How Long Does It Take to Grow Psilocybe Cubensis?

Last Updated on February 2, 2023 by Derek

Featured Image Credits

Psilocybe cubensis is becoming very popular now-a-days and many first time growers are trying to harvest them in their own home. There are several kits which help to make this a manageable process.

But it is a slow and meticulous journey taking two to three months at the earliest. During this time visible fruiting does not even begin in the first month or two.

So it is best to understand the process before you commit yourself to it. Here we have brought together some basic facts and answers which will help you not lose motivation.

What Does A Mushroom Grow Kit Contain?

The contents of a mushroom grow kit varies from company to company. The basic item which is certainly present is the spore syringe.

The spore syringe contains spores of the mushroom suspended in water solvent. Once this is sowed into the substrate the mushroom will grow under the right conditions.

The substrate which is a soil mix specific for the mushroom is also present in the kit. Besides, it contains sterilized tools needed for the process of growing mushrooms.

Where Can I Find Psilocybe Cubensis Substrate For Sale Near Me?

There are many sellers of Psilocybe cubensis substrate that you can find through Etsy, Tripsitter and Northspore. But preparing the substrate for mushroom cultivation is a lengthy process.

For first time growers this leads to plenty of mistakes and wastage of substrate. For removing these issues you should look for a kit provider that supplies ready made substrates.

If you want a mushroom growing kit which also comes with sterile tools and monitoring equipment you should look at The Third Wave. For first time growers these kinds of all inclusive kits lead to higher chances of success.

How Many Times Can You Harvest Mushroom?

Each time a mushroom is harvested from a grow bag it is called a flush. The number of flushes changes due to various factors.

Number of harvests can depend on the strain of the mushroom. It also depends on the condition of the grow bag and the environmental conditions.

Typically you should be able to get around 3 flushes of mushroom from your mushroom bed. With the best conditions you can get as many as five harvests.

How Long Does It Take To Grow Golden Teachers?

Golden Teacher is highly recommended for first time growers. It is easy to maintain and the chance of getting a successful flush is high.

They do not grow very fast. But their growth rate is average and they do not take excessively long to grow.

It takes about two months to get the harvest from the spores. But the temperature should stay around 25ºC and humidity over 80%.

How Long Does It Take For The Average Mushroom To Grow?

The mushrooms are highly variable when it comes to growth times. This is because the process of going from spore to harvest has several distinct stages which are different for each strain of mushroom.

Image Source

First the spores have to give rise to mycelium. The mycelia have to spread through the entire bed.

Then the fruiting body begins to grow. This is the first harvest and for the commonly grown strains it takes from 1 to 2 months.

What Is The Fastest Growing Mushroom?

The fastest growing mushrooms are oyster mushrooms. The spores will give rise to mycelia which will spread throughout the substrate in 10 to 14 days.

Image Source

After this, fruiting will begin and the harvest will be ready in another week. So from spore to harvest it takes 17 to 21 days.

With perfect growing conditions the spore can give the first flush in as little as 14 days.

How To Grow Psilocybe Cubensis Book – Which Is The Best For Beginners?

It is difficult for a first timer to start growing their own mushrooms. The best way to go about it is to read some good books to get a general overview.

Here is a list of titles that you should consider:

• “Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation” by Tradd Cotter
• “DIY Mushroom Cultivation” by Willoughby Arevalo
• “Mushroom Cultivation” by Travis Lynch
• “The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible” by Dr. K Mandrake and Virginia Haze
• “How to Grow Psilocybin Mushrooms: The Complete Beginners Guide to Indoor Cultivation” by Carl E Miller and Mushroom Insider

Are Midwest Grow Kits Worth It?

Midwest Grow Kits provide good results in terms of boosting growth. Their products are well packaged and arrive in good condition.

The substrate mix is of good quality and does not have issues with mildew or mold. The containers and equipment are reusable.

Other than rare shipping delays and an occasional bad batch of products Midwest Grow Kits satisfy their customers very much.

How Long Does It Take To Harvest Mushroom?

Before the mushroom is ready to harvest it goes through two stages. The first stage is the incubation period.

Image Source

During this time the spores get activated and start producing microscopic threads called mycelium. These spread throughout the substrate and grow thicker and denser.

After two to three months the substrate is fully saturated and fruiting begins. The complete growth of the fruiting body takes about another 1 or 2 weeks and then they can be harvested.

How Long Does Mycelium Take To Grow – Reddit Answers

A lot of you rush to Reditt wondering how long before your substrate should start showing a fruiting body after inoculation with the spore. Well, we looked through the responses so you don’t have to.

According to Reditt looking at your substrate hopefully at five to ten days and wishing to see a mushroom is not going to help. It is going to take weeks.

It takes at least 8 weeks for the fruiting to begin and another week at least for the mushroom to grow to full size. So Reditt recommends that you give yourself three months to avoid anxiety.

How Much Does A Mushroom Kit Yield?

Depending on the quality of the strain and the growing conditions in the substrate a typical kit yields at least 2 harvests. Good ones should give you three to four harvests.

Earlier harvests produce more mushrooms while the later ones have lesser yield. First two yields produce the best quality mushroom with about 150 to 200g fruiting body at harvest.

But the dry weight comes to about 0.5 to 0.75 lb of good quality mushroom per flush. Which is the equivalent of 2 to 3 helpings.

FAQ Relating To ‘How Long Does It Take To Grow Psilocybe Cubensis?’

You must have plenty more questions you want answered about mushrooms and how to grow them. Let us help you by answering some of the most frequently asked questions.

Are Mushroom Grow Kits Worth The Money?

Mushrooms are easy to grow in theory. All you need is some substrate and some spores to inoculate it with.

But in practice it gets a lot more complicated than that. In inexperienced hands it is very easy to waste batch after batch of spore and substrate due to contaminations.

For new growers kits are a more viable option. They save time because the substrate is already prepared and ready to receive the spore inoculation and the equipment provided is usually sterilized.

Do Mushroom Kits Last Forever?

Mushroom kits do not last forever. Usually the block is good for at least two harvests.

But after a maximum of 3 to 5 harvests the block will stop producing mushrooms in controlled settings indoors. But a great hack to make them last longer is to plant the bag outside.

Mixed into compost or directly buried under soil, the bag can seasonally produce fungi outdoors. So the kits can continue to be useful even if they don’t last forever.

Can You Reuse Mushroom Spawn?

You can inoculate logs with leftover mushroom spawn and get mushrooms naturally and seasonally from there. You can also mix the spawn with the compost.

The compost pile may produce mushrooms directly or it can simply improve the quality of the compost. But the substrate from kits usually has enough nutrients for a couple of harvests and cannot support new spawn afterwards.

So used substrate from kits cannot help to grow fresh batches of mushroom by reusing mushroom spawn.

Where Is The Best Place To Grow A Mushroom Kit?

You can grow mushroom anywhere in your house. But the kitchen or a garage works best.

You can place the kit away from direct sunlight in these places. You can also look after the growing mushrooms regularly here.

Make sure that there are no drafts of wind or heaters around. If you notice any drying of the substrate you can mist the bed with water.

Key Takeaways:

• Mushroom growth has two phases before harvesting – incubation of spores to form mycelia and then growing of the fruiting body.
• The fruiting body needs to grow for at least a week before harvest, after at least a month of incubation.
• Each kit takes about two to three months to produce at least two harvests of mushrooms.
• Each harvest is the equivalent of two to three servings.
• It is difficult to avoid contamination so starting with sterilized equipment helps.