Open the photo full sizeFollow this guide to get the best out of your XXL MycMonster Grow Kit.
What's in your kit
- 2L MycMonster™ bag prefilled with Sterile Substrate B, with its Peel 'n' Inject sticker already on the bag - a polypropylene sticker with extremely high adherence to the polypropylene bag
- 1x XXL Grow Tent, if you'd like to fruit horizontally
- Filter material for the tent's top-FAE gap
- Hygiene Kit: face mask, 2x hand wipes, 1x 70% IPA / 2% Chlorhexidine wipe and 1x spare 18G sterile needle, plus sterile gloves if you picked a glove size
You will also need
- A 12ml gourmet spore or liquid culture syringe - exactly 12ml, no more, no less (unless you have a very densely spore-filled smaller syringe)
Step 1
Inoculation of MycMonster
Reducing the risk of contamination is crucial in successful mushroom cultivation, and you can achieve this by working in a small, clean, and draught-free space, ideally using a Still-Air Box (SAB) and taking thoughtful steps to reduce the chance of cross contamination.
Before starting, cleanliness is key. Shower, clean clothes. Your kit contains hand wipes for cleaning your hands and forearms - wipe them for 40-60 seconds, then fit your face mask and gloves.
Next, prepare your syringe by attaching the sterile needle we've given you. Your MycMonster already has its Peel 'n' Inject sticker on the bag. Break up the substrate so it falls under the sticker (this helps prevent piercing both sides of the bag). Peel the sticker back about 3/4 of the way, inject into the centre with a 12ml gourmet spore syringe (or a smaller syringe, as long as it's dense with spores), then press the sticker back down. If you notice any creases under the sticker, peel it back and reapply.
Open the photo full sizeStep 2
Colonisation of MycMonster™
Open the photo full sizeAfter inoculating your MycMonster, it's time for colonisation.
Colonisation Temperatures
Temperature is vital for healthy and fast mycelium growth. Use this table to find the ideal temperature for your inoculation method.
Spore Syringe: ideal temp 23C (give or take a couple of degrees), expected time 10-14 Days (Sometimes takes longer)
AC / LC / G2G: ideal temp 26C, expected time 7-10 Days
For faster mycelium growth with Substrate B: on day 7 after inoculation thoroughly mix the substrate in the bag. Use both hands to rub the bag, breaking the contents and mycelium into a fine, loose crumble. The finer and more evenly mixed the crumble (achieved by repeatedly flipping the bag), the more uniform the mycelial distribution and the faster the colonisation. Do not repeat the step more times than this - repeating it can stall growth. Leave the bag to continue colonising afterwards.
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Open the photo full sizeStep 3
Post Colonisation Stage
When your MycMonster is done colonising, it's now time to move on to fruiting some mushrooms! As the MycMonster is designed to be fruited within the same bag, we first need to hydrate the 'cake' of white mycelium.
Dunking for Humidity and Hydration
When the substrate inside the MycMonster bag has fully colonised (completely covered in white mycelium), you should use a method known in the hobby as 'dunking' to get as much water into the mycelium cake as possible.
There are so many different ways to achieve this hydration, but the easiest is to cut open the top of the MycMonster bag and simply add water to it. We'd suggest a couple of litres of spring water (but tap can work too). Pour this over the myc cake, then weigh the cake down with a couple of clean plates (as it will try to float!).
Fold over the top of the bag to keep everything as clean as possible. Leave your cake submerged like this for anything between 6-24 hours, depending on how much patience you have!
After this dunking period, drain the water from the MycMonster bag and give it all a good rinse with clean tap water (spring is fine too, but it's not necessary) and then drain thoroughly as we don't want stagnant water pooling.
As your MycMonster™ is an all-in-one, the main objective from this point onwards is keeping the temps warm and waiting for it to start pinning. For fruiting, aim for 21C (give or take a couple of degrees).
