Frequently Asked Questions About Growing Mushrooms

Get quick answers to common questions about RyzaPods – our easy, all-in-one mushroom grow kits for homegrown mushrooms. Learn how they work, what’s included, and how to start growing mushrooms at home.

Before You Buy

  • RyzaPods are all-in-one mushroom grow kits containing sterilized nutrient-rich substrate in a compact container with an included humidity dome. Just inject your spores or liquid culture, and the pod takes care of the rest – you could be harvesting fresh mushrooms in around 6-8 weeks. Our How It Works page shows every step.

  • Yes. RyzaPods are shipped pre-sterilized and ready to inoculate, but you provide the mushroom spores or liquid culture (they are not included with the kit, but easily found online). Spore or culture syringes are easy to find online, and we recommend using a liquid culture when possible for faster growth and colonization. See our article on the difference between spores and cultures.

  • No – RyzaPods are designed for first-time growers. You don’t need any lab equipment or prior mycology experience to use our kits successfully. All you’ll need is a spore or culture syringe, and a spray bottle for misting during the fruiting stage.

  • RyzaPods can be used to grow a wide range of gourmet and medicinal mushroom species. Just choose the correct kit type: Manure-Lover pods suit mushrooms that naturally grow in nutrient-rich compost or manure (like white button or portobello mushrooms), whereas Wood-Lover pods are for species that grow on wood (like oyster, shiitake, or lion’s mane). See our post for more detail on selecting the right substrate for your mushrooms.

  • It depends on the mushroom species you want to grow. Our Manure-Lover RyzaPods are formulated for mushrooms that prefer compost-like or dung substrates (e.g. white button, cremini, portobello), while Wood-Lover RyzaPods are for species that thrive on wood-based materials (e.g. oyster mushrooms, lion’s mane, shiitake). If you’re not sure, just match the kit to where your mushroom grows in nature (soil/manure vs. wood).

  • Typically about 6–8 weeks from inoculation to your first harvest. In many cases you’ll see a successful mushroom crop in roughly 45-60 days under proper conditions.

  • Each RyzaPod yields roughly 30 grams of dry mushrooms (about 0.5–0.7 lbs fresh) over its total harvests. This dry-weight measure is a reliable average across species, assuming you grow the mushrooms through a couple of flushes (batches) of fruiting. See our post on mushroom yields for more details.

Using Your RyzaPods

  • Simply sanitize the injection port with the included alcohol wipe, then inject about 5 mL (or more) of a well-mixed spore or liquid culture syringe into the pod’s self-healing port. This means about half to one syringe per RyzaPod. That’s it – once inoculated, the spores/mycelium will start colonizing the sterile substrate inside.

  • After inoculation, the mushroom mycelium typically becomes visible within 1–3 weeks and can take around 4–8 weeks to fully colonize the substrate. During this time, just keep your RyzaPod in a dark, room-temperature spot and be patient while the white mycelium spreads through the RyzaPod.

  • Once the substrate is 100% colonized (completely white with mycelium), it’s time to initiate fruiting. Remove the lid and attach the provided humidity dome, then mist the substrate and the inside of the dome lightly once or twice daily and place the RyzaPod in indirect light. This high-humidity, ventilated environment will trigger mushroom pins (baby mushrooms) to start forming in about 1 to 2 weeks.

  • Harvest time comes when the mushroom caps have grown and just begin to open. Simply reach in and gently twist and pull each mature mushroom from the substrate to pick it. It’s best to harvest before the caps flatten out or release spores for optimal quality.

  • Yes – you can often get 2–3 or even more flushes (batches of mushrooms) from a single RyzaPod over several months. After your first harvest, refill the container with water to soak and rehydrate the substrate (for a few hours), then drain it and continue misting daily under the dome to encourage another round of mushrooms to grow.

Troubleshooting

  • Don’t worry, this is usually normal. Depending on the species and whether you used spores or live culture, it can take a couple of weeks before you see any white mycelium. Mycelium typically appears within 1–3 weeks after inoculation, so keep the pod warm (around 65–75 °F) in the dark and be patient. Occasionally, inoculants are not viable. This is often due to extreme temperatures when your inoculant is in transit. In these cases, if the RyzaPod shows no signs of growth in 4 weeks, you can re-inoculate. You can always contact us if you need any assistance!

  • If you notice any green, black, or unusually colored patches on the substrate or a foul odor (signs of contamination), it’s safest to stop using that pod and carefully dispose of it to prevent the spread of mold in your home. Contamination is uncommon in any single grow, but it will eventually happen to all mushroom growers eventually. If you need help identifying contamination, just email us and we’ll assist. Sometimes new growers confuse bruising for contamination, so feel free to reach out if you’re unsure.

  • No problem – we’re here for you. We started Ryza to help newcomers to mycology. If you run into any issues or uncertainties during your mushroom-growing journey, our friendly support team is always ready to help you out. Feel free to contact us anytime for guidance or troubleshooting tips.