Before we even get into this, we need to stress that the process of growing Psilocybin mushrooms is highly illegal in some countries. In some others, it requires a special license or a permit to ensure the legality of your actions.
Make sure you know what your country’s stance is and adjust your actions accordingly.
Now, growing psilocybin mushrooms is a hobby for many practitioners, due to several reasons. They are quite inexpensive to grow, they require only a few special conditions to grow properly, growing them can provide a supply for year-round use and, last but not least, growing things is a satisfying endeavor.
We're going to discuss five tips that are essential to growing psilocybin mushrooms successfully by using a growing kit.
What’s a growing kit?
Since 2008, magic mushrooms have been banned from stores in the Netherlands. That is, fresh and dried mushrooms were banned from the stores. This was when shops started selling specialized, magic mushroom grow kits.
They are entirely legal in the Netherlands and can be easily acquired over the counter at shops across the country and online.
Mushroom growing kits come with everything you need to grow the highest quality mushrooms in your home without having to have in-depth knowledge about the process.
Nevertheless, there are a few things you should know in order to do it successfully.
1. Follow the instructions to the letter
Every growing kit comes with a set of guidelines to help the first time user grow mushrooms properly. Now, it is not uncommon for people to think they know better and try to take a “better approach” they’ve read about somewhere on the web.
Manufacturers of a top-quality psilocybe cubensis grow kit or any other, for that matter, put in a lot of time to establish how the process works and what’s the best course of action to achieve optimal results. Don’t mess with the process.
2. Hygiene during growth kit use
One of the most prominent ways people mess up the growth of their mushrooms is contamination. While shrooms may be quite resistant to many things that they face in nature, they are unfortunately not that resistant to germs and other microorganisms a modern human comes in contact with on a daily basis.
Your first priority should be to always wash your hands before handling the kit. Who knows what you came in contact with throughout your day, and while these germs are not a problem for you, they can definitely impact the wellbeing of the mushrooms.
On a similar note, keep the working surface clean and do not allow airflow from open doors and windows to hit the kit. The goal, again, is to avoid any micro bacteria contamination.
3. Temperature
Fungi, in general, are susceptible to temperature changes, and if you fail to realize this, your crop will fail - regardless of the quality of your growth kit.
The best thing to do is to have a thermostat put in the space where you keep your grow kit(s). This way, you can monitor temperature variations and keep things under control.
You should never allow the temperature to rise above 95°F (35°C), and you should definitely avoid putting the kit in direct sunlight. The same goes for direct artificial light as well as heat sources.
The ideal temperature is somewhere between 68°F (20°C) and 77°F (25°C).
4. Moisture
Humidity and moisture are essential for mushrooms to grow healthy and in a timely fashion. Providing an environment with enough moisture can be tricky, but it's not too hard to do. The growth kit comes with a set of instructions on how to apply moisture, and you should keep to it but not at all costs.
If you notice a shine on your mushrooms’ caps and stems and there is too much hair growth, then you might be facing a problem with too much humidity. At this point, you might want to open the grow bag for a bit to vent some of the extra moisture. Again, ensure a clean environment to do this so that you avoid contamination.
5. Harvest the shrooms at the right time
Don’t just pick your mushrooms willy nilly - be aware that when we pick mushrooms, we are setting the turf for the next batch to grow. If you are too “violent” during this process, you can destroy this potential.
Mushrooms are ready for harvesting when their caps are entirely open. This doesn’t mean that you should harvest each mushroom as soon as its cap opens. A good rule of thumb is to wait for at least 75% of the mushrooms are ready.
You harvest your mushrooms by grasping the stem and gently turning the mushroom clockwise or counterclockwise (whichever side is more accessible). After a gentle twist, pull the mushroom upward - gently as well.
Again, hygiene is paramount here as well, so keep your hands and environment as sterile as possible.
There you go, boys and girls - the process of growing magic mushrooms with a growth kit. May your harvest be healthy and plentiful. Enjoy your trip!
