Working with your own mycelium from scratch can be a fascinating hobby, but it usually requires significant investment, specialised equipment and a carefully controlled sterile environment. For beginners the risk of contamination – and complete loss of the culture – is very high. Growkits offer a simpler alternative: they allow you to observe fungal development day by day and see how temperature, humidity and airflow influence growth. With every attempt you gain experience and can adjust conditions more consciously.
What is a grow kit (growkit)?
A growkit is a block of fully colonised mycelium placed in a protective container or filter bag. Under optimal conditions it is capable of producing fruiting bodies (mushrooms). In our store, growkits are sold as collector’s and research products, intended for microscopy, taxonomy and educational mycology – not for cultivation in regions where fruiting is illegal.
Inside each kit you will find an organic substrate – typically grain hulls, sawdust, straw or a blend of these materials. The substrate is hydrated and sterilised, and then inoculated in laboratory conditions with a selected strain, such as Golden Teacher or Mazatapec. As the mycelium grows, it colonises the entire block. Only when the substrate is evenly covered with mycelium is the kit considered ready to be packed and cooled for shipping.
Typical components of a research growkit
- a plastic container or tray with fully colonised mycelium,
- a filter bag that allows gas exchange while limiting contamination,
- clips or ties for closing the bag,
- protective cardboard packaging for transport.
When the growkit reaches the customer, the key tasks are correct storage and hygiene. The kit should be kept in a cool environment (usually 2–5 °C) and protected from temperature swings. For a broader theoretical overview of the development process you can read our guide: Growkit – instruction.
How many times can a growkit fruit (theoretically)?
From a mycological perspective a well-maintained growkit can fruit several times. After the first harvest the substrate still contains nutrients, so the mycelium may initiate new flushes. In reports from countries where cultivation is legal, users most often describe 2–4 flushes from one kit; higher numbers usually require very careful handling and ideal conditions.
The most important factors for repeated fruiting include:
- gently removing leftover stems and debris after each harvest so the surface can heal,
- restoring and maintaining proper moisture levels in the substrate,
- providing fresh air exchange without strong drafts,
- keeping tools, hands and the work area as clean as possible.
If you are interested in how multiple flushes are discussed in mycological education, you can read more in our article Multiple throws from one growkit. It describes typical problems (drying, contamination, mechanical damage to the cake) and how they influence the life span of the mycelium block.
Home mycology – a growing global trend
According to the IMARC mushroom market report, the global mushroom industry is expanding rapidly and is projected to reach tens of billions of USD in the coming years. This boom covers not only food mushrooms, but also research, biomaterials and functional species used in supplements.
Several factors contribute to this interest:
- new industrial applications – for example fungi investigated for their ability to help break down plastics and other waste,
- growing attention to the potential health benefits of certain species (lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps and others),
- a long tradition of culinary and medicinal use of mushrooms in Asia,
- centuries-old foraging cultures in many European countries,
- historical ritual and spiritual use of fungi in parts of the Americas.
Compact growkits fit naturally into this trend: they let people living in small apartments explore fungal biology in a controlled, small-scale way. For many, a research growkit is the first contact with concepts such as mycelial networks, colonisation dynamics or contamination control – topics that are important in both citizen science and professional labs.
What to consider when choosing a growkit for research?
- Research goal: if you want to observe colonisation speed and morphology, choose stable, “forgiving” strains such as Golden Teacher; for comparative studies, pick two or more strains that differ in growth patterns.
- Available space and conditions: make sure you can maintain a relatively stable room temperature and a microclimate with high humidity (even a simple plastic box with ventilation holes can change the environment significantly).
- Time frame: larger kits (e.g. 1200 cc) require more patience; smaller blocks are sometimes chosen for short-term microscopy projects.
- Hygiene: regardless of strain or size, clean hands, disinfected tools and a dust-free surface are crucial to avoid contamination.
- Legal context: in Poland and many other countries, purchasing and owning research growkits without fruiting bodies is legal, but allowing the substrate to produce mushrooms containing controlled substances is not.
All content on psychodelicroom.pl is educational and research-oriented. We do not encourage the use of any consciousness-altering substances, as they can both support healing and cause harm. Cultivation of mushrooms from growkits is illegal in many countries – including Poland – and may result in criminal liability. Growkits purchased from us should be disposed of within 72 hours of receipt.
Log in with Facebook
Log in with Google