What to do if your magic mushroom kit won’t grow

We’ve all been there! We put our grow box in the bag, water and all, but after 10, 11, 12 days you start to wonder, will they grow?  We are here to reassure you, magic mushrooms are living organisms, they are all different and as such, each kit can take different times to grow. Let's take a closer look.

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Cultivation is a natural process. Meaning, magic mushroom kits aren’t machines. Different kits and strains can have their own personality and characteristics. A part of the rewarding experience of cultivation is understanding these characteristics. Learning how to approach your magic mushroom kits can help you optimize your yield. And that’s what it’s all about, right ;)?

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The very vast majority of the kits deliver the expected results. There are a few strains (Supa Envy, Mexican, Burma) that can take up to 21 days before they start to grow. But the most kits should show some pins within 2 weeks. Once in a while, you’ll get a kit that isn’t showing signs of growth within the first 2 weeks. We’ve categorized these kits in the following way: 

Lazy, unhappy and sleepy.  Here is what you should know about each one: 

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Lazy kits (15 days)

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Some kits are just a little bit lazy. They’re very comfortable and like to take their time before they take off. You can expect these kits to grow within the first 15 days. Lazy kits take a little more time than usual, but when they arrive they are ready to have some fun!  So if nothing shows after 12 days, wait for at least 15 before you sound the alarm :-).

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Unhappy kits (15-21 days)

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If you have you been waiting for more than 15 days,  you are most probably dealing with an unhappy grow kit, meaning unhappy with the growing conditions. If this is the case, we will need to change or tweak one of all of the following 3 elements:

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• Lighting:

Is your kit right next to a window and getting direct sunlight?   Is your kit is in a dark place or a place where it is little or no sunlight light?  Both these scenarios are bad for the grow kit and you will probably need to change this.  Grow kits need indirect sunlight during the day and complete darkness during the night.

But don't just take our word... :

"Psilocybe mushrooms are unlike plants in their lighting requirements.
They use light only to stimulate growth, not as an energy source, and they
only require short daily periods of it to fruit successfully. A good rule of
thumb is that if the space is sufficiently lit to see well, it should support
fruiting just fine." (Mushroom Handbook  EASY INDOOR & OUTDOOR CULTIVATION
by L.G. Nicholas and Kerry Ogame )

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• Temperature: 

We recommend temperatures between 18-28 °C for optimum growing.  If it's winter time, you might want to get a heating mat, this really goes a long way to keep the kits warm and cozy.   But as mentioned before, not all kits are the same and because they are living organisms, some kits can grow perfectly well at room temperature (21 °C). You might have to run some tests by reducing or increasing temperature or taking the kit to a cooler room in your house. 

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Home Made Growing Setup

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• The Setting: 

The Magic Mushrooms Shop includes a soaking bag to grow your kit, that is all that is needed to grow your kit, but we understand that some of you might have your own setup, but if your kit is not growing with your method, think about going back to the soaking bag, change things around. 

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Soaking Bag Provided by The Magic Mushrooms Shop

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Sleeping kits (>21 days)

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Your Magic mushroom grow kits should start to grow pins within the first 21 days, if nothing happens after that time, there’s a good chance that your kit is ''sleeping''.  Sleeping kits need to be awakened. But how do we awaken a sleeping kit?

They are living organisms, and just like for humans, cold will wake them up.

Simply put your grow kit in the refrigerator (2 - 7°C) for one night (8-12 hours). You can then return the grow kit back to where it was sitting before at the right room temperature or on a mat.  You will still have to wait at least a week before the pins start to grow. 

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So now you know!

Following the right instructions is very important. But providing the right conditions is just as important. Some kits are more flexible than others in regards to growing in conditions.  Paying daily attention to your grow kit is very important to make sure your grow kit is happy with the growing conditions. If you have more questions about your magic mushroom grow kit, read our FAQ or get in touch with our help desk.