5 Best Mushroom Grow Kits for Use at Home

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By Jennifer Boeder

There’s a whole new cohort of curious folks out there who would love to explore psychedelics or microdosing mushrooms but haven’t, simply because they don’t know where to start. They’re not sure where to buy mushrooms, or how to access a safe, reliable supply in the wild (and rightly so: Gathering wild psychedelic mushrooms is for actual mycology pros only). Growing mushrooms at home can be an appealing option, but one that comes with its own set of challenges. Figuring out how to grow mushrooms from scratch can be intimidating. Others are so tired of constant disinfecting in the COVID-19 era that they just can’t be asked to create another sterile space.

While we encourage aspiring fungi-culturists to give growing their own from scratch a shot (and have even assembled a course to walk you through the process!), you may find that a pre-made mushroom growing kit is a low-stakes way to try out mushroom cultivation and see if you enjoy it. Purists will argue that purchasing your own supplies costs less than buying a mushroom growing kit and offers better harvests, but others insist the convenience of a grow kit is worth it. Some recommend using a grow kit before you make the commitment to buying all the supplies you’d need for a homemade grow. The price point for the smaller kits means you can sample the joys of fungi cultivation before diving all the way in.

Here’s a rundown of what to look for in a psychedelic mushroom grow kit, plus our recommendations for the best mushroom growing kits for beginners.

What to Look for in a Mushroom Kit

Different kits include different gear, but all of them allow you to grow the mushrooms in a container (typically a box, bag or jar). All kits should include some type of substrate. Substrate is the material that provides nutrition for the mushrooms (think of it as soil for fungi). While entire Reddit threads are devoted to debating the ideal substrate material, substrate is typically composed of some type of grain.

Mushrooms don’t just pop out of the substrate when they’re ready: They actually sprout from the mycelium, a white, fluffy substance that acts as the root system for the mushroom. In the same way a plant has to root and sprout before it flowers, the mycelium has to grow first before it produces any mushrooms. (The terminology can get overwhelming, but just keep in mind the progression of container > substrate > mycelium > mushrooms for when you’re deciding on a grow kit.)

Read: How to Dry Shrooms

Besides containers and substrates, you’ll need spores. Spores are to mushrooms as seeds are to plants: They’re the reproductive structures mushrooms grow from. Due to legality issues, mushroom grow kits made in the U.S. typically do not contain psilocybin spores—you’ll need to order them from another source. (The companies that sell these sans-spore kits often link to trusted vendors they recommend for purchasing spores.) European grow kits often include spores or even a pre-colonized substrate (a.k.a. substrate with spores added) but the buyer pays more in shipping costs, and the legal risks may be greater.

Psychedelic mushroom spores come in syringes, and the spores themselves do not contain psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms. While the sale and possession of psilocybin mushroom spores is illegal in California, Georgia and Idaho, spores can be ordered from other states. In their book The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible, Virginia Haze and Dr. K Mandrake advise growers not to purchase spores from individuals on Internet forums, and to buy from websites based in the same country you are.

You’ll be glad to know you can put your pandemic supplies and COVID handwashing regimen to good use in service of your grow: Growing mushrooms requires a super sterile environment, because the smallest contamination can quickly ruin a harvest. Some kits include hygiene supplies: latex gloves, alcohol swabs, propane lighters, face masks or surface disinfectant. If your kit doesn’t include them, these supplies are a wise investment. (One plus of a grow kit: The maker typically sterilizes the container and substrate before sealing it.)

Are Mushroom Grow Kits Worth It?

A reputable company wants buyers to succeed with their grow kits, so they’ll offer detailed instructions to accompany their kits, along with responsive customer support. Look for vendors that have been in business for a long time and have consistently solid reviews. Some of those vendors include the following:

Maximumstore – Simple Mushroom Growing Kit

If you’re on a budget, this kit comes highly recommended by DoubleBlind’s mycology teacher Ophelia Chong. It comes with everything you need for your first grow (other than the spores, of course): 6 substrate jars (already sterilized and premixed), a fruiting chamber for your mycelium (think of it like a planter box), a temperature/ humidity gauge, perlite (which is like the soil for your mushrooms, and will go in the fruiting chamber), and even a grow light—all for under 70 bucks. That’s really a steal. If you were to buy all the stuff separately, not only does it take time to go to different garden and home stores to find all the stuff, it would likely cost you twice that. Of course, once you’re ready to graduate to more intermediate grows, we do recommend building your own set up (we teach you how in our mushroom growing course), but something like this saves a lot of time and effort when you’re just looking to get your toes wet in the beginning.

