You can store your kit for up to 4 weeks after you’ve received it.

Store it in a dark spot at room temperature (20-25C), then continue as per the instructions in the box.

If you need to store longer than this then put the bag into the fridge straight away and your kit with sleep for up to two months.

Note, do not put pink oyster into a fridge that is less than 10C. Your kit will die if it is colder than 10C.

Once the hole in the bag has been cut, you need to mist each day to stop the growing mix inside from drying out and to create the humidity that mushrooms love to grow in. 

Just mist the whole area where you have cut the hole, pulling back the flaps momentarily to make sure it all gets some water. 

Then allow the flaps to fall back into place as they will help to keep the humidity in.

Aim to mist at least twice a day, giving the whole area a good soak each time (i.e. approx. 10 sprays).

Your kit is pretty versatile – most people grow them inside on a shaded windowsill or kitchen worktop/table. 

Anywhere that has some indirect light, and isn’t near an air conditioner will provide the conditions needed for growth.

Humidity is most important wherever you position it – remember to soak the bag at the beginning of each crop and continue to spray daily to stop it drying out. 

Oyster mushrooms in particular are quite tolerant of temperature and will grow happily between 5-25C, ideally around 18C.

This white layer is the mycelium, or ‘mushroom roots’. It has grown across and throughout the substrate and has completely colonised it before we send it out to you. It’s this mycelium that gathers up the nutrients and uses them to produce delicious mushrooms when the bag is opened.

We have a lot of faith in our product and are sure of its success. The first step is just to give your kit a little extra time.

As a living organism, your mushrooms will not always behave like clockwork – although most are ready for harvest after 14 days, some kits will take an extra week or two to start growing.

Read through these FAQ’s and if you can’t work out what may be the problem, drop us an email to hello@kaikaifarm.au with a photo and explanation of what has happened.

We’ll do our best to advise and get your kit working.

The first crop is always the biggest as it is grown at its peak with all the nutrients in the bag available.

Each successive crop gets smaller as more nutrients and water are extracted from the kit. Soaking overnight between crops and misting well can help to mitigate the moisture loss, but the nutrients will slowly run out, producing smaller crops over time.

Your second crop will start to grow in around 7-14 days, but can occasionally take up to 21 days.

Once you have had at least 2 crops from it, it’s worth trying to re-soak and get another, but if you do this and no further crops emerge after 4 weeks, then it is time to break up the mixture that is left and add this rich soil amendment to your plants!

Excessively high moisture levels encourage the growth of competing moulds, funguses, and bacteria.

Too much humidity may lead to mould.  Unfortunately, it is impossible to eliminate competing moulds once they have infected your grow block.

Fruit flies love moisture and bacteria. Make sure you aren’t over-misting the grow block, as this can attract flies.

To dissuade fruit flies from visiting your block, try placing a small cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with a few drops of dish washing liquid covered by plastic wrap with tiny holes in the top in the same room as the grow block.

The fruit flies will be attracted to the vinegar and get trapped inside the plastic wrap.