Growing your own magic mushrooms is not difficult or complicated and, in fact, can be a lot of fun. If you start with one of our grow kits, a good start is guaranteed, because you start with a professionally prepared, sterile medium complete with spores, so you are already a few steps further in the process than if you start with loose spores. Much less can go wrong, but still, there are some common magic mushroom growing mistakes we discuss here so you can be assured of your own harvest full of beautiful psychedelic mushrooms. By the way, did you already know that you can harvest up to seven times from one grow kit? Read on quickly to discover all about successfully growing your own magic mushrooms!

Common Mistakes When Growing Your Own Magic Mushrooms

The following mistakes are fairly easy to avoid. Here's a guide to a successful harvest!

Mushroom Grow Kit Mistake Number 1: Not Working Clean Enough

One of the most common mistakes is not working hygienically enough when setting up and maintaining your magic mushroom grow kit. You do not have to have a sterile lab set-up at home, but observing a few basic rules regarding hygiene will greatly increase your chances of successful growth. This prevents contamination of your kit with other fungi/bacteria and ensures that only what you want grows in your grow box: your own harvest of fresh psychedelic mushrooms. So every time you start your grow kit or maintain it: wash your hands thoroughly with soap and in doing so, make sure your faucet and sink are also clean, as these can also be sources of contamination. If desired, you can also disinfect your hands and the growing environment with disinfectants intended for that purpose. Also, when you need to open the grow bag later in the process to water it or have contact with the grow kit for any reason: do it with clean hands. In addition, it is recommended not to breathe directly into the grow bag or onto the grow kit.

Mushroom Grow Kit Mistake Number 2: The Wrong Place

It happens quite often that grow kits are placed in places that are actually not suitable for successful mushroom cultivation. While the mushrooms that will grow from your grow kit need daylight, they do not like direct sunlight. Don't put them under a lamp, either. They also have a preference for certain temperatures: mushrooms grow best at 20˚C and 25˚C. If you think the temperature in your growing environment will fall below 18˚C, the use of a heating mat is recommended, because, below this temperature, the chances become a lot higher and the mushrooms will not want to grow. Also, make sure the temperature does not exceed 35˚C, mushrooms do not like that. In short, choose a place with enough daylight but without direct sunlight and do not put the grow kit on or above a heater, but in a place where the temperature is stable between 20˚C and 25˚C.

Mushroom Grow Kit Mistake Number 3: Being Too Curious

Another common mistake is not being patient enough, opening the grow bag too early, or being too curious and not being able to leave the grow kit alone. If you want a nice crop of mushrooms, above all, leave them alone! Magic mushrooms need time and the right conditions to grow, so by all means, give them those. After starting your grow kit, it can take up to 4 weeks for the first mini mushrooms to become visible, especially in the colder seasons. On average, it takes 2 weeks before you see the first growth. In those first weeks, it is best to leave the grow kit alone and not open the grow bag. This is because, at this stage, the growing mushrooms need a lot of CO₂ (and no oxygen) to grow. The closed grow bag takes care of that, so for the most part, leave it closed. Only once you see the first pins (small mushrooms) can you open the bag to let the CO₂ escape and give the kit fresh air. You do this once every day, where it is also recommended that you spray the inside of the bag with 1-2 pumps of clean, fresh water each time to maintain moisture levels. After that, close the bag again. From the moment you see the first growing pins, things move quickly: you can probably harvest your home-grown mushrooms within a few days. So keep a close eye on your grow kit around this time. Moreover, at this stage, it is great fun to see how beautifully and quickly your mushrooms grow. Sometimes they even grow into full-fledged mushrooms overnight. Once you think they are big enough, you can harvest the mushrooms. Preferably harvest them before the membrane under the cap begins to release and the mushrooms release their spores. And with all these steps, follow hygiene rules so you don't contaminate the kit after all!

Extra Tips

Besides following the above advice, it is highly recommended to read a lot about growing your own psychedelic mushrooms and always follow our step-by-step grow guide. If you follow these, chances of success are almost guaranteed. (Are you growing Copelandia mushrooms? Check out our Copelandia grow guide here.) In very rare cases, a kit may show no sign of growth even after closely following our grow guide. There is then a chance that your grow kit is "sleeping. Fortunately, you can do something about this!

The Cold Shock

Each grow kit can yield multiple harvests. You do this by resetting the kit with a so-called Cold Shock. Even if your kit is "sleeping," you can use a cold shock to bring it back to life. For a successful cold shock, clean the surface of the growing medium with a sterilized knife by removing the old and immature mushrooms and residue. Then soak the kit in the water again and put it in the refrigerator overnight (12 to 24 hours) with the lid on (no colder than 2˚C). Then you pour out the excess water again and restart the grow kit, as described in the grow kit guide linked above (starting with step 5).

All in all, it is actually quite easy to grow your own magic mushrooms successfully. We hope this blog helps you with that. If you follow the grow guide step by step, there's really not much that can go wrong. Keep in mind that psychedelic mushrooms are a natural product and thus the chance of success can never be 100% guaranteed, but with the above information, you are well on your way to successful growth! In addition, our customer service is available on all working days, should you still have any questions about growing your own magic mushrooms. Happy growing!