Stage 5 of the process
Harvest and after
Harvest by shape, not size: oysters while the cap edge is still curled under, lion's mane when the spines reach about a quarter inch. Twist off the whole cluster, rest the block two to three weeks, and expect smaller harvests after the first.
- Rest before the next flush
- about 2 to 3 weeks
- Harvests from an oyster block
- usually 2 to 4, each smaller
Mushrooms can double in size in a day, so the harvest window is short. Oysters are ready when the caps of the largest mushrooms begin to flatten and the edges are still slightly curled under; after that they drop spores and lose texture. When to harvest oyster mushrooms gives the sign for each variety. Lion's mane is ready when the spines are a quarter to half an inch long, before it yellows.
Take the whole cluster at once: hold it at the base and twist, or cut it flush with the block. Clear away the stubs, keep misting, and a new flush usually starts in about two weeks. If the block has dried out, soak it in cool water first: about 20 minutes for most species, less for lion's mane, several hours for shiitake.
Each flush is smaller than the last. A block that has stopped producing is not waste: it can be buried in a garden bed, crumbled into fresh straw or mulch as spawn, or composted, and reusing mushroom substrate covers each option. Cook home-grown mushrooms before eating, and eat only what grew from the species you planted.
Ready to move on when: The block has rested and new pins are forming, or it has stopped producing and goes to the garden or the compost.
Common mistakes at this stage
- Waiting for bigger caps: oysters past flat shed spores and turn limp.
- Picking single mushrooms out of a cluster instead of taking the whole cluster.
- Throwing a block away after one harvest.