Description
Unicorn is the only bag in the world that has been tested by Eurofins, a third party lab in Europe and passed the stringent EN 1186, and USFDA 1520 for plastic migration into the substrate (Microplastic). Unicorn PP bags was tested at the highest levels of 121 C for 3.5 hours. No PE bags or other manufacturers’ PP bags have achieved this important food safety criteria.
Lead time (mentioned in the listing above “add to cart” button) means time it takes to prepare this order. Product in stock does not mean its ready to send out, it means it can be prepared in the lead time mentioned.
About this Kit
Complete Kit: Everything you need is included—just add water and follow the simple instructions.
This kit uses a special Master’s Mix—a blend of sawdust, soy pellets, and water. It’s inoculated with about 300 grams of organic rye or millet grain spawn to give your mushrooms the best start.
We keep things simple and affordable by sending you a fresh, made-to-order bag, just like real mushroom farms use. No fancy boxes, no sitting in cold storage for weeks. This helps keep your cost down by $10; we pass that saving directly to you. We call these kits ‘almost ready to fruit’.
Humidity: Keep high humidity (85–95%) during pinning and fruiting — mist frequently or use a humidifier/fruiting chamber to maintain consistent humidity.
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Light: Indirect ambient light (daylight or a soft LED) is enough. Maitake doesn’t need strong light; consistent day/night cycles help normal fruit shape.
Air: Provide gentle fresh-air exchange to avoid CO₂ buildup (clusters prefer good air flow around the fruiting rosette).
Storage: Unopened kits keep a few weeks in a cool, dark place, though yield may drop slightly.
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) —Why it’s special
Maitake (also called “Hen of the Woods”) grows in large, layered rosettes and is prized both as a culinary mushroom and for medicinal extracts. It prefers hardwood-based substrates (oak, maple, elm) or enriched sawdust mixes—common commercial blends use hardwood sawdust supplemented with soybean hulls or bran to boost yield. For log culture, spawn-inoculated oak logs may take several months to colonise before producing fruit.
Maitake has an intense umami flavour and meaty texture. It crisps well when pan-fried and is used whole or torn into pieces. Nutritionally it adds fibre, B vitamins, potassium, and some antioxidants.
This Mushroom contains beta-glucans and other polysaccharides studied for immunomodulatory effects; extracts are widely researched for potential support of immune function and metabolic benefits. These properties are the reason it’s both a gourmet and a medicinal species.
Step-by-step Instructions & Post-Harvest Care
IMPORTANT- Check the fruiting temperature when you buy a kit and ensure you can provide it with the temperature it needs (10–18°C- growers sometimes use slightly higher temp windows for fast fruiting)
Step 1 – Let It Grow (3 Weeks)
*Take the bag out of its packaging and remove the tape holding the folded bag.
*Stand it upright so the white filter patch is unrestricted on the top, this is where the mycelium in the bag breathes from. Do not cut the bag for fruiting yet.
Please keep it away from direct sunlight, windows, fans, AC, or a wardrobe.
Let it sit like this for 3 whole weeks from the inoculation date on the label.
💡 Tip for First-Timers: Maitake colonisation can be slower than oyster species — if your block doesn’t look fully white by week 3, that can be normal depending on spawn rate and substrate enrichment (expect longer colonisation on logs). If you use enriched sawdust, colonisation may be 6–12 weeks before fruiting conditions should be triggered.
Need to Wait? If you’re not ready to start fruiting after the 3 weeks, you can store the bag in the fridge for up to a month. Do not store it in the fridge until the bag is fully colonised.
Step 2 – Time to Fruit
After the waiting period, it’s time to prepare for fruiting — maitake often benefits from a cooler trigger and consistent high humidity.
Follow these steps:
1. Cut / Expose: Make the recommended opening (per kit instructions). If using a log or block, expose the fruiting surface or bury half the log in a shaded outdoor spot for natural triggers.
2. Humidity & Mist: Place the kit where humidity is high (85–95%). Mist gently 2–3 times daily or maintain humidity with a chamber; avoid heavy soaking of the surface.
3. Harvest: Fruit bodies can take several days to weeks to form after pinning. Harvest the entire rosette when caps are well-developed; you can often get multiple flushes from a well-prepared block or continued fruiting from a colonised log across seasons.
Common Mistakes to avoid
Slow Colonisation Expectations: Maitake takes longer to colonise than oysters; impatience leads people to force fruiting too early and get poor yields or contamination. Expect weeks to months depending on substrate.
Humidity & Pinning: Not enough humidity at pinset results in small or aborting pins. Keep humidity high, but provide gentle airflow.
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Substrate Choice: Avoid low-nutrient substrates—maitake responds well to hardwood-based and supplemented sawdust mixes. Using the wrong substrate reduces yield significantly.
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What to do if pins form inside the bag:
Don’t worry. For internal pins, gently fold the bag to push out excess air, cut a small opening where you want the mushrooms to grow, and begin the misting routine. Internal pins often abort if they don’t have space — encourage outward fruiting with a cut and airflow.
Checkout out our fine Misting Spray Bottle to produce tiny droplets and keep humidity high. The size of droplets formed can easily be evaporated , this constant evaporation signals mycelium to pin.
Want to Learn More?
This kit introduces you to Stage 3: Fruiting, the final step in mushroom growing.
To explore all three stages (including how mushrooms grow from spores to harvest), check out our
Educational Mushroom Growing Kit.
Checkout all the Mushroom Growing kits Available in Our Spray and grow 3 Kg range.
Could not fruit the bag, or was it contaminated? Send us a photo or call us, and we will help you resolve the issue.
