Best Mushroom Grow Bags of [date template="Y"]: Complete Buying Guide (2024)

Mushroom cultivation is soaring in popularity for small-scale gardeners and commercial growers alike. Grow bags provide a simple, versatile mushroom fruiting vessel to produce abundant harvests. Choosing the right mushroom grow bag is key to maximizing yields and reducing contamination risk. Ideal bags feature durability, breathability, and customization flexibility to dial in moisture content and gas exchange for your substrate and environmental conditions.

When selecting a mushroom bag, key factors to consider include heat tolerance, bag size/capacity, micron filtration patch sizes for dialing in FAE (fresh air exchange), and thickness/durability. This buying guide covers the spectrum of leading mushroom grow bags available in 2023 – from budget variants for beginners to premium commercial-grade bags used in the world’s top gourmet mushroom farms.

What Is a Mushroom Grow Bag?

A mushroom grow bag is a specially designed cultivating container used to grow various gourmet and medicinal mushroom species indoors and outdoors. These bags create a microclimate optimal for mycelium colonization and mushroom fruiting body production.

Mushroom grow bags feature a breathable microporous fabric that allows for fresh air exchange while preventing contamination from insects, bacteria, mold spores, and other vectors. This facilitates healthy mycelium growth and formation of mushroom pins through to full maturity.

These cultivation vessels consist of a bag with gas exchange filter patches that are filled with a nutritive substrate material like hardwood sawdust, wood chips, straw, etc. Spores or mushroom grain spawn are then introduced to colonize the substrate-filled bags, which sit to incubate for 1–3 weeks on average prior to yielding the first flush.

Mushrooms will proceed to fruit out of the grow bags through one or more harvest cycles without any light or watering required – only fresh air is needed. Grow bags regulate internal humidity and protect the colonized blocks from excessive drying.

With a quality mushroom cultivation bag, gourmet oyster, lion’s mane, wine cap, shiitake, and many other varieties can be grown reliably and abundantly at home or commercially. Their versatility makes bags a very popular mushroom fruiting method.

Advantages Of Using Mushroom Growing Bags

Mushroom cultivation has exploded in popularity thanks to the simplicity and satisfaction of growing your own gourmet varieties at home. Mushroom grow bags have emerged as a favorite for indoor and outdoor fruiting methods – offering several unique advantages over other containers. Thoughtfully designed mushroom bags create the ideal microclimate for abundant yields crop after crop.

In addition, they are characterized by the following advantages:

• Cost Savings. Mushroom grow bags can be reused, unlike single-use plastic containers or bottles. High quality bags often last for 2-3 crop cycles if properly cleaned between uses, saving on input costs long-term. The required substrate amount to fill bags is also less than bulkier vessels, further reducing materials expenses.
• Monitoring Ease. The transparent side windows and relatively small, maneuverable size of mushroom bags enables growers to easily visually inspect colonization progress without needing to open or disturb the blocks. This facilitates monitoring without increasing contamination risks.
• Simpler Inoculation. Requiring only small injection ports, mushroom grow bags can be inoculated with grain or liquid spawn much more easily than drilling inoculation holes in plastic containers or logs. The process is straightforward and faster.
• From small residential grows to expansive commercial mushroom houses, grow bags accommodate a wide range of setups and styles. Their flexibility and easy handling also aids efficient harvesting.
• Contamination Reduction. High-quality mushroom bags utilize microporous filter patches which allow fresh air exchange to stimulate fruiting while preventing inlet of harmful molds, bacteria, and insects. This results in healthier mycelium and fewer lost batches from contamination.

Types of Mushroom Growing Bags

Mushroom grow bags come in a variety of designs to suit the needs of different cultivation setups. Bags utilize different materials, closure methods, and filter patches that lend themselves better to certain mushroom varieties or environmental factors.

