FAQ Grow your own magic mushrooms

Author: Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Legal Status

The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world where it is legal to use psilocybin. Since 2008 the law has become stricter: the government decided that from that moment on Smartshops were no longer allowed to sell mushrooms containing the active ingredient psilocybin. However, the category 'truffles' was not mentioned, while there are also species that contain the same psychoactive substance.

Fortunately, therefore, it is still possible to sell Magic Truffles legally, so that sales remain transparent and the consumer can start his or her trip safely and with the right information.

Mycelium network

The other good news, is that you can also grow your own magic mushrooms! The kits intended for this purpose consist of substrate (grain) and are colonized by the mycelium of the mushroom. The mycelium is an underground network of fungal threads, which can stretch very far. Did you know: the largest organism on earth is a mushroom! In Oregon (USA) this mycelium network stretches so far, that it is visible from space. I can elaborate for a long time on this miraculous mycelium realm!

In this blog, I want to help you as much as possible in successfully cultivating magic mushrooms, so you can become a real expert.

Please note: these tips are intended for the Stealthbox Magic Mushrooms, for the Magicbox Magic Mushrooms a slightly different manual applies!

I bought my Stealthbox magic mushroom grow kit. Now what?

It's best to start growing as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the less productive the harvests can become. If you can't start growing immediately, store your kit at a temperature between 10 and 18 degrees Celcius.

Read the manual carefully. It basically says everything you need to know for a successful harvest. However, there are extra tips available that will solve all your questions.

My mushrooms grow against the sides of the kit, what can I do?

Mushrooms grow towards the light. Sometimes it happens they 'get confused' and start growing against the sides of the plastic grow box. To prevent this from happening, it is strongly recommended to tape the sides of the plastic container with black tape. You do this before you start with the cultivation. In this way your kit will be opaque on the sides, and the mushrooms will certainly grow straight up.
A second tip, especially when you haven't used tape and the mushrooms are already starting to form, is to take the mycelium cake out of the plastic container and put it back in the plastic bag. In this way the skewed mushrooms get breathing space again.

After a week there is still no life to be seen. Why is it taking so long?

Often confusion arises because one compares the cultivation of mushrooms with the cultivation of, for example, a cannabis plant. While a cannabis seed often germinates after 12-48 hours, for mushrooms it often takes longer than a week to appear. So don't worry!

What are the ideal growing conditions for magic mushrooms?

Light: Mushrooms like indirect sunlight. Place them so the lightsource comes from above and without direct sunlight.  A table near a window is suitable. On the windowsill is not so suitable when there is a lot of direct sunlight coming in.

Temperature: Mushrooms like a constant temperature, preferably around 23-25 degrees Celcius (also at night!). Summer time is therefore very suitable for growing mushrooms. It is certainly also possible to grow in the winter, but make sure that it is warm enough in the house. Use a heat mat to regulate the temperature. A heat mat can help keep the temperature more constant. However, it does not replace the room temperature, you should see it more as an addition to the temperature.

Sterile: It is important that you always disinfect your hands when holding the kit. In any case, it is recommended that you get as little kit as possible, unless this is necessary. If the sealant gets infected, there is a chance that it will no longer produce and you can throw it away.

After three weeks there is still no life to be seen. Why is it taking so long?

Normally the mushrooms start to appear after 2 weeks or so. Three weeks can indicate that one element of the growing conditions is not optimal.

Suddenly a black layer has formed on the kit. Why is this?

It is important that you pick the mushrooms just before they drop their spores. These super fine 'seeds' are carried along by the wind in nature to guarantee the reproduction and spread of the mushroom. When growing magic mushrooms this is not beneficial: the black layer of spores makes subsequent harvesting difficult.

When should I harvest the mushrooms?

There is a membrane under the cap of the mushroom. The more the mushroom's cap grows, the more tense this membrane becomes, after which it breaks at a certain point. Harvest the mushrooms just when this is about to happen!

Should I keep the growkit in the refrigerator?

No, you keep the growkit in a room of 10-18 degrees Celcius if you don't want to start it right away.

White mould grows on the kit/ on the mushrooms. Is this a problem?

White mould is harmless. As with the Magic Truffles, it is possible that mycelium will develop further. This is harmless and edible.

There is blue/green/other color fungus growing on the kit/ on the mushrooms. Can this hurt?

Different coloured moulds on the mushrooms, for example green or blue, are an indication that the kit is infected. This happens when you are not working sterile. So pay attention to this! Infected kits can no longer be used.

Do I have to spray the kit with water?

You can spray the sides of the plastic bag with water when you see that the mycelium cake is shrinking, a sign that it is drying out. You never have to spray the cake with water!

Do I have to soak the growkit in water before the first flush?

No, as described in the manual the growkit is ready to use immediately, and you don't have to soak it in water first (this is necessary for the second harvest). 

Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Elena studies Organic and Biodynamic agriculture because, besides psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants, she also has a passion for healthy food. Learning about the endocannabinoid system, different cannabinoids and terpenes is super interesting.

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