*Your blocks are meant to be opened immediately for best results. Ready-to-fruit blocks will begin producing mushrooms quickly after arrival at room temperature, but they can be refrigerated up to 1 month prior to opening.

Fruiting Pioppini Mushroom Blocks

1) Select a growing space
Ideal growing conditions: 60-72° F, humidity 60%+, with 8-10 hrs of natural or supplemental light. Pioppini pins are very sensitve to over-drying and elevated CO2 concentration around developing pins enhances rather than hinders growth, therefore, the blocks are kept in the sealed filter patch bag until pins are several inches tall.

2) Setting up your Pioppini blocks
Place the block upright with the filter patch facing you, and gently pull the corners of the patch forward. Air will travel through the filter patch and partially inflate the bag creating air space above the block where young mushrooms will begin to form. 

3) Maintaining and monitoring
Mushroom pins will begin developing on the top surface of the block 5-14 days after opening. Keep the bag closed until the pins are 2 inches tall. Once the pins have reached that height, cut off the bag below the seal to introduce more airflow.

4) Mushroom harvest and storage
Watch the mushrooms as they develop. They are ready for harvest when the bottom of the caps start to stretch away from the stems. Reach down and gently grasp the base of the clusters, twist and pull to harvest them from the block. 

5) Second and subsequent crops
After harvesting, use tape to reseal thd bag, or fold over the top of the bag and clip it to mostly close it and trap humidity within. This is especially needed if your fruiting room falls in the less than 70% humidity range. Pioppini will fruit a second time tpically 12-21 days after the first flush. 

AT A GLANCE
Difficulty: Easy.
Time to fruiting: 9-18 days
Ideal fruiting conditions: 60-72°F, 60% humidity+
Mushroom appearance: Deeply colored terra cotta tinted caps, smooth texture with long white stems, usually growing in clusters.
Flavor and texture: Nutty and crunchy, with a rich umami flavor.