Description
About this 3 kg Kit
Complete Kit: Everything you need is included, just spray water and follow the simple instructions.Do not buy this kit if you cant maintain temperatures of below 18 consistently, they fruit best at 14°C
This kit uses a special Master’s Mix, a blend of sawdust, soy pellets, and water. It’s inoculated with about 300 grams of 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’.
Swordbelt (Pioppino / Black Poplar) is prized for its long, elegant stems and velvety brown caps with a nutty, mildly peppery flavor. It responds to a cooler induction for pinning(forming baby mushrooms). This species forms attractive clusters and holds texture well in cooking, making it a culinary favourite.
Humidity: Very high during primordia, (>95%), then 80–90% RH during fruiting; mist as needed.Keep surface moist but not wet.
Light: Low to moderate indirect light (500–1000 lux) to guide form — avoid direct sun.
Air: Good fresh-air exchange is required to avoid oversized stems and to shape caps properly.
Storage: Colonised blocks keep in fridge for upto 1 months if not fruiting straight away, do not keep partially colonised bag in the fridge; consume fresh mushrooms within a few days or dry/freeze dry for longer storage.
Swordbelt (Pioppino) Grow Kit — Elegant & Meaty
Agrocybe aegerita (also called Pioppino, Black Poplar, Brown Swordbelt or Poplar mushroom) prefers a distinct workflow: incubate at a warmer mycelial temperature and then induce fruiting by lowering temperature into the 10–18 °C window. Pins often appear within 2–5 days of induction and expand rapidly, most kits produce harvestable clusters about 6–10 days after pinning. This block-to-harvest speed, combined with a meaty texture and savory flavor, makes Pioppino a favourite for chefs and home growers alike.
Step-by-step Instructions & Post-Harvest Care
IMPORTANT— This species benefits from a warm colonisation phase followed by a cool, humid fruiting induction (10–18 °C) and high humidity during pinning.
Step 1 – Let It Grow
*Take the bag out of its packaging.
*Stand it upright and do not cut it yet.
*Please keep it away from direct sunlight, windows, fans, AC, or a wardrobe.
Note: Pioppino mycelium can take 2–4 weeks to fully colonise depending on substrate and room temperature — wait until the block is well colonised before fruiting.
Need to Wait?
If you’re not ready to start fruiting , 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(white)
Step 2 – Fruiting & Harvest
Once fully colonised, induce fruiting:
1. Initiate Pinning:
To trigger mushroom pinning, reduce the temperature to between 10–18 °C—this can be done by allowing cooler nighttime temperatures or by giving the bag a short cold shock in the fridge. Also, increase fresh air exchange (FAE) to signal the mycelium that it’s time to fruit.
Preparing the Bag for Top Fruiting:
Since this is a top-fruiting setup, you won’t be cutting slits or X’s on the sides of the bag like with side-fruiting methods. Instead, you’ll cut the top of the bag open to expose the surface of the substrate.
Here’s how:
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First, locate where the substrate ends inside the bag.
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From the top of the bag, make a straight cut all the way around, but stop about 5 cm above the substrate, leaving a ring of plastic around the top edge.
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This creates a “reservoir” or moisture-retaining wall that helps maintain humidity around the substrate.
Maintaining Humidity:
It’s critical that the surface of the substrate stays moist. Mushrooms won’t form if the substrate dries out. Aim to keep a layer of tiny water droplets on the surface at all times—this indicates proper humidity. Avoid over-spraying, as excessive water can cause contamination or hinder pin development. Since we are exposing the whole top area of the substrate, it also means more surface area for evaporation and chance of substrate surface drying out, this is why the kit is rated as Intermediate level.
2. Mist: Keep primordia moist (>95% RH) initially, then maintain ~80–90% RH as mushrooms expand; mist 2–3× daily.
3. Harvest: Pins appear in 2–5 days after induction; harvest 6–10 days after pinset when caps are well-formed cut or twist at the base to preserve substrate. Harvest before the caps start to curl upwards.
Flushes: Expect 1 flushes
Tip for further flush-Soak the complete bag in water, put something heavy on top to submerge it, after 3 hours, let it sit and get rid of excess moisture, wrap with cling wrap except the top part we want it to fruit from and it will fruit again.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Rushing induction: Initiating fruiting before full colonisation often causes poor pinset.
Poor humidity control: Pioppino needs very high RH for primordia; low humidity aborts pins (Very Important!)
Insufficient airflow: Lack of fresh-air exchange can yield malformed caps and overly long stems.(Long stems are formed because mushrooms are trying to reach for air).
💡 Tip: Aim for a warm colonisation (22–27 °C) and then a distinct cool induction into 10–18 °C for reliable, high-quality pioppino clusters.
What to do if pins form inside the bag
If the pins start to form, you are a bit late but its fine, cut the top bit off and let those pin grow to maturity,
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.