Large Gusseted Plastic Bags

These are the most popular style of mushroom grow bags. They feature reinforced plastic with durable gusseted sides to hold a larger volume of substrate compared to layflat tubing. Gusseted grow bags include integrated microporous filter patches for gas exchange, along with a plastic zipper for sealing after inoculation.

This style is excellent for home cultivators and commercial operations seeking higher yields per bag. Gusseted bags come in various substrate volumes from 2 pounds up to 10 pounds to meet specific growing targets. Zippered bags allow easy access for post-harvest dunking and cleaning for reuse, while their rigid structure holds up well through multiple flushes.

Layflat Tubing

For smaller-scale cultivators on a budget, layflat grow bag tubing is a very economical choice. This tubing features the same high density microporous plastic as gusseted bags but without rigid sides or zippers. To use, simply cut tubing to desired lengths and seal the open-end seam with an impulse sealer once filled with your substrate mix. Layflat bags utilize simple adhesive filter patches rather than plastic zippers.

While layflat grow bags cannot stand upright on their own, their low cost and slimmer profile suits hobby growers tight on budgets or space. Their flexibility also aids harvesting mushrooms from the bag surfaces. These advantages make layflat tubing suitable for small home cultivators, despite their limited durability for just 1-2 grow cycles maximum before needing replacement.

Zipper Filter Bags

This premium variety combines the durability and lightweight gussets of regular grow bags with large HEPA-grade micron filter sheets covering a portion of the surface. Zipper filter bags allow for extensive customization of fresh air exchange rates simply by adjusting how much of the HEPA filter is left exposed after sealing with the zipper.

Full exposure maximizes FAE for species like oyster mushrooms, while partial closure leaving only a small filter opening suits exotic varieties that prefer higher CO2 conditions like Lion’s Mane. This customizable gas exchange makes zipper filter bags ideal for advanced cultivators dialing in specialized fruiting environments.

Smaller Cylindrical Bags

For hobby growers focused on expanding variety rather than maximum yields per bag, compact cylindrical grow bags offer a space-efficient design. These rigid round bags utilize a capped or folded top closure along with one or two small microporous filter discs for gas exchange.

Cylindrical mushroom bags take up less area compared to traditional gusseted rectangular bags – making them suitable for cultivation setups tight on horizontal space. Their proportions also lend well to use with hanging mushroom fruiting kits. However, their modest 1-2 pound substrate capacity limits their scaling potential for larger commercial growing.

Filter Patch Bags

This budget bag variety utilizes more basic plastic sheeting rather than advanced microporous materials. To still facilitate adequate fresh air exchange, filter patch bags incorporate extra filter windows made from Tyvek fabric, polyester organza patches, or similar porous textile sheets.

The external filter pieces allow for dialing in the breathability to match specific mushroom varieties. These low-cost, lightweight bags serve well for beginning cultivators on tight budgets. However, their thinner plastic and external filter attachments makes them less durable than commercial-grade gusseted grow bags with integrated filter membranes.

Mushroom Grow Bag Buyer’s Guide

With mushroom cultivation surging in popularity, using a purpose-designed grow bag improves yields and reduces contamination risks that can ruin amateur efforts. But not all bags perform the same. Dialing in the ideal vessel to match your mushroom type and climate parameters ensures healthy colonization and reliable fruiting performance.

Heat Tolerance

The ability to withstand heat is crucial to promote healthy mycelium growth and prevent contamination from competitors like green mold. Top mushroom bags utilize ultraviolet light protection and insulation to maintain suitable temperatures up to 90°F for warm-loving exotic species. Thinner, cheaper bags often cannot regulate substrate temperatures above 75°F.

Commercial bags designed specifically to stimulate cold-loving mushroom varieties do so through increased moisture retention and limited filter ventilation to generate the chilled climate those types prefer. Evaluating bag heat and insulation performance ensures selecting one that aligns with your target mushroom.

