Oyster Mushroom Kit Instructions

We are here to help you with your oyster mushroom growing journey

Welcome to the family. Your kit is a living thing — fully colonised with healthy oyster mycelium and ready to fruit. In the next one to two weeks you'll watch fresh organic mushrooms appear on your bench, no green thumb required.

We'll walk you through every step below, and we're only ever an email away.

Email us at hello@kaikaifarm.au

Grow, Harvest, Cook and Enjoy!

Jump to:

▶ Watch: open & harvest your kit
What's in your kit
The 4 things mushrooms need
▶ Watch: where to place your kit
Step-by-step guide
What to expect & when
Troubleshooting
Second & third flush
When your kit is finished

⏱ Open me first

For the best harvest, open your kit as soon as it arrives. If life's busy, no stress — you can keep the unopened bag in the fridge for up to two months, which simply puts the mycelium to sleep until you're ready. Just avoid leaving it sealed and warm on a shelf for weeks, as the mushrooms want to fruit and need air to do it.

Do not put Pink Oyster into the fridge, this will kill them! It is best to fruit Pink as soon as possible.

Watch first

▶ How to open & harvest your kit

The two moments that trip up most first-timers are the very first cut and knowing the exact moment to pick.

This quick video shows you both in real time — how to open the bag cleanly, where to make your cut, and how to twist off a perfect cluster at peak flavour.

It takes less than two minutes to watch and will save you a lot of second-guessing, so grab your kit and play along.

Everything in the written steps further down mirrors what you'll see here, so use whichever you prefer.

What's in your kit

Open the cardboard box and you'll find:

A sealed grow bag packed with mushroom block (Australian hardwood sawdust colonised with our own organic oyster mycelium)
A mister spray bottle
An IPA alcohol wipe for clean cutting

You'll also need a couple of things from around the house:

A clean, sharp knife or scissors
Clean water, if its tap water then either boiled or let sit for 24 hours
A bright spot out of direct sun (more on that below)

Don't panic if the block looks fuzzy or white. That soft, white, web-like coating is the mushroom mycelium — the living body of the fungus — and it's exactly what a healthy kit should look like. It is not mould. (Green, black or orange patches are a different story — see troubleshooting.)

The 4 things your mushrooms need

Get these four right and the rest takes care of itself. Everything in the step-by-step is really just a way of giving your kit these conditions.

💧 Humidity

Mushrooms are nearly 90% water and love humid air. Misting around the cut is how you create it.

🌬 Fresh air

Unlike plants, mushrooms breathe in oxygen and out CO₂. Good airflow gives you fat caps, not leggy stems.

💡 Indirect light

Bright enough to read a book by, but never direct sun. It tells the mushrooms which way to grow.

🌡 Temperature

Happiest between 10°C and 30°C. In a QLD summer, keep them off hot benches and away from windows.

watch me

▶ Where to place your kit (and where not to)

Placement is the single biggest thing that decides whether your kit thrives or fizzles — and in an Australian home there are a few sneaky spots that quietly dry a kit out before it ever fruits.

In this short video we walk through the house room by room, pointing out the winning positions (hello kitchen bench, near the sink and the bathroom) and the well-meaning mistakes to avoid: sunny windowsills, the top of the fridge, and anywhere in the path of an air conditioner, heater or wood burner.

Two minutes here will set your kit up for the best possible flush.

🎬

Placement video — coming soon

We're filming a full house tour of the best (and worst) spots for your kit. Check back shortly, or follow us on YouTube to be first to see it.

✅ Great spots

Kitchen bench near the sink (naturally humid)
A shaded windowsill facing away from the sun
Bathroom with a little natural light
A shed or covered outdoor area at 10–30°C

⛔ Spots to avoid

Direct sunlight (cooks and dries the kit)
In the airflow of an air conditioner or fan
Near a heater, wood burner or oven
On top of the fridge (warm and dry)

Step-by-step guide

Prefer to be guided text and pictures?

Four easy to follow steps to get your mushroom kit up and going through to the first harvest and beyond.

Step 1

Find a spot and open up

Find a well lit but out of direct sunlight location. Hint, bathroom or kitchens work well.

Cut out the cardboard around the dotted line.

Use the provided IPA wipe to clean the plastic and your knife or scissors. Then cut a large ‘X’ across the bag, its OK to cut a 3-4 millimetres into the substrate below the plastic, this can induce a shock to the mycelium which can help with fruiting. Just don't cut too deeply!

Mist the outside of the plastic a few times to raise humidity around the cut area.

Step 2

Days 1 - 7

For the first few days mist the outside of the plastic with water a few times each day

Once you see pinning happening or a change of colour around the cut area then lift the plastic and spray underneath a few times a day and watch them grow!

Hint, if the mushrooms are turning brown and look dry then spray with more water or cover with a plastic bag to maintain humidity.

Spray until you see the mushrooms moist but not wet.

Your first harvest should be within one to two weeks.

Step 3

Harvest Time!

Timing is everything for this step!

12 hours can be the difference between a perfect harvest and slightly past the optimal time to harvest.

Watch the caps closely and when they are starting to flatten out, harvest before the caps flatten out by twisting the whole crop off at the base.

Clean up any debris and leftover mushrooms.

Step 4

Second fruiting onwards

Rest the bag for a week and you should see more pins (baby mushrooms) starting to form.

You should get another one to two crops.

Hint, try taping up the the bag and cut open from the the other side after the second harvest.

You also can try soaking the bag overnight after the second or third crop.

