Lion's Mane Mushroom Grow Kit (5lbs)
Lion's Mane Mushroom Grow Kit (5lbs) is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
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Description
Description
This Lion's Mane mushroom grow kit is a 5 lb block already fully colonized with first-generation Hericium erinaceus mycelium. The hard part is finished before it reaches you. Cut the bag, mist twice a day, and cascading white clusters start forming on your counter — no sterile technique, no incubation, no equipment beyond the mister in the box.
It is the kit we recommend to first-time growers more than any other, and it is the best-selling kit we make. Lion's Mane fruits readily at ordinary room temperature, tolerates beginner mistakes better than most gourmet species, and delivers a genuinely useful harvest — a crab-and-lobster texture that holds up to a hot pan.
- 5 lbsColonized block
- 2.5–3 lbsTypical yield
- 64–78°FFruiting temp
- 4–6 wksFlush window
- BeginnerSkill level
Why growers pick Lion's Mane
- The easiest gourmet species to fruit – forgiving of temperature swings and irregular misting
- No gills – it forms flowing spines instead, so there is no spore dust on your counters
- Unmistakable harvest window – you can see at a glance when it is ready
- Genuinely useful in the kitchen – shredded-crab texture that survives a hot pan
- Grows in small spaces – a counter, a shelf, a bathroom windowsill
- Ready to fruit – open, mist, and provide indirect light
What comes in the kit
- 5 lb pre-colonized fruiting block with first-generation Lion's Mane genetics
- Ultra-fine pump mister for daily watering
- Printed step-by-step growing instructions
How a spray-and-grow kit works
The short versionEverything difficult about mushroom cultivation — sterilization, inoculation, colonization — already happened before this block shipped. Your job is to trigger fruiting and keep the surface from drying out.
- Cut the bag. Make a single slit across the face of the block. That exposure — the shift from still air to fresh air — is what tells the mycelium to stop eating and start fruiting.
- Mist once or twice a day. Light passes over the cut face with the included mister. You are keeping the surface from drying out, not soaking it. Standing water invites bacteria.
- Give it indirect light. Roughly 12 hours a day. Ambient room light or a north-facing windowsill is plenty — mushrooms use light as a signal for where to point, not as food.
- Harvest, then rest the block. Twist and pull the whole cluster while the spines are still short and white. Stop misting for a week, then resume for the next flush.
The most common beginner mistake: harvesting too late. Lion's Mane goes from firm white pom-pom to shaggy, yellowing, and slightly bitter faster than people expect. If the spines have lengthened past about half an inch and the surface is turning cream or tan, pick it that day.
Growing specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species | Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane, Hedgehog Mushroom, Pom Pom) |
| Block weight | 5 lbs, fully colonized |
| Expected yield | 2.5–3 lbs wet weight across all flushes |
| Fruiting temperature | 64–78°F |
| Light | 12 hours indirect light per day |
| Humidity method | Mist cut face 1–2× daily |
| Flushes | Multiple, over a 4–6 week window |
| Skill level | Beginner — no sterile technique required |
Appearance, flavor, and cooking
Lion's Mane sits in an unusual spot: it is one of the easiest gourmet mushrooms to fruit and one of the most interesting to eat. It forms a single dense white cluster of downward-flowing spines rather than a cap and stem, so there is no ambiguity about when it is ready and no gills to drop spores across your kitchen.
In the pan it behaves like seafood. Torn into strips, dry-seared until the moisture cooks off, then finished in butter, it develops a sweet, faintly briny flavor and a shredded crab texture that most substitutes never reach. Crab cakes, rolls, and chowders are where it shines. It is also the species most associated with cognitive and nerve-related research in functional mushroom literature, which is why it turns up in supplement aisles as often as it does in restaurant kitchens.
Worth addingIf you are fruiting a block out in the open on a counter or shelf, a portable humidity tent makes a real difference for very little money. It holds moisture around the block so you mist less often and get fuller clusters, and it matters most in winter when forced-air heat drops indoor humidity well below what a fruiting block wants.
Common questions
How long until my Lion's Mane grow kit starts fruiting?
Small white knots usually appear on the cut face within the first one to two weeks, then bulk up quickly over the following several days. Cooler rooms slow this down; a spot in the 68–75°F range moves fastest. If nothing has formed after three weeks, the block is almost always too dry — increase misting frequency rather than misting more heavily.
Do I need a humidity tent or a special chamber?
No. The kit is designed to fruit in open room air with daily misting, which is the whole point of a spray-and-grow block. That said, dry winter air with forced-air heat makes the job harder, and a tent holds humidity around the block so you mist less often and get fuller clusters. If your home runs below about 40% relative humidity, it is worth adding a portable humidity tent.
