SHROOMFOLK

ALL-IN-ONE GROW BAG KIT — WOOD LOVERS

Instructions for Use

Oyster • Lion’s Mane • Shiitake • Reishi • & More

Your Kit Contains

✓  All-in-One Grow Bag      Sterile rye grain (bottom layer)      Hardwood & soyhull substrate (top layer) ✓  Agar Test Plate ✓  Humidity Grow Bag ✓  Perlite Bag

✓  Alcohol Wipes (2) ✓  Nitrile Gloves ✓  Spray Mister ✓  Clothespin ✘  Culture syringe (sold separately)

 

Your bag has two layers. Inject ONLY into the lower grain layer through the bottom injection port.

⚠  CRITICAL WARNINGS •  Never inject into the substrate layer — only the rye grain layer accepts liquid culture •  Always wear PPE — sanitize gloves before handling an open bag •  Never open the bag during colonization — this introduces contamination •  Use only sterile/distilled water — tap water contains contaminants •  Do not break the vacuum seal until your agar test is clean — a sealed bag keeps on the shelf, a punctured one is on the clock

 

1	PRE-INOCULATION PREP

 

•       Clean your work surface thoroughly with 70% isopropyl or alcohol wipes.

•       Put on nitrile gloves. Wear a face mask if available.

•       Wipe the injection port on the bag with an alcohol wipe.

•       Have your culture syringe, agar tester, and bag ready before proceeding.

Work in a still, draft-free room. Turn off fans and close windows.

 

2	AGAR TESTING (MANDATORY)

 

Test your culture BEFORE you touch the kit, and leave the AIO bag vacuum-sealed until the plate comes back clean. This one test is what protects the whole grow.

•       Shake your liquid culture syringe vigorously for 30 seconds.

•       Inject exactly 0.5ml (about 3 drops) onto the agar tester surface.

•       Seal the agar tester and store it somewhere dark at 75-80°F for 3-5 days. Mycelium on agar does not need light — a drawer or cupboard is ideal.

 

✔  HEALTHY — Proceed Pure white, fluffy growth radiating from the drop points. No discoloration.

✘  CONTAMINATED — Discard Any green, black, pink, or yellow colors. Sour smell. Slimy or wet patches.

 

⚠️	If your agar test shows contamination, DO NOT inject into your kit. Contact your culture supplier for a replacement.

Keep that plate — start your culture library: A clean plate is a living culture, not a disposable test strip. With a sterilized blade, cut a wedge onto a fresh plate to keep the strain going indefinitely, or use it to inoculate grain — sealed and refrigerated it holds for months. That is a culture library started from one syringe, and our grain spawn container kits handle the next step: turning one plate into enough spawn to run several bags.

 

3	INOCULATION

 

•       Shake the liquid culture syringe vigorously for 30 seconds to break up and distribute the mycelium.

•       Wipe the injection port closest to the BOTTOM of the bag with a fresh alcohol wipe.

•       Insert the syringe needle through the bottom injection port.

 

⚠️	INJECT INTO THE GRAIN LAYER ONLY. The needle should reach into the rye grain at the bottom of the bag. Never inject into the substrate layer on top.

 

•       Slowly inject 5-10ml of liquid culture while gently rotating the needle to distribute the culture across the grain.

•       Do not puff the bag up with air at this stage. Fold the top over gently or tuck it under itself — through colonization the filter patch handles all the gas exchange the grain needs, and a ballooned bag makes the break and shake harder. You add the air pillow later, once the block is fully colonized (Section 5).

Even distribution is critical — uneven inoculation causes patchy colonization and increases contamination risk. More culture also colonizes faster: if you have plenty, use the high end of that range or go past it, and expect to beat the timelines below.

 

4	COLONIZATION

 

•       Place the bag in a dark environment such as a closet or cabinet.

•       Store in complete darkness at 72-75°F (22-24°C).

•       DO NOT OPEN the bag during colonization. The filter patch handles gas exchange.

•       Check progress every few days by looking through the bag — do not open.

 

LIQUID CULTURE 4-8 weeks for full colonization

SPORE SYRINGE 8-12 weeks for full colonization

 

5	BREAK & SHAKE

 

This step is essential for even colonization and preventing anaerobic conditions inside the bag.

 

•       When to do it: Once 30-40% of the grain layer shows white mycelium growth. You will see white patches on the grain when looking through the bag.

•       How to do it: Without opening the bag, use your hands to gently break up the colonized grain through the bag and mix it together with the substrate layer. Knead and massage the bag until the grain and substrate are blended together.

 

•       After mixing, set the bag down and press the contents back into an even block with a flat, level top — about the same thickness it was when it arrived. Flat means level, not thin.

•       Return the bag to darkness at 72-75°F.

•       Allow the bag to fully colonize — the entire contents should appear bright white with no uncolonized patches.

