Grow track
From your first kit
to your own strain library.
A three-tier curriculum that takes you from cardboard-box grow kit to working agar isolation in 6-12 months. Every stage links into a sourced supplies catalog so you can buy exactly what you need at the moment you need it. Eight documented strains. Real cultivation literature behind every claim.
The three-tier cultivation curriculum
View all courses →Each tier builds directly on the last. Skip ahead at your own peril; the workflow gets harder fast and the contamination rate gets nastier if you don't have your sterile technique solid before you try agar.
Beginner — your first kit grow
Your first mushroom grow — a complete kit, start to harvest
30 days from cardboard box to dinner plate. No sterilization, no spores, no risk.
- Time
- 4 hrs
- Cost
- $35
- Stages
- 5
Expected: 0.5-1.5 lb of fresh mushrooms across 2-3 flushes from a single kit
Open course →
Intermediate — DIY sterile workflow
Liquid culture + grain spawn — your first DIY grow
Drop the kit markup. Inoculate your own grain. Fruit on supplemented sawdust.
- Time
- 18 hrs
- Cost
- $425
- Stages
- 6
Expected: 5-10 lb of fresh mushrooms per cycle from one batch of grain + 4 fruit bags
Open course →
Advanced — agar + strain keeping
Agar work + strain isolation — keeping your own genetics
Isolate fast colonizers. Bank cultures. Dial in your own strains.
- Time
- 50 hrs
- Cost
- $1850
- Stages
- 5
Expected: Curated culture library + reproducible 2x+ yield improvements over generic LC strains
Open course →
Strain library
View all strains →Eight gourmet/medicinal cultivars documented like a coffee-bean variety guide. Growth requirements, flavor profile, recipe pairings, peer-reviewed references for every entry.
Oyster (Pleurotus)
Blue Oyster (PoHu strain)
Mild oyster character, faintly anise on the nose when raw, savory-sweet when sautéed. Holds up well in stir-fries; doesn't release excessive water like some pearl oyster strains.
Difficulty 2/10 · Yields 1.5-3lb
Oyster (Pleurotus)
Pink Oyster
Strong umami with a distinctly bacon/seafood-adjacent aroma. Sliced thin and pan-fried hot, develops a crisp edge that has earned this strain the 'mushroom bacon' nickname in vegan cooking circles.
Difficulty 3/10 · Yields 1-2.5lb
Oyster (Pleurotus)
Golden Oyster
Nutty, faintly fruity, milder than blue oyster. Excellent in cream-based dishes where the color and the gentle flavor both come through.
Difficulty 3/10 · Yields 1-2lb
Lion's mane (Hericium)
Lion's Mane
Crab- or lobster-adjacent texture cooked, with a mild sweetness that pairs with butter, garlic, and white wine. Pan-fry slices in butter until golden — that's the dish.
Difficulty 4/10 · Yields 0.8-2lb
Shiitake (Lentinula)
Shiitake (cold-weather strain 3782)
Maximum umami density of any commonly cultivated mushroom. Dried shiitake has 3-5x the glutamate of fresh, which is why most East Asian cuisine uses dried for stock. Fresh: deep savory flavor, slight smokiness when grilled.
Difficulty 6/10 · Yields 0.5-1lb
King trumpet (Pleurotus eryngii)
King Trumpet (King Oyster)
Stem cross-sections seared in oil = vegan scallops, full stop. Cap is gentler in flavor and good for soups or stocks.
Difficulty 5/10 · Yields 0.6-1.2lb
Maitake (Grifola)
Maitake (Hen of the Woods)
Earthy, peppery, with a deep umami backbone. Often torn into clusters and pan-roasted with butter and herbs; pairs exceptionally with poultry and red wine.
Difficulty 8/10 · Yields 0.5-1lb
Chestnut (Pholiota)
Chestnut Mushroom
Nutty, savory, with a slight crunch when sautéed quickly. Sliced and seared, the caps caramelize beautifully.
Difficulty 4/10 · Yields 1-2lb
Home-grow supplies
See full catalog →28 supplies across 7 categories and 3 difficulty tiers — from $15 spray bottles to $425 DIY flow hoods. Affiliate-linked to vetted suppliers; Joe earns commission, you pay the same price.