How many harvests will one kit give me?
Most blocks produce two to three flushes across a 4–6 week window, totaling roughly 2.5–3 lbs wet weight. The first flush is typically the largest by a wide margin. After harvesting, pause misting for about a week to let the mycelium recover, then resume — the block is rebuilding reserves during that rest, and pushing it early usually costs you the next flush.
My mushroom has long, stringy spines and is turning yellow. What happened?
It matured past its window. Elongated spines and a yellow or tan cast mean the fruit is past peak — it is still edible but turns bitter and loses the firm texture. Harvest earlier next flush, while the cluster is bright white and the spines are short. Yellowing paired with a wet, slimy surface is different: that is too much standing water, so ease off the misting.
Can I grow this outdoors or does it have to be inside?
Indoors is strongly preferred. The block needs consistent temperature and protection from wind, direct sun, and insects — fungus gnats in particular will find an exposed block quickly. A kitchen counter, bathroom shelf, or any spot out of direct sunlight works well. A shaded covered porch can work in mild weather, but yields are less predictable.
What's the difference between this and a Lion's Mane grain spawn bag?
This kit is a finished fruiting block — it is ready to produce mushrooms and nothing else is required. A grain spawn bag is an ingredient: colonized grain you mix into bulk substrate to start a much larger grow, typically a monotub or a batch of fruiting blocks. If you want mushrooms on the counter, take the kit. If you are scaling up production, start with our pre-colonized grain spawn bags instead.
Let customers speak for us
So when i got this i was worried because of past experiences. Leave it up to midwest to be nice a patient with me. The team at bonsai gives great support . This flow hood is meant to run a little higher than normal clean room standards because most people need this working from home . This thing is nice and laminar. Very inform . With a speed contoller i average about .45 m/s across the face. It passed everyone one of my agar grid tests . Which blows my mind becuase i ran it through three diffrent 30 mins agar grid tests . Ive used a few flow hoods and this one is my favorite . Perfect for any home or small buisness.
"Upgraded to the MycoClimate 44Q and the difference in consistency is night and day. The dual-chamber water-bath heating keeps temperatures rock-solid without drying out the substrate like standard heating mats do, and the automated HEPA air pump takes all the stress out of fresh air exchange—even tucked away inside a closet.
i saw germination in my jar within 2-4 days!! I ordered a 3 pack and i injected 3 different strains and they are all colonizing and germinating very rapidly i see ne difference in rate of germination for genetics they are all moving about the same speed im happy with my purchase!
100% RELIABLE EVERY TIME I LOVE YOU MIDWEST THANL YOU TEAM
Reliable and I know what I am getting. Pretty quick colonization.
I got the grow bag instead of jars this time because I am not interested in the steps of the jars.
Been there done that.
I am not an expert🤓 but now I have enough knowledge and experience to call myself an apprentice.
The thrill of the process is gone. Just give me the dam mushrooms.
I am hurry up and waiting😉.
Seems to be working is all I have to say at this point day 7. The green is reflection not mold.
All I knew was I wanted to grow some mushies for me and the boys, I did a bunch of research on companies and you guys have been around the longest and have the best reviews for these types and I was not disappointed. Took exactly 8 weeks to harvest my first 4 ounces and more on the way! Thanks so much for all the awesome guides and videos! Made it so easy!
It's a great monotub kit. I recommend throwing the horse booster, used the whole bag to 4 small quick grain jars and the 7.5 mix. I learned how to do a pf tek with these guys 10 years ago when you still got the sticky light for the lid and the monotub was a blue tub with polyfill. These monotub kits have come a very long way since then. Substrate has always been clean and performed better than what I try to recreate with a pressure cooker.
10cc liquid culture and follow the instructions mgk gives you hard to mess up.
So far , I only have a little bit on agar , and am only beginning to study this mycelium. Super excited to try to put it to use in this Aspen tree.
Everything is looking real good so far
If your ever in need of replacing your hepa filter on your bonsai flowhood these are an exact match to whichever size you have. Worth noting that a filter will actually work a lot longer than is recommended due to physics but if your externals get dirty or damaged it’s worth replacing.
Shipping was lightning fast
I like everything about this setup. The time of ownership is too short to discuss fruiting mushrooms but the incubating mycelium seem to be doing well for now under the recommended temps. The one thing that would make this setup better would be the inclusion of an electronic controlled hygrometer to run the vaporizer.
Unit was just giving 0 on everything except air Temp and Humidity. Called customer and they are taking care of. Happy with customer service.
