Italian Oyster Grow Block
Grow blocks are marked "Sold Out" when they are out of season or when we currently have none to spare. Our priority is producing fresh mushrooms so we only sell our excess blocks. Please contact us if you'd like to know when a particular species is available.
We use these blocks to grow all the mushrooms on our farm and they are much larger than most other grow kits, weighing around 5kg for huge commercial yields. We blend our all-natural substrate using W.A. Eucalyptus, barley and rain water for giant harvests of nutrient-dense mushrooms. They simply require light misting with a spray bottle of water 2-3 times per day. They like a bit of ambient light and humidity so usually the best spot in the home is a bathroom which is used for showers.
Our strain of Italian Oyster is not dense so it can be vulnerable to drying out in home environments so we do recommend a humidity bag for best results unless you have a reasonably stable humid environment.
You can optionally purchase a $7 fine mist spray bottle and a $3 humidity bag with your block but these are not essential. For even better results, you can make what's known as a Shotgun Fruiting Chamber (SGFC) using a plastic tub and perlite - search "How to make a Shotgun Fruiting Chamber".
We can post our extra large grow blocks Australia-wide. We cover some of the postage costs ourselves to make it an affordable option. For regular parcel post within Western Australia, there is a $15 fee per block. For postage Australia-wide outside of W.A. there is a $25 fee per block.
2 pages of detailed printed instructions are included with your grow block to guide you through every step of the process. You can read part of the instructions below which explains the basics and where to fruit your block.
Italian Oysters are one of the easiest varieties to grow and tolerate a wide range of temperatures. The ideal range is 10-30°C but they can still grow in temperatures outside this range with the right care. If you cannot open your block right away, put it in the fridge where it can stay for up to 3 months.
❖ Oyster mushrooms need light to grow properly and develop their colours. Ambient natural light is best but any household lights will work fine. Direct sunlight will dry the block out.
❖ The best location is usually a bathroom used for showers since this keeps your block humid and can also make it easier to remember to spray 2-3 times per day. A bathroom floor or vanity works great.
❖ Air-conditioning and heating systems decrease the relative humidity of the air and can cause your mushrooms to dry out and stop growing. When baby mushrooms dry out, they will die and need to be removed before your block will try again if you keep it humid.
❖ While it is possible to fruit them outside in certain conditions such as a greenhouse, you will usually run into problems with fruit flies etc.
