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Price: $24.99
Price: $18.99
Our Chestnut grow kit is a 5 lb block fully colonized with first-generation Pholiota adiposa. Give it daily misting and plenty of light, and it grows tight clusters of rich brown caps dusted with white flecks. Expect it to take a few weeks longer to pin than an oyster kit; it's worth the wait.
Glossy brown caps speckled with white, in clusters that look nothing like a grocery-store mushroom.
A firmer bite than button mushrooms that stays distinct in stews, risotto and pasta.
Fruits at 65–79°F; the main thing it asks for is a well-lit spot.
The hard parts of mushroom growing (sterilization, inoculation and colonization) are done before the block ships. Your job is to trigger fruiting and keep the surface from drying out.
Make one slit across the face of the block as shown in the instructions. Fresh air on the mycelium is the signal to stop feeding and start fruiting.
Lightly mist the cut face once or twice a day with the included mister. Keep the surface from drying out; don't leave standing water.
Give it 12 or more hours of ambient or indirect light a day. Chestnut wants more light than most species; a dim corner slows it down.
Pick the cluster while the caps are still domed, before they open flat. Then stop misting for about a week to let the block rest before the next flush.
Surface cracking is normal: during the first few weeks the block surface may crack or split as if it's drying out. That's the mycelium getting ready to fruit, not damage. Pins usually appear across the surface by around week four.
Get more from your kitA Tabletop Humidity Tent holds moisture around the block so you mist less and get fuller clusters, especially in dry winter air. Ready to grow Chestnut from scratch? Start with our Chestnut liquid culture syringe.
Typically three to four weeks to pin, longer than oyster kits. The surface may crack during that time; that's normal. Keep misting on schedule even if you don't see pins yet.
No. The kit is designed to fruit in open room air with daily misting. In dry homes, especially in winter with forced-air heat, a humidity tent holds moisture around the block so you mist less often and get fuller clusters.
Most blocks give multiple flushes totaling 2–3 lb wet weight, with the first usually the largest. Rest the block for about a week between flushes.
No. Chestnut mushroom (Pholiota adiposa) is a wood-loving species. Cremini, button and portobello are all Agaricus bisporus, which grows on compost. Chestnut has a firmer texture and a deeper, earthier flavor.
Indoors is strongly preferred. The block needs steady temperatures and protection from wind, direct sun and insects; fungus gnats find an exposed block quickly. A kitchen counter, bathroom shelf or any spot out of direct sunlight works well.
The kit is already colonized and ready to fruit, so there's no sterile work. Our Chestnut liquid culture syringe is for growers who make their own grain spawn and want to scale up or run multiple grows.
Chestnut is a "Shy" mushroom.. It likes to just hang out until its ready to "pop", but when it does, it produces a TON of mushrooms. One of the best stir fry mushrooms I have ever tasted. Just give this guy some time and it will eventually come around!
It took a long time to pin, but now they're growing very quickly. I've never been disappointed with Myco Labs!
These mushrooms are by far one of my favs just because of their appearance. The caps look like they are covered in snowflakes. My wife and I fried these up too and they had a rich and nutty flavor