Oyster mushroom spawn
Oyster mushroom spawn, the seed you mix into substrate to start a crop. One kilo fills 8 to 10 bags. Coloured on purpose, so a missed contamination is obvious.
KES 600 per kg
Spawn is the seed of the whole process. It is the living mycelium of the mushroom, already colonised onto a grain so you are not starting from nothing. You mix it into pasteurised substrate, and from there the mycelium takes over and produces mushrooms.
One kilo of spawn is enough for about 8 to 10 growing bags. Message us on WhatsApp with your bag size and substrate and we will confirm the exact figure for your setup.
What to look for when it arrives
- A clean, strong smell. Fresh spawn smells pleasant and fungal. If it smells sour, sweet or rotten, it is contaminated.
- One colour, evenly spread. Our spawn runs from pale cream to pinkish, which is normal. Bright green, black or orange patches are contamination and you should not break the bag.
- A firm, slightly loose bag. Spawn that has turned to a solid brick inside the bag has been left too long and will colonise slowly.
Spawn is not a decoration. Buying a contaminated bag does not save money, because it contaminates your substrate, your bags and then your growing room with it.
How to use it
- Pasteurise or sterilise your substrate first. Spawn will not survive to fix raw, dirty material.
- Mix the spawn into the substrate at the rate we confirm for your bag size. Send us the details on WhatsApp and we will give you the ratio by weight, so you are not working from a guess.
- Pack the bags, tie the neck, and make a few small holes for gas exchange.
- Grow them in a dark, warm area until the bags are fully white, which is colonisation. This takes 7 to 14 days depending on temperature.
- Move the colonised bags to a fruiting room with light, fresh air and humidity, and the mushrooms will come 7 to 10 days after that.
Storage and shelf life
Use the spawn within two weeks of buying it, and store it in a cool, dark place away from heat and sunlight. Do not refrigerate it. If you cannot use a kilo in two weeks, message us about smaller units. Spoiled spawn is the single most common reason a first crop fails.
If you have never grown mushrooms before, start with a ready-to-grow kit instead. It needs no spawn, no substrate and no pasteurising, and it teaches you the fruiting stage before you take on the harder part.
Common questions
How many bags does 1 kg of spawn fill?
About 8 to 10 standard bags. Message us on WhatsApp with your bag size and substrate and we will confirm the exact bags per kilo for your setup.
What is the mixing rate?
Send us your bag size and substrate on WhatsApp and we will give you the spawn-to-substrate ratio by weight, rather than a vague instruction.
How long is oyster mushroom spawn good for?
Use it within 2 weeks of purchase and keep it in a cool, dark place. It should smell clean and look evenly pale cream or pink. Green, black or orange means it has gone off.
Do I need to refrigerate spawn?
No. Keep it cool, dark and out of the sun. Heat is what spoils it, and a hot car is enough.
What grain is the spawn grown on?
Message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you the grain we use, so you can check it against any allergies.
Can I grow mushrooms from a kit instead?
Yes. A ready-to-grow kit has the spawn and substrate already mixed, which removes the hardest part for a first-time grower.