What to expect & when

Every kit runs on its own clock, and warmth speeds everything up while cool slows it down. As a rough guide:

When	What's happening
Day 0	Cut the X, start misting
Day 4–7	Tiny pins appear around the cut
Day 7–12	Mushrooms roughly double in size each day
Day 10–14	First harvest — twist off at the base
+10–20 days	Second (smaller) flush after a rest and soak

Oyster Mushroom Kit Frequently Asked Questions

Why hasn't my kit started growing?

Certain kits may require more time than usual to commence growth. As a living organism, each kit operates on its unique schedule. This delay can occur, especially in cooler environments (below 16C) or if daily misting is overlooked, leading to dehydration.

If no mushrooms appear after 2 weeks, cut deeper into the mycelium or scratch the surface with a clean fork. Optionally, soak the bag with the cut side down in cold water for 2 hours. Return to the box to kickstart growth.

If there is still no sign of life after 3 weeks, then please send us an email to hello@kaikaifarm.au with a photo and we’ll work with you to resolve.

How do I store my kit if I'm not ready?

An unopened kit can rest in the fridge (except for pink) for up to two months — it simply sleeps until you are. Already harvested? Fresh oyster mushrooms keep in a paper bag in the fridge for about a week.

My mushrooms are turning brown and dry

That's almost always low humidity. If they look ready, go ahead and harvest — they're still perfectly good to eat. Otherwise, mist more often, or make a humidity tent: poke a dozen small holes in a clear plastic bag, drape it over the front of the kit, and mist the inside of the bag to hold moisture around your mushrooms.

My mushrooms are tall, thin and leggy

Long stems and small caps mean your kit wants more fresh air. If it's under a humidity tent, lift the bag a couple of times a day for a breather, or move the kit somewhere with a little more natural airflow (still out of direct draughts). Good air exchange is what gives you those lovely fat, fan-shaped caps.

There's white fuzz on the block — is it mould?

Almost certainly not. A soft white, web-like or cottony coating is healthy mycelium doing its job. Mould looks different: green, black, blue-green or orange patches, often slimy or dusty. If you see those colours, don't eat from the kit — send us a photo and we'll sort out a replacement.

Where should I place my kit?

Put your kit in a shaded spot, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Somewhere with enough light to read a book is adequate.

Warm, dry air or direct sunlight will dehydrate the mushrooms during growth, so avoid areas near an air conditioner, wood burner, or direct sunlight.

A shaded windowsill or kitchen worktop is an ideal location. Near a sink is typically a naturally humid place for the mushrooms to grow.

Think about cultivating them outside under cover or in a shed with a window when temperatures stay between 10C and 30C.

How should I be misting my kit?

Once the bag has been cut, you need to mist routinely to stop the kit from drying out and to create the humidity that mushrooms love to grow in.

Until you see mushrooms pinning or starting to form, spray the outside of the plastic a few times approximately 2-3 times a day.

Once mushrooms are starting to form (initially it might just look like a different colour around the cuts, gently pull back flaps while misting (approximately 10 sprays) then allow them to fall back into place. Ensure entire cut area is well hydrated.

Aim to mist at least twice a day.

How and when should I harvest?

The growth period from mushroom initiation to harvest usually spans 7 – 14 days, with the pace varying based on temperature (quicker in warmer environment, slower in cool or cold).

Harvest the mushrooms when their cap edges become thin and wavy (but before they start to curl upwards) by firmly gripping the cluster at its base, twisting and pulling it off. It will pop off. You can also cut it off at the base with a knife.

How do I get a second (or third) crop?

After harvesting the 1st crop, leave the kit to rest for at least 2 days. Then, remove the grow bag from inside the box and place it with the slit side down in a bowl of clean water for at least 2 hours. This will help enable it to soak up some water and to rehydrate the growing medium ready for another crop.

After 2 hours, drain as much water out of the bag as possible, and return it to the grow kit with the top of the bag folded down – this time with the other (un-cut) side of the bag facing out of the window. Cut another 5-10cm X slit in the bag towards the top of the cut out. Continue misting 2-3 times daily with water.

A 2nd (smaller) crop should begin to develop approx. 10-20 days later (sometimes it may take a little longer). Follow the same process as for the first crop, misting lightly 2-3 times a day until harvest. You can try repeating this process again for a possible 3rd crop.

What can I do with the kit once finished?

Mushroom substrate makes a great compost or soil additive. Empty the contents of the bag into your garden and you might even see some mushrooms growing! The box is also compostable, only the bag should be disposed of in a regular bin.

Second & third flush

Your kit has more to give. After the first harvest, rest it for at least two days, then lift the bag out of the box and soak it slit-side-down in clean water for two hours to rehydrate the block. Drain off as much water as you can, fold the top of the bag down, and return it to the kit — this time with the un-cut side facing out. Cut a fresh 5–10 cm "X" near the top of that side and keep misting 2–3 times a day.

A second, slightly smaller crop usually appears 10–20 days later. Follow the same routine and you can often coax out a third flush too. Each one is a little smaller than the last — that's completely normal as the mycelium uses up the block.

When your kit is finished

Nothing goes to waste. Empty the spent block into your garden or compost — it's rich organic matter that improves soil and holds water beautifully, and you might even spot a few surprise mushrooms popping up outdoors. The cardboard box is compostable too; only the plastic grow bag goes in the regular bin (or a soft-plastics recycling point if your local council offers one).

Still stuck? We're here to help.

We're a small family farm on Tamborine Mountain and we genuinely love helping people grow their first mushrooms. Send a photo of what you're seeing and we'll talk you through it.

Email hello@kaikaifarm.au

It's time to celebrate your oyster-ific organic mushroom kit!