Back to Roots mushroom kit mold

Q: Why is my mushroom kit growing mold?

If theres any area on the kit that has exposed substrate (if the white mycelium isnt really strong in that area) it could become susceptible to mould. Patchy mycelium can be caused by damage to the mycelium either during transit or on opening, from heat damage, over-watering or from storing the kit for too long.

When learning to grow mushrooms you're almost guaranteed to encounter some other fungi in the form of moulds. Moulds are the biggest competitor to the mushroom grower. How do you identify it and what do you do when you find it?

Índice Show

Why is my mushroom kit growing mold?
Do back to the roots mushroom kits expire?
Do mushroom grow kits expire?
Can you overwater a mushroom kit?

Updated on September 26, 2021

Unfortunately the ideal growing conditions for mushrooms are also inviting to other fungi, including moulds - yuck!

Below we'll outline some common moulds that you may encounter while mushroom growing and what to do if you see some.

If you're growing a Mushroom Grow Kit purchased from us and it has developed some mould please send us a message and we'll help you out in no time!

When I heard about Back to the Roots I knew I had to include them in our Back 2 School Bash! Back to the Roots was founded in 2009 by two college students at UC Berkeley. Just before their graduation they stumbled across the idea of growing mushrooms in recycled coffee grounds. This idea soon turned into the Back to the Roots company which makes the “Grow Your Own Mushroom Garden” you see above! It is a self-sustaining mushroom kit (pearl oyster mushrooms) that stays in that box!

In 2011 they have plans to divert 1 million pounds of coffee grounds from Peet’s Coffee and Tea and turn it into a potential of 250,000 home-grown fresh mushrooms around the country! These kits can be bought online and are also sold at many Whole Foods locations. What I love about Back to the Roots is their community involvement. They have a huge passion for schools around the country! Right now if you post a picture with your mushroom kit on their Facebook wall they will donate a mushroom kit plus a sustainability curriculum to an elementary school classroom of your choice!! PLUS they also have a fundraising program for schools too!! They even offer a free sustainability worksheet that you can use in conjunction with this kit in your classroom!

Once you receive your mushroom kit in a box, you simply pop out the perforated windows on the front and back of the box and pull out the bag of (gross-looking!) mushroom/coffee mix! You’re supposed to soak it for 24 hours in a container of water- we used a small (clean) trash can and then weighted it down with a glass plate since the package floats. Once 24 hours has passed all you do is pull out the bag of mushroom mix, make a cross shaped slit in the front and back of the bag, and insert it right back into that cardboard box! Caring and growing your mushrooms is SO incredibly easy! All you do is mist it twice a day. That’s it! To be honest I’m pretty sure we either misted it too much or not enough every day and our mushroom kit grew like a weed!

In just a few days you can see above that our mushrooms started to appear!! The night before this it was just barely growing anything- in the morning it was quite a bit bigger!! And by the next day- it was wild! Look at the picture below- that is LESS than 24 hours from the pictures above!!

Here are a few up-close photos of that second day our mushrooms appeared!

Look at the gills underneath these pearl oyster mushrooms! What a perfect opportunity to teach your children hands on about fungus, the anatomy of a mushroom, spores, cooking with mushrooms, and more! I really can’t say enough awesome things about these mushroom kits! They are eco-friendly, support sustainability, scientific, educational, fun and absolutely perfect for classrooms of all ages! They are affordable for homeschooling families and can easily be used to set up a large variety of lesson plans and activities for the children to learn and participate in.

You can even purchase “refill” bags for a cheaper price as well!

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Why is my mushroom kit growing mold?

If there's any area on the kit that has exposed substrate (if the white mycelium isn't really strong in that area) it could become susceptible to mould. Patchy mycelium can be caused by damage to the mycelium either during transit or on opening, from heat damage, over-watering or from storing the kit for too long.

Do back to the roots mushroom kits expire?

The grow kit will stay fresh in the box for months before you start growing your mushrooms.

Do mushroom grow kits expire?

How long do mushroom growing kits last? Each grow kit usually lasts for about 2-3 harvests, but this will vary depending on the variety of grow kit you choose. Kits may produce more or less mushrooms in total before they expire and must be replaced.

Can you overwater a mushroom kit?

How much water should I give my kit? The top of the kit should be damp like a wet sponge, but not dripping. Be careful not to overwater: you don't want the mushroom compost underneath to get wet.