I ordered this to.....grow “special” mushrooms. It took a while to arrive but - so far that’s my only complaint. The substrate bag is layered, and the fact the injection port is inside the rye seed layer is smart, and shows they have good knowledge of the colonization of mycelia. In order for proper colonization spores need to be added to a substrate that isn’t quite a solid block. The rye seeds allow proper air distribution by way of the small pockets of air betwixt and amongst the injection site. If you’ve never tried to grow mushrooms - the success is in the details. Spores injected into a solid “cake” of thick substrate will take 10 times longer for colonization, which also leaves the vessel 10 times more apt to become contaminated. Also, advice for the first timers - sterile, sterile, sterile! It’s paramount EVERYTHING is sterilized, and setup is done with sterilized tools. I can’t stress that enough, when it comes to sterilization I used to take it to a point beyond “overkill”. Which is definitely vital. And more is better. If you take sterilization to a ridiculous point, that’s great, and your spores will be grateful for it. I absolutely LOVE the way they’ve packaged it, injection port, and a small filtered patch to let minute amounts of oxygen to seep in without bringing bacteria with it. . Also, don’t be fooled into buying the “grow kits” as if preparation is done correctly, shrooms are very low maintenance. And kind of like being left alone in order to do their thing. As you can see the setup I did is simple, but effective. Seed warming mat with precise thermostat and temp setting to line the bottom. VERY important item for proper growth, and only about 25 - 30$ depending. They’re very affordable here on EBay I bought a small chargeable usb powered fan on eBay for about 4$ and it works great, 3 different speeds and I timer.. obviously I only set it up on top to show the fan. When fruiting comes a definite filtered air flow can be set up, using the fan and strategically placed intake. I bought specific plant germination lights. Absolutely beautiful, magnet mounts, 3 different brightness settings and a simple built in timer. 25$ on eBay It’s a good idea to raise the substrate bag slightly off the bottom just to achieve even heating. And I’ve found 70 - 76 degrees to be perfect in my opinion. Also, the Tupperware bin with the small flip-top air intake is available at any Walmart or target for relatively cheap. One of the “pro’s” of this is being able to manipulate the grates and door edge to run your wires in securely, without open gaps to keep out contaminates So as you can see, it’s up to you if you want to buy the total online kits for 120 - 200$, and they are nice. But it can be done on a modest budget. Read full review
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I did essentially everything right and this thing got nasty as can be in just a couple days . It could have been my spores but I doubt it as I’ve used many with no issues. Save the hassle and money and just make grain jars/bags yourself . This is exactly what I get for being impatient and trying to cut corners. No fresh tasty mushrooms for me and my family for a while . All well
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it came when it was supposed to. it did not come with an alcohol swab which i think it should have. i still in the process of using it so i dont know if its a good product but im sure it will do its job. shouldve came with an alcohol swab. thats my only complaint. other than that i recommend this product
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Was ambivalent about making this purchase, without knowing how sterile the product was. But it has delivered great results. I would Highly recommend!
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Kind of expensive, but for my first try I wanted something dependable and well supported and this product was all of that.
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