In the bag, or horizontally in the XXL Grow Tent
Your kit also comes with an XXL Grow Tent, so you can choose how you fruit:
In the bag: the easiest way. Fold the top of the bag back over to keep the humidity in and leave it to pin.
Horizontally in the XXL Grow Tent: more surface area and bigger flush potential. Once your cake is dunked and drained, cut the bag away, lay the cake down flat on a piece of tin foil inside the XXL Grow Tent with its biggest side facing up, then close the tent: Fold the top of the tent over, leaving a gap at one corner for top-FAE (Fresh Air Exchange), and tuck the piece of filter material we give you into that gap. It holds the gap open, helps keep the humidity in and keeps flies and dust out.
Step 4
The Best Bit... Fruiting Your Mushrooms!
Maintaining a temperature of around 21C (give or take a couple of degrees) during the fruiting stage is ideal for best results with many popular species of mushrooms. Essential levels of humidity will naturally build up inside the bag (or tent) from the water you allowed to soak into the substrate during dunking.
Open the photo full sizeMist and fan: Misting 3-6 times a day and fanning is recommended for best results. Don't start misting until at least 24 hours have passed since you dunked, as there will be loads of water in your substrate at this point and you could waterlog it. After that, open the bag (or tent), give the cake a fine mist until it glistens, fan in some fresh air (a wave of your hand or a piece of card is plenty) and close it back up. If you notice any excess water, dab it up with tissue paper.
Humidity and Air Exchange
Humidity and FAE (fresh air exchange) are extremely important for pinning and healthy mushroom development, as is temperature and light. They all need to work in harmony.
In the bag, we suggest cutting a 1cm slit through both sides of the bag near the top (in the XXL Grow Tent, the filtered gap at the corner does this job) and placing an electric fan somewhere in the room on a low setting (but don't go out buying one if you don't already have one). Even opening a window from time to time can be great for creating some air currents which will help increase the FAE inside the bag or tent.
Light and Environmental Conditions
Your mushrooms will need light to grow. We recommend indirect sunlight or a 5000-6500K LED or fluorescent light a few feet away - if the light is heating the substrate, move it further away.
If you notice the inside of your bag looking dry, it may be due to the fan being too close, the holes you cut being too big, or grow lights (if using them) being too close and hot. Observe what's happening and adjust your setup as required. Fantastic results depend on it.
Pinning and Growth
After around 3-7 days, you'll hopefully begin to see lots of tiny white dots. These are hyphal knots that will develop into primordia, aka mushroom pins. It will take 4-5 days for them to grow into fully mature mushrooms ready for harvest.
During this time, they'll let you know if something isn't quite right. Fuzzy mycelium at the base of the mushrooms and/or thin stems are an indication that more FAE is needed. Increasing the fan speed or length of the cuts on the bag (or opening the tent's corner gap a little wider) might be something to try.
Don't worry about any mushrooms growing around the sides and bottom of the cake. You'll still be able to harvest them. If you want to give your mushrooms more room to grow next time, consider fruiting horizontally in the XXL Grow Tent instead of the bag.
Harvesting and Subsequent Flushes
When the veil beneath one of your mushroom caps is about to tear off, this is when you should harvest your first flush. For best results, you should repeat the dunking process after each harvest. If you're fruiting horizontally in the XXL Grow Tent, the bag has been cut away, so dunk the cake in a pot of fresh water instead - a couple of plates on top, a lid on the pot, 6-24 hours - then give it a little rinse and put it back on its foil. If you've taken good care of your grow kit, you should achieve multiple flushes of beautiful mushrooms before the nutrients are all used up.
Expected Yields
With proper care and optimal conditions, the MycMonster™ can produce impressive harvests across multiple flushes. Remember that each flush typically produces less than the previous one, with the first flush usually being the most abundant.
Step 5
Happy shroomin' ♡
Thanks so much for ordering our grow kit. We hope you love using it and reap the rewards!
If there's anything you're still unsure about, get in touch through Messages in your account or the chat button at the bottom of any page. We're a friendly bunch!
