. Flourishing at 50-70 F, this table-top mushroom features beautiful membranous rings on the stems, which slowly fall as the mushrooms mature: a study in the beauty of nature. Once fruited, The Pioppino Mushroom Patch can be used as spawn as it is an excellent candidate for stump recycling of willows, bay, alder, cottonwood, elm and many other woods. Buy the Pioppino Mushroom Garden Patch at Amazon.
Enokitake Mushroom Garden Patch
 Small capped and long stemmed, Enokitake mushrooms (Flammulina populicola) grow in huge bunches, sometimes being hard to count. Known as the Winter Mushroom A 40-60 F environment for best results. (To activate, simply place it in your refrigerator.) Freezing does not harm this mushroom. Certified Organic! Buy the Enokitake Mushroom Garden Patch at Amazon.
Nameko Mushroom Growing Kit
 This kit lets you grow your own Nameko Mushrooms (Pholiota nameko). These are Japan's second most popular cultivated mushroom. The Nameko has a strong flavor; some report they taste similar to cashews. This mushroom kit yields one to two pounds of mushrooms. A 50-65 F environment is best for cultivation. Certified Organic! Buy the Nameko Mushroom Patch at Amazon.
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