Bag Dimensions

While substrates like hardwood sawdust or wood chips serve as the nutrition source for mushrooms, the bag enclosure provides the external environment. Dialing in the right container size and proportions facilitates dialing in the ideal interior climate. Standard rectangular gusseted bags range from 2 pound up to 10 pound capacity. Slim profile layflat tubing offers more length flexibility.

The larger the filled container volume, the longer the fruiting timeline, as the mycelium requires more time to colonize the substrate. Compact bags yield faster harvests but lower overall quantities. Determining the ideal bag size and shape depends on your desired crop density and timeline. Commercial operations maximize yield per area through large bags, while home growers often opt for multiple small bags, offering staggered harvests.

Filter Size

The microporous filter patches integrated into mushroom bags play a critical role – enabling fresh air exchange to provide oxygen and evaporate excess moisture while blocking external contaminants. High quality commercial bags utilize filters with microscopic pores sized at 0.2-1 microns.

This prevents mold spores (2-10 microns) or bugs from entering while allowing free flow of vapor, gases and aroma molecules. Some budget bags use looser mesh screens, unable to filter airborne threats. Dialing in proper filter micron ratings ensures contaminant protection.

Bag Thickness

Mushroom grow bags range in thickness from 100 gauge (ultra-thin) up to 600 gauge (very thick). Thicker bags naturally provide greater structural integrity and durability to withstand repeated use for many crop cycles. Thickness also enhances insulation properties to maintain ideal fruiting temperatures.

But thicker bags also limit flexibility, which can constrain harvest access. Ultra-thin 100 gauge bags favor flexibility and transparency for easy monitoring but sacrifice reuse potential. Finding the right balance depends on specific growing conditions and goals – whether targeting maximum yield density or variety flexibility.

What are the Best Mushroom Growing Bags in 2023?

Mushroom growing bags provide a convenient, low-maintenance way to grow delicious mushrooms at home. These bags come pre-inoculated with mushroom spawn, meaning you simply need to open the bag, water it, and watch your mushrooms grow. Mushroom growing bags take a lot of the guesswork and effort out of mushroom cultivation.

In this section, we’ll highlight the 5 best mushroom growing bags on the market in 2023. We evaluated dozens of products to choose mushroom bags that are easy to use, produce reliable results, and give you a bountiful harvest of vitamins and flavor.

Best Choice	Back to the Roots Mushroom Grow Kit The best oyster mushroom grow kit Dimensions: 4x3x5 inch; Weight: 1.76 lbs. Type: gourmet oyster mushrooms Check Price	Check Price
Also Great	Back to the Roots Pink Grow Kit The best pink oyster mushroom grow kit Dimensions: 3.5x4.63x9.75 inch; Weight: 2.19 lbs. Type: pink oyster mushrooms Check Price	Check Price
Best Value	North Spore Organic (3 lbs) Sterilized Hydrated Grain Bag Pre-sterilized & hydrated Organic ingredients Self-healing injection ports Check Price	Check Price
Best Sealable	TonGass 60-Pack Autoclavable Mushroom Growing Bag Bulk with Microporous Filter 60 reusable growing bags Built for large yields Microporous filter patches Check Price	Check Price
Best All in One	Sojourner Mushroom Grow Bags (50 Pk) Thick 1.7 mil bags Sterilized whole oats substrate Built for heavy yields Check Price	Check Price

Back to the Roots Mushroom Grow Kit

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The Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Grow Kit is a top-rated mushroom growing kit that makes it easy and fun to grow your own gourmet pearl oyster mushrooms at home. This beginner-friendly kit comes with everything you need to grow up to 1.5 pounds of organic mushrooms in about 10 days.

The Back to the Roots kit features a 100% recycled cardboard box with an instruction booklet that guides you step-by-step through the mushroom growing process. Inside the box, you’ll find the pre-inoculated mushroom rooting bed, a mister bottle for watering, and mushroom spawns that are already growing when you receive the kit. The grow kit is also certified USDA organic and NON-GMO.

