faq

It is best to start using the kit as soon as you get it. Keep in mind that your kit is a living breathing organism, so it can even start growing inside the kit if kept for long. So, open your kit and give it the care and attention it needs!

• As soon as you receive your mushroom growing kit, remove the substrate bag from the cardboard box and visually inspect it to ensure that your kit is free of contamination. To know if your kit is contaminated, please refer to the next question.
• Once you have ensured that your kit is not contaminated, put the substrate block back in the box, cut open the front panel along the perforation, and unroll the plastic to create a humidity tent.
• Using a blade or scissors cut off the top of the substrate bag a few centimeters below the filter patch.
• Take out the packet of the casing, transfer it into a bowl, and add 100 ml of boiling water to hydrate and pasteurize your casing.
• Make sure you pour boiling hot water to ensure proper pasteurization. After the casing has cooled down, open the plastic and add it to the surface of the substrate block as a layer.
• This casing will ensure that the substrate stays moist and prevents excessive evaporation of water from the surface of the block.
• Fill the spray bottle provided with clean drinking water or boiled water. (Remember, tap water can have pathogens that can contaminate the substrate, so always use clean water for spraying)
• Spray the walls of the plastic (humidity tent) and casing, 2-3 times a day. For best results ensure that the casing stays wet. Wait patiently and learn about your mushroom for 5-7 days before they start pinning.
• Watch your mushrooms grow and nearly double in size daily!

Look for green, blue or black patches on the substrate bag as soon as you get your bag. If you find it to be contaminated, please contact us immediately so that we can help you with a replacement grow kit.

In the unlikely event that your grow kit is contaminated or damaged during shipping, we will be glad to provide you with a brand new organic mushroom growing kit, provided that you contact us within 24hrs of delivery.

Do not worry, we have got you covered!

Please remember that contamination can occur at any stage of the growing process. If your kit gets contaminated due to some reason while it is still in use, we recommend you dispose of the kit right away. Also, note that discoloration of the substrate to brown or yellow is a very common occurrence while growing. This happens because of the metabolites released by the mycelia while it is feeding on the substrate. So if your kit changes colour while growing, don’t worry. Is all this information confusing you?

Don’t worry, just reach out to us via email with a picture of your kit and we will be more than happy to guide you on what to do!

We recommend you to keep the kit horizontally as in nature King Tuber Oysters are a top fruiting variety.

We recommend not to take it out. Your kit will fruit even if taken out completely, however, may not give you the best results.

The outer kit box ensures that the fruiting takes place only at the designated perforated window area.

When you cut it open, the mycelium is signaled to bring about all its resources to that zone.

Cut the plastic 12-15 cm from the top of the bag to create a humidity tent

To put it simply, a casing layer is a layer of moist organic or inorganic material that is placed on top of a fully colonized substrate before fruiting.

The main function of the casing layer is to help the substrate retain moisture.

Yes, you can grow these mushrooms without casing but we recommend using the casing for best results.

You can clean the casing material by soaking it in 100 ml of boiling water and allowing it to cool down. The boiling water pasteurizes and hydrates the casing layer.

No, these mushrooms are found growing vertically on the forest floor of tropical forests, unlike other oyster mushrooms which grow from the side of trees.

Hence the kit needs to be fruited horizontally along with the casing layer

King Tuber Oyster mushrooms or Pleurotus tuber regium is a rare delicacy usually found growing deep inside tropical jungles of Africa, Asia, and Australasia. They are known for their high polysaccharide content which makes them highly medicinal and has been used in folk medicine in Africa for hundreds of years. What makes this mushroom truly unique is its ability to form truffle-like tubers called sclerotia under the soil. These mushrooms can grow between 15 to 40 degrees, showing optimal growth at 35 degrees making them one of the few mushrooms which can be cultivated at such high temperatures

Our Nuvedo Mushroom Growing Kit is guaranteed to give you at least 1 harvest, provided you follow the instructions clearly with patience and good care.

Compared to other growing kits, the King Tuber Oyster gives lower yields as it is a wild strain not intended for commercial production.

King Tuber Oysters grow in the shape of a funnel. Once the mushrooms stop doubling in size and before the funnel-shaped caps start to turn flat, you can harvest your mushrooms!

Mushrooms grow really fast so make sure that you are on the lookout for the perfect chance to harvest them! (Waiting for the caps to turn flat or wavy can make your mushrooms hard to chew) Follow these easy steps to harvest your mushrooms:

• Reach around your mushroom cluster and grab them at the base where they meet the substrate.
• Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut the mushrooms one by one, cutting them as close to the substrate as possible!