Virgenu – 12 Jars Mushroom Growing Kit

This kit has also been tested and vetted by DB mycology expert Ophelia Chong. If you’re able to spend a bit more money, this reliable kit comes with twice as many premixed and pre-sterilized jars as the Maximumstore kit. It’s great to have multiple jars, because, inevitably, your first time growing, some will not take and/ or some will get contaminated. This kit also includes very detailed instructions and accompanying videos on how to grow.

Midwest Grow Kits

Based in Woodstock, Illinois, Midwest Grow Kits has a loyal following, as they’ve been in the fungi cultivation business since 2004. Their most basic offering, the Simple Mushroom Grow Kit, is highly rated, as is their customer service, discreet packaging and video mushroom growing guide. If you’re anywhere near Chicago, they even offer pickup at their northwest suburban Illinois location. They accept PayPal and major credit cards as well.

Cons: Because they’re in the United States, you need to buy your own spores (although they do recommend trusted sites where you can purchase them, as well as specifics about how many syringes you need to get for each kind of kit.).

North Spore

North Spore’s grow kits are the easiest and most reliable grow kits out there. Anyone can do it—literally. You, your mom, your grandson. All you have to do is cut a slit in the box, and spritz with water a couple times a day. In about two weeks, you’ll have fresh mushrooms—ready for harvest. These “spray and grow” kits come in a variety of beautiful, edible and medicinal mushrooms including Blue Oysters, Pink Oysters, Golden Oysters, and Lion’s Mane. These are not the best grow kits if you’re looking to set up your own grow that you can use to grow a variety of different kinds of mushrooms again and again. But they are the best ones if you’re perhaps a bit busy at the moment or intimidated by the prospect of building a grow set up from scratch, but want to experience the grow process from fruiting to harvest. Perhaps consider trying one of these first and getting hooked on the magic of growing—before upgrading to something that requires a bit more investment.

Myctyson’s Reishi Grow Kit

Loving the idea of a more plug and play grow? Most grow kits we’ve seen are for edible species like Lion’s Mane and Oysters, but this grow kit from Myctyson is for reishis. (Use code DOUBLEBLIND for a discount.) If you didn’t know, reishi mushrooms have been used for millennia to boost immunity—and combat fatigue and depression. They’re popular in tincture and capsule form, but expensive so why not grow your own? They’re absolutely gorgeous.

If you’re looking to dive right into the mycology deep end, Myctyson also has fantastic products for setting up on your own grow, like these pre-poured agar dishes and slants.

Wholecelium

Wholecelium has been operating for 15 years, and they not only sell grow kits, but are themselves mycologists, with a thriving farm in the Netherlands. They’ve got good resources on the site: tutorials, grow manuals with helpful images and even a handy Psilopedia. They claim their kits can produce several harvests (which, if true, is more bang for your buck) and you can choose from a variety of species when you order (or even request a mix).

The mycelium is pre-grown, so no need to order spores or inoculate the substrate. They have nearly 2,000 reviews and 82 percent rate them as “excellent.” They’ve even got a little mascot named Shrooma.

They ship worldwide and accept credit cards, bank transfers, and Bitcoin. They clearly state in their legal section that their products are lawful in the Netherlands. Everywhere else? Caveat emptor.

Growing psychedelic mushrooms at home is a fun and deeply satisfying project. While aficionados will argue nothing compares to growing shrooms from scratch, others find grow kits convenient, easy to use, and a low-stakes way to dip their toes in the waters of fungi cultivation. If you’re over baking bread and ready for a new pandemic project, a home fungi crop produced with a mushroom growing kit could be just what you’re looking for in 2020. Just be sure that you are aware of the legality of this activity in the jurisdiction where you live.

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance use, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for support. If you’re looking for peer support during or after a psychedelic experience, contact Fireside Project by calling or texting 6-2FIRESIDE.

—This article is published in collaboration with DoubleBlind Magazine.

Jennifer Boeder is a Chicago-born, Los Angeles transplant who covers psychedelics, cannabis, music, politics, and culture. Her writing has appeared in High Times, Cannabis Culture, Civilized, Oxygen, She Knows, Cuepoint, Chicagoist, and Cannabis Now. She was Writer-at-Large for Cuepoint, the music section of Medium. She also covered politics, music, and culture debates as a news editor at The Tylt. She studied English at Lawrence University, and has worked as an English teacher, a yoga instructor, and a record store clerk. Read more about her work on LinkedIn, or follow her on Instagram and Twitter.