If mushrooms have not started growing: Using a clean knife, cut a small 1-2” slit just beneath the white filter patch on the bag. Mushrooms will begin to "popcorn" and form their familiar shape, emerging as white circular growth from the brown outer mycelium of the block.

If mushrooms have started growing, remove the outer bag entirely and place it on a plate or inside an open container. You can also leave a small portion of the bag on the bottom of the block.

Fill the included sprayer with filtered or distilled water and mist inside the bag through the hole once daily, more often in dry conditions. Keep up this routine, and you will begin to see large lumps forming on the surface where mushrooms will appear.

If your block is outside the bag, spray the block generously 1-2 times per day.

Be patient and watch your mushrooms grow! Shiitake mushrooms can take longer to develop than faster growing varietals like Oyster or Lion’s Mane. Use our visual guide for reference and harvest before spores drop.

A shiitake mushroom is ready to harvest when the cap looks like a wide umbrella that hasn’t fully opened. Imagine it like a beach umbrella that’s just beginning to stretch out—the edges of the cap should still curve downward slightly, not lay flat like a dinner plate. If the cap opens all the way and flattens out, it’s past peak—still usable, but the texture and shelf life won’t be as good.

To harvest, carefully remove your block by cutting open the top of the bag, but save it if you intend to do a second flush. Cut each mushroom from the block, leaving a flush cut where you can. For a second flush, place block in cold water for a few hours, then allow to dry before placing back in bag and securing the bag with a clip.