A sclerotia is nothing but a tight bundle of hardened mycelium. King tuber oysters, similar to truffles, tend to form sclerotia in the wild and inside the substrate at certain conditions.

If you see that your mushroom growing kit has formed a hard mass of mycelium inside the substrate, you can harvest the same and cook it. Sclerotia are a very good source of nutrition and have a wide range of medicinal properties making it one of the most sought out after properties in mushroom cultivation.

Please do note, that there is no guarantee that your mycelium will form sclerotia, it usually happens as a result of some environmental stressors which triggers its formation.

No! It not the same as sterilization. Sterilization kills all living organisms on the substrate whereas cold water pasteurization drastically increases the pH of water, thereby eliminating the growth of pathogens.

It makes the substrate favorable for mushrooms to grow in, as compared to pathogens that cause contamination.

You’re basically processing the substrate in such a way that it gives your mushroom a head start in the race to colonize the substrate compared to all other life which is competing for the same nutrients in the substrate.

Number of items: Traditionally, straw is pasteurized in hot water using a grain boiler. You need a large burner, gas or electricity, and plenty of time to ensure that the process goes smoothly.

Space: To make things even harder, you will need to do this outdoors or in a large shop since you cannot set up a large burner or grain boiler in your house!

Scale: An added difficulty if you are a commercial grower is that the amount of straw that you can pasteurize in one go depends on the capacity of your grain boiler, small grain boiler means that you have to do the process in multiple batches, which makes the whole process very inefficient.

Time & Convenience: After boiling there is an additional challenge, you have to inoculate your substrate as soon as possible because for every second that your sterilized straw is exposed the chances of contamination increase.

Yes!

Unlike plants, mushrooms digest their food outside their bodies. They secrete enzymes that break down the organic bonds found in the substrate into smaller molecules as well as the carbon-hydrogen bonds, even the ones found in chemicals and petroleum products!

Due to their affinity to wood, oyster mushrooms are also good at breaking down the organic bonds found in a majority of chemicals including hydrated lime.
So, though the substrate might have traces of hydrated lime in it, your mushrooms will be free of all chemicals

All you need are a small 5-liter bucket, a large drum or container of around 200-liter capacity, straw, pasteurization powder, or NuvoPast, something to drain out the leftover solution like a jute bag or mesh (optional), a heavy object like a brick (optional).

NuvoPast is the perfect candidate for cold water pasteurization as it has been specifically designed for the purpose of mushroom cultivation.
You can save yourself a lot of time and money by using NuvoPast instead of trying to find alternatives in the market that may not be suited to the purpose of growing mushrooms.

NuvoPast is a proprietary blend of supplements that makes it technically superior to any other pasteurization alternative. As compared to traditional pasteurization, NuvoPast, offers the following:

• Eliminates the need for machineries such as autoclaves or grain boilers. All you need is a large enough container to hold your straw!
• Reduces your cultivation costs drastically by reducing your expenses on machinery, fuel, energy, and labor.
• Gives you a 7-hour window to inoculate your substrate whereas other sterilization techniques require you to inoculate as soon as the substrate is sterilized, making this way more convenient.
• Can decrease your colonization time in half, thereby helping you cultivate more cycles in the same amount of time.
• Can increase yield to up to 15% as compared to traditional methods of sterilization due to increased biological efficiency.
• Increase your overall production capacity as you are no longer constrained by the capacity of your grain boiler. You can prepare all your substrate for inoculation in one go rather than in batches.

TLDR; With NuvoPast, you can grow even more mushrooms, faster, cheaper, and with lesser effort!

NuvoPast works best with good quality paddy straw as compared to other substrates. Chopped straw has a high surface area which will allow the pH of the entire substrate to be changed.
However, substrates such as wood have a very low surface area which will have many pockets unaffected by this technique making it unsuitable for use with NuvoPast.

In our experience, cold water pasteurization is best suited for mushrooms which grow mushrooms which grow on paddy straw substrate and are aggressive and fast colonizers such as varieties of oyster mushroom.

Other mushrooms don’t colonize fast enough to beat contamination as compared to the good old oyster!

NuvoPast is optimized for paddy straw, if you would like to use it for any other substrate, get in touch with our experts, who will be more than happy to help you.

At Nuvedo safety comes first, so please ensure that you wear a mask and gloves while using NuvoPast to ensure your safety and wellbeing.