•       Once it is fully colonized, put the air pillow back in. Pinch the bag between your fingers on two opposite sides and pull outward — it draws fresh air in through the filter patch. Repeat until the bag is puffed up. Do not break the top seal.

•       That lungful of fresh air is what tips the block from colonizing over to fruiting. Fresh air exchange is vital for gourmet species at this stage: without it oysters will not pin properly, and the few that do come out long and stemmy.

 

⚠️	Do NOT open the bag during this process. All mixing happens through the sealed bag. Do NOT flatten the block into a thin sheet. Level the top — do not spread the kit out like a pancake. A thin sheet dries out, loses the core warmth the mycelium is generating, and fruits poorly.

 

6	FRUITING SETUP

 

Once the bag is 100% colonized (all white, no brown patches visible), it is time to trigger fruiting. Wood-loving species like oysters require high fresh air exchange, so we use a humidity bag method.

 

•       A. Prepare the humidity bag: Open the provided humidity grow bag and pour in the included perlite. Spread it evenly across the bottom of the bag (1-4cm deep).

 

•       B. Add water: Pour distilled water into the bag until the perlite is damp throughout. There should be NO standing water — pour off any excess.

 

•       C. Cut the AIO bag: Using clean scissors, cut a large X or slit on one side of the fully colonized AIO bag. This is where the mushrooms will fruit from. For oysters, you can cut 2-3 slits on different sides of the bag.

 

•       D. Place in humidity bag: Set the AIO bag upright on the damp perlite bed inside the humidity grow bag. The cut slits should face outward, not pressed against the humidity bag walls.

 

•       E. Mist: Using the provided mister, lightly mist the inside walls of the humidity bag and the exposed substrate through the slits with distilled water.

 

•       F. Close the bag: Fold the top of the humidity bag over a couple of times and secure with the provided clothespin. Leave a 2-inch air gap — do NOT seal it airtight. Wood-loving species need plenty of fresh air.

 

7	FRUITING & HARVESTING

 

Daily Maintenance

•       Mist the inner walls of the humidity bag 2x daily with distilled water. Mist the walls, not the mushrooms directly.

•       Open and refold the bag top during misting for fresh air exchange.

•       If the substrate surface looks dry at the slits, mist the exposed area lightly.

 

Conditions to Maintain

TEMPERATURE 72-75°F

HUMIDITY 85-95%

LIGHT 12hr/day (indirect)

 

When to Harvest

•       Oysters: Harvest when cap edges begin to flatten or curl upward, before they fully flatten out. They grow fast — check twice daily once pins appear.

•       Lion’s Mane: Harvest when spines are about 1cm long and before they begin to yellow.

•       Shiitake: Harvest when caps have opened about 70-80% but edges still curl slightly under.

•       Harvest by gently twisting and pulling the mushroom cluster at the base. Do not cut.

 

Multiple Flushes

After harvesting, soak the substrate by carefully pouring distilled water into the AIO bag through the slits until the substrate is saturated. Let it sit for 6-12 hours, then carefully tilt and drain off the excess water. Return the bag to the humidity bag and resume fruiting conditions. Most kits produce 2-4 flushes.

 

8	FRUITING TROUBLESHOOTING

Nearly every fruiting problem on a wood lover comes down to fresh air. Start there before you change anything else.

What you see	Why it happens	What to do
Long, thin stems and small caps	Not enough fresh air. CO₂ collects in the humidity bag and the mushrooms stretch looking for air.	Cut 4-6 slits about an inch long around the sides of the humidity bag. Open and fan the bag at every misting.
Pins form, then shrivel and dry off	Humidity dropped, or the pins sat in a draft.	Mist the bag walls more often, never the pins directly. Move the tent away from vents and fans.
Fuzzy white fur on the pins	Aerial mycelium from high CO₂ and still air. This is not contamination.	Same fix as long stems: more fresh air. Grey, cobweb-like growth that spreads fast is a contaminant — this is not that.
Nothing pinning after 2 weeks in fruiting conditions	Too little fresh air, too warm, or the cut face has dried out.	Confirm 72-75°F, add slits to the humidity bag, and lightly mist the exposed substrate at the cuts.
Substrate dried and cracked at the cuts	More airflow than the misting is keeping up with.	Mist the exposed face every time you mist the walls. If you cut a lot of slits, tape a few of them closed.
Green or black mold at a cut	Contamination came in through the cut.	Harvest anything clean and mature now. Do not mist the spot. A small patch can be cut out with a sterile blade; widespread mold means the block goes to the compost.
Standing water in the humidity bag	Over-misting, or the block was not drained after a soak.	Pour it off. The perlite should be damp, never wet.
Mushrooms growing into the bag walls	The cuts are pressed up against the plastic.	Reposition the block so every cut faces open space.

 

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