Grow timing
How long does it take to grow mushrooms?
Updated
Most culinary mushrooms take 20 to 78 days at home, from the start of colonization to the end of the first harvest. Oysters are fastest: pink oyster takes about 20 days and pearl oyster about 29. Shiitake and reishi take 74 to 77 days. From a fully colonized kit, most species fruit in one to three weeks.
How long does each mushroom take to grow?
These are the stage lengths in each free grow profile, in days, sorted from fastest to slowest. The total runs from the day you start colonization to the end of the first harvest window. The last column skips colonization, for a kit or block that arrives fully colonized.
| Mushroom | Colonization | To pins | Fruiting | Total | From a colonized kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pink Oyster | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 10 |
| Golden Oyster | 12 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 12 |
| Blue Oyster | 12 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 13 |
| Pearl Oyster | 14 | 5 | 10 | 29 | 15 |
| Elm Oyster | 16 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 15 |
| Pioppino | 16 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 15 |
| Lion's Mane | 16 | 5 | 12 | 33 | 17 |
| Chestnut Mushroom | 18 | 6 | 10 | 34 | 16 |
| Button / Cremini | 16 | 8 | 12 | 36 | 20 |
| King Oyster | 18 | 6 | 14 | 38 | 20 |
| Wood Ear | 18 | 6 | 14 | 38 | 20 |
| Nameko | 20 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 19 |
| Beech / Buna Shimeji | 21 | 7 | 12 | 40 | 19 |
| Wine Cap | 21 | 7 | 12 | 40 | 19 |
| Enoki | 18 | 7 | 18 | 43 | 25 |
| Maitake | 28 | 10 | 16 | 54 | 26 |
| Cordyceps militaris | 12 | 10 | 35 | 57 | 45 |
| Shiitake | 42 | 22 (browning and cold shock) | 10 | 74 | 32 |
| Reishi | 21 | 21 | 35 | 77 | 56 |
| Turkey Tail | 28 | 10 | 40 | 78 | 50 |
Plug in your own start date with the grow timeline calculator to get calendar dates for every stage, and save them to your calendar.
What are the stages of growing mushrooms?
- Colonization (10 to 42 days in the profiles). Mycelium spreads through the grain, sawdust, or straw. It is warm and dark, and nothing shows on the outside except white growth.
- Pinning. Cooler air, more fresh air, high humidity, and light tell the block to fruit. Tiny pins appear, usually where the bag is cut open.
- Fruiting (7 to 40 days). Pins grow into mushrooms ready to pick. Most clusters double in size every day or so near the end.
Shiitake is the exception. After colonization it spends about 21 days forming a brown skin, then needs a cold shock before it pins. That is most of the reason it is one of the slowest.
How long does a mushroom grow kit take?
A store bought kit is usually fully colonized when it arrives, so you start at pinning. Pins usually show within a week or two of opening the kit in good conditions, and the first harvest comes a week or so after that. Pink Oyster takes about 10 days, Golden Oyster takes about 12 days, Blue Oyster takes about 13 days, Pearl Oyster takes about 15 days from a colonized block in their profiles.
A pre browned Shiitake block skips browning too. It starts at the cold shock, then fruits for about 10 days.
If a kit has done nothing after two weeks open, go through grow kit not growing.
How long after pinning can you harvest mushrooms?
From the first pins to the end of the first harvest is the fruiting stage, 7 to 40 days in the profiles. Fast oysters are usually ready to pick within a week of pinning. Pink Oyster fruits for about 7 days and Pearl Oyster for about 10. Slow species such as Turkey Tail and Reishi take five weeks or more.
Pick oysters when the cap edges are still curled under, just before they flatten. A grower guide from the University of California puts the oyster harvest point directly before the curled cap margins turn flat (UC ANR). Pick Lion's Mane when the spines are about a centimeter long and before it turns yellow.
What makes mushrooms grow faster or slower?
- Temperature. Colonization slows a lot in a cool room. Most profiles colonize at about 24 °C (75 °F).
- Spawn rate. More spawn in the block means more starting points and faster colonization.
- Fresh air. Too little and pins stall or stretch. Oyster rooms are commonly run at 4 to 6 fresh air changes an hour while cropping (UC ANR). Check yours with the fresh air planner.
- Humidity. The profiles fruit at 82 to 93% humidity. Dry air stalls pins.
- Strain. Two cultures of the same species can differ by a week or more.
How long until the second flush?
After the first harvest, most blocks rest for one to two weeks before a second flush. Soaking the block in cold water for a few hours after the rest often helps it pin again. The second flush is usually smaller than the first, and most blocks give two or three before they run out of food. Oysters are the most reliable for repeat flushes.
FAQ
What is the fastest mushroom to grow at home?
Pink Oyster. Its profile runs about 20 days from the start of colonization to the end of the first harvest, and about 10 days from a colonized kit.
How long does it take to grow mushrooms from a kit?
Most kits arrive fully colonized, so pins usually show within one to two weeks of opening, and the first harvest comes about a week after pins.
How long after pinning are mushrooms ready?
Usually about a week for oysters. The fruiting stage runs 7 to 40 days across the profiles, longer for slow species such as reishi and turkey tail.
Why does shiitake take so long?
Shiitake colonizes for about 42 days, then needs about 21 days to form a brown skin and a cold shock before it fruits.