One packet of Nuvopast can be used for 16 kg of straw and 200 litres of water. Use the calculator below to find out how much power to use for your desired amount of substrate. The meshed onion bag is optional, we prefer to use it because it allows you to soak and remove the straw with ease. You can use any other method to do the same. Some of our customers who are
home growers use pillow covers instead of meshed bags!

The metal mesh is for the purpose of keeping the straw submerged in the drum and also acts as a surface to drain out the excess solution in the end. This is also optional and it isn’t required if you use the meshed bag as mentioned above.

Step by step guide:

STEP 1: Open your packet of Nuvopast and mix it into a bucket containing 3 liters of water and mix well. (Please do not add water to the powder as it can lead to splashing)

STEP 2: Add this solution to the larger container and keep adding water till you have 200 liters and mix well.

STEP 3: Wait for 10 minutes and mix once again.

STEP 4: Add 16 kg of dry straw (packed into the jute bag) to the container

STEP 5: Allow the straw to soak in the container for 20 hours

STEP 6: If you are using a lot of straw (without the jute bag) and you find that it is floating to the surface, use the metallic mesh with a brick on top to ensure that the straw remains submerged.

STEP 7: Remove the soaked material from the container and drain out the leftover solution in the straw for a good 20-30 minutes by leaving it on the metallic mesh or squeezing the meshed bag (or if you are using a spinner, spin dry it at 800-1000 rpm). It is perfectly normal for the color of your straw to change to brownish-yellow after soaking, so don’t worry there is no problem at all! Your substrate is now ready for inoculation!

Read our step-by-step guide on how to grow oyster mushrooms for detailed information on the next steps of cultivation.

Traditionally we would say – the faster the better, as the longer you wait, the more chances are that your substrate can get contaminated.

But with NuvoPast, you now have a 7-hour window from the time of pasteurization till inoculation, where the pH of your substrate stays high enough to deter pathogens from contaminating it. NuvoPast makes the whole process of mushroom cultivation more convenient for both new and experienced cultivators.

For best results, we recommend using the solution only once. Multiple uses of the solution can lead to contamination.

The safest ways to dispose off the used pasteurized water is by pouring it down the sewer or by adding vinegar (or any other acidic solution) to neutralize the solution. You would have to use a pH meter to be sure about the neutralization.

Don’t use the NuvoPast water on any vegetation.

NuvoPast is less hazardous to you than bleach or chlorine tablets that you use at home are. Even then, in the interest of your safety we ask you to take care when handling it. We recommend you to wear gloves, safety glasses and a mask. Always use protective equipment while handling chemicals and remember to wash your hands after use!

In the wild, mushrooms produce tens of thousands of spores (some even billions!) and get scattered across the forest by wind, rain, insects, and other agents. They are on a quest to find the most suitable growing conditions but sadly the vast majority of spores will never grow into a mushroom fruit body.

At Nuvedo, we select productive strains of edible fungi to make spawn which has been proven to give consistent results in the Indian setting so that our cultivators can maximize their success!

Nuvedo produces 100% of its spawn at our facility in Bengaluru.

NuvoSpawn is produced on grain in our laboratory. We start by taking mushroom cultures from our culture bank and then growing them out on sterilized grain in a controlled environment, using our own unique process and media, to ensure that our customers get the best quality time and again!

We take pride in saying that NuvoSpawn is not just another bag of spawn. It is a technically superior product guaranteed to maximize your success by giving you consistent results time and again. We document the optimal growing conditions of our cultures to ensure that our customers can make the best use of our product. Our spawn:

• Enriched with first quality high gluten grain which ensures vigorous colonization and healthy growth.
• Completely dry, pure fungus without wet patches to eliminate chances of bacterial contamination.
• Proven to give higher yields due to greater bio-efficiency because of our unique media.
• High shelf life and can be stored for longer without spoiling.
• Manufactured in a sterile, high oxygen environment which leads to a healthier growth of fungus.
• Uses disinfected cotton to reduce chances of contamination

When stored at room temperature our mushroom spawn is good for 45 days.
If you will be using it in the next few days from the date of delivery, store the spawn at room temperature in a well-ventilated, clean and dry area away from direct sunlight. If you intend to use it later, the spawn can be refrigerated (NOT FROZEN!) and stored for up to 3 months.

If you don’t use a complete bag of spawn, store the remaining spawn in its original bag, folding the top down and clipping it secure. Please keep in mind that you’re still working against the clock, so use that spawn as soon as you can!

NOTE: Pink oyster grain spawn CANNOT be refrigerated and should be used within one month. Also, keep in mind, Pink Oyster grain spawn will not have thick white mycelium like other oysters.

PLEASE INSPECT YOUR ORDER IMMEDIATELY UPON ARRIVAL!

We at Nuvedo are committed to ensuring our customer gets the best results out of our products. On very rare occasions NuvoSpawn can get damaged or contaminated due to improper handling during shipment.

If you notice any such damage, we will gladly replace your product, as long as you notify us within 24 hours of receipt.

NuvoSpawn is sent out to you at different stages, but it is always dispatched from our facility fully colonized and ready to use. When the spawn is aged longer at our facility, it can develop thick white mycelium, in comparison younger spawn has a lighter mycelium.

Please keep in mind that this varies according to the species, as some have mycelial growth which looks totally different. As spawn grows, it begins to break down the substrate it is growing on, resulting in small patches of brown on the exterior of the spawn and/or in a yellow fluid that can collect at the bottom of the spawn bag.

There is no reason to worry about this as these are all normal characteristics of spawn!

The first batch of grain spawn made from the mother culture is what is referred to as 1^st Generation or G1 spawn. When you take G1 grain spawn and perform grain to grain transfers, the next batch of grain spawn will be known as G2 or 2^nd Generation.

Some literature recommends not expanding beyond G3 or 3rd Generation when producing spawn because your mycelium may experience cellular degeneration or what is also known as senescence causing it to become weak, losing its virility and ability to fruit. We ensure that all our NuvoSpawn bags are 2nd Generation so that you can get best results while cultivating mushrooms!

Our DIY Mushroom Growing Kit is designed for an absolute beginner to use. The kit contains all the material and even an instruction pamphlet which will help you grow your own mushrooms! We even have a YouTube video which explains the whole process in detail along with a demonstration of all the steps involved.

Your DIY Kit consists of 6 items: 

1- 10 Liter Food Grade PP5 Bucket, 

2- Substrate (chopped organic straw), 

3- NuvoPast, 

4- Mushroom Spawn, 

5- Micropore tape, 

6- Information pamphlet

This Kit is specifically designed to teach you how you can grow mushrooms using the technique of Cold Water Pasteurization. This technique is suitable only for cultivating Oyster Mushrooms.

Using the DIY Mushroom Growing Kit, you can grow different varieties of Oyster Mushrooms such as: Grey Oyster, Brown Oyster, White Oyster, Pink Oyster, Golden etc. If you have any particular variety of Oyster mushroom that you are considering growing, you can reach out to us to see if it will be suitable for this kit.

We recommend you start the process as soon as possible. The mushroom spawn is the only perishable item in your DIY kit and needs to be used within 2 months from the date of purchase for best results.

Please refer to our instructional video on how to use your DIY Mushroom Growing Kit. You can also follow the instructions mentioned on the information pamphlet provided with your kit,

1. You can reuse the following: The PP5 Bucket, NuvoPast & Micropore tape

1. PP5 Bucket.

We are swapping out the single-use plastic bag for a reusable food-grade PP5 bucket which is much safer and more sustainable. One of the biggest problems associated with growing mushrooms is the widespread use of single-use plastics. The bucket provided is manufactured to last you for multiple cycles of cultivation, provided it is handled with care.

2. NuvoPast – Pasteurization Powder 

There is enough NuvoPast to last you for 16 cycles of cultivation.

3. Micropore Tape  

If used judiciously, the micropore tape provided should last you 10+ cultivation cycles.

Your DIY Mushroom Growing Kit has all the necessary materials required for you to start the process. However, you may need a few household items like a cloth, a cloth bag or pillowcase, a pair of scissors, gloves and a working table.

1. The easiest, cleanest and fastest way is to use a drilling machine
2. If you don’t have access to one, any sharp object like a pair of scissors, phillips head screwdriver, skewer etc can also be used to make holes easily

You may use a tshirt and tie a knot at the end to ensure all the straw is contained together. Alternatively you may also use a garbage bag and poke holes inside of it.

Any clean source of water, including tap water can be used for soaking your straw.

After adding the pasteurization powder, the PH of the water increases, making it basic. This water can be diluted and used to water your plants!

The DIY Growing Kit is designed for home use. The kit should ideally be used/prepped in an area of the house free from air currents, which has been cleaned thoroughly. Air flow can bring in airborne contaminants and hence, the room/space being used should be enclosed with all windows and doors closed.

We have included a cultivation log book on the back side of the information pamphlet which is part of your DIY Kit. This log book is an easy way for you to keep track of your progress and develop a deeper understanding of the mushroom cultivation process. We have also included formulas for you to use so that you can develop a more technical approach to cultivation, in case you are considering cultivation at a slightly larger scale. Do not be overwhelmed with the logbook as it can seem a little tricky in the beginning, to make things a little less complicated we have filled in some of the data for you! In case of any doubts you can always reach out to us at support@nuvedo.com

The bucket lid is airtight, and we recommend that you do not close it too tightly as it can get jammed and will be difficult to open later. Instead of closing it completely, you can press the lid to close it partially so that it will be easy to open later.

1. Avoid using your nails to open the lid.
2. Make use of a screwdriver or a metal spatula and wedge it between the lid and the bucket. Lift as you push it inwards. 
3. Make sure not to apply too much force while attempting to open it as it can break the lid.

1. Remove all the remnants from the previous cycle
2. Use soap water mix or isopropyl alcohol to properly clean the bucket with the help of a clean cloth/tissue paper
3. Make sure to clean all the corners and crevices and use an old toothbrush if required

Once your bucket is inoculated and ready, it needs to be incubated for a good 2-3 weeks before it can start producing mushrooms. During the incubation period, it is best to store buckets in a cool and hygienic part of your house away from direct sunlight.

Once your bucket has been inoculated with mushroom spawn, it can take anywhere between 2-4 weeks for your first flush (harvest) of mushrooms to start growing. After the 2 week mark, you can open the lid of your bucket to see if your substrate has been fully colonized. If you see any patches of straw where there is no white mycelial growth then your bucket needs an additional week to start the fruiting process.

If the environmental conditions are suitable (around 24 degrees celsius and >60% Rh), your bucket should give you 2-3 harvests over the period of 6 weeks. Your bucket should ideally give you harvests every 2 weeks if the conditions are right. If you don’t notice any pins or activity for more than a month, (provided the conditions are right) then your bucket has exhausted all the nutrition in the substrate and will not be able to produce anymore mushrooms.

It is recommended not to disturb the bucket during the 3 week incubation period as it can lead to contamination. You can open the lid of the bucket slightly to take a peek inside after incubating for 2 weeks. Don’t check the bucket more than once a week. Make sure to wear your mask while opening the lid. Close the lid as soon as you’re done checking and please don’t leave it exposed for long as it can lead to contamination

The DIY Mushroom Growing Kit is designed to grow Oyster Mushrooms. While buying your kit on our website, you have the option to choose which variety of Oyster Mushroom you want to cultivate by choosing your favorite variety from the drop-down menu. Options include Pink Oyster, Elm Oyster, White Oyster etc.

1. We encourage you to find and work with locally available substrate so that your process is as carbon neutral and sustainable as possible
2. Refer the information pamphlet provided for suggestions on different substrate recipes you can try!

Remember, the idea behind this kit is for you to learn how to cultivate mushrooms from the comforts of your home using materials that are locally available and economical! We encourage you to experiment and try working with substrates that can be found in and around your locality.

Nuvedo takes pride in saying that we provide the highest quality of mushroom spawn available in the market. All our products are crafted using our own spawn and genetics. If you need to purchase more spawn or plan on experimenting with different varieties of mushrooms then you can order spawn from the “Mushroom Spawn” category on our website: https://nuvedo.com/product-category/mushroom-spawn/

Pasteurization Powder, like the name suggests, is an easy and novel way to clean your substrate and minimize chances of contamination during cultivation without the use of harsh chemicals and fungicides like Formaldehyde and Bavastine. To know more about NuvoPast, please refer the FAQ

Micropore tape of 1 inch size can be purchased from any medical store or from Online ecommerce aggregators like Amazon.

The micropore tape has already been sanitized before dispatch and hence doesnt need any more disinfection. It is advised to keep your immediate environment and your hands clean using isopropyl alcohol or soap solution before you start the whole process. As mentioned in the pamphlet even the bucket has to be cleaned before you can start inoculation.

At Nuvedo, we ensure that we ship out material only if it meets our quality standards. Each kit is inspected before dispatch to ensure that our customers only get the best quality products. Sometimes it does happen that the material gets damaged in transit due to improper handling. If you received a damaged bucket, please do get in touch with us via our email or phone number and we will be more than happy to guide you on how you can initiate a replacement.