Image: All In One Mushroom Grow Bag is an example of how to cook with onion, dill, pepper, butter, salt, lick your fingers. an example of a Mexican dish with mushrooms and an example of sautéed mushrooms with tomato-pepper sauce with Tabasco

One of the best parts of this mushroom kit is that it’s made from recycled materials that you can compost or recycle again after finishing your mushroom harvests. The kit also comes with a Nature’s Footprint Composter coupon, so you can easily compost the used mushroom substrate. This makes the Back to the Roots mushroom kit an environmentally-friendly gardening solution.

When cared for properly and given the right moisture and humidity conditions, the Back to the Roots mushroom grow kit can produce 1-2 mushroom harvests that are ready to pick and eat within 10 days. It’s an easy, mess-free and educational way to start growing your own gourmet mushrooms this season.

Back to the Roots Pink Grow Kit

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The Back to the Roots Pink Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit allows you to easily grow flavorful, pink oyster mushrooms at home. As with all Back to the Roots kits, it comes with their signature 10-day grow time, making it one of the fastest mushroom kits from inoculation to harvest.

Inside the 100% recycled cardboard box, you’ll find a pre-inoculated growing substrate, a mister bottle for watering, an instruction booklet, and the growing fungi that’s ready to activate upon arrival. Everything you need is included in this all-in-one mushroom kit. The Pink Oyster kit grows quickly under normal household conditions with indirect sunlight and 70-80°F—no green thumb required!

The Pink Oysters themselves have light pink caps and stems with a mild, sweet flavor. While you likely won’t grow giant mushrooms from a small home kit, you can expect a yield of around 1/2 pound of tender mushrooms from this kit. Enjoy them fresh in salads, on pizza, or sautéed as a tasty snack.

When your short 10-day mushroom harvest is done, this kit makes recycling easy. Simply open the box, remove the plastic bag and substrate, and put the cardboard box and paper materials in the recycling. The substrate also composts well for enriching your garden soil.

North Spore Organic (3 lbs) Sterilized Hydrated Grain Bag

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The Organic Hydrated Grain Bags from North Spore provide a simple mushroom growing substrate to propagate gourmet mushroom spawn and cultures at home. These 3-pound sterilized bags come pre-hydrated and ready to inoculate right out of the box with your preferred liquid culture syringe.

Inside each thick, opaque bag is high-quality organic rye and wheat grain that has been fully sterilized and hydrated to an ideal medium. The self-healing injection ports allow easy inoculation without contamination risk. After injecting your spawn, simply massage the bag gently to distribute evenly. Over the next weeks, a thick white mycelium will grow throughout the substrate and start forming mushrooms.

North Spore’s grain bags produce excellent results with many gourmet mushroom varieties like oyster, shiitake, lion’s mane and others. You can expect around 1 flush or full harvest from each 3-pound bag, yielding over a pound of fresh mushrooms. The grain bags also stack efficiently, so you can further expand your home-grown mushroom production.

For beginning mushroom growers as well as pros, these pre-sterilized grain bags help simplify the cultivation process. When paired with a quality liquid culture like North Spore’s, you’ll have an easy, effective way to grow mushrooms in your own house or garden.

TonGass 60-Pack Autoclavable Mushroom Growing Bag Bulk with Microporous Filter

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The TonGass 60-pack of bulk autoclavable mushroom bags offers a reusable substrate solution for seasoned mushroom growers. Each 18 x 12 x 5 inch bag provides enough room for gourmet mushrooms to grow fully to maturity.

These bags come with 0.5 to 0.7 microporous filter patches which allow for efficient gas exchange while preventing contamination from bacteria and molds. The thick bags stand upright when filled and feature side ventilation for airflow. They’re made of a durable polypropylene and autoclave safe at temperatures up to 250°F, so you can sterilize your own grains or substrates.

These bulk growing bags are ideal for larger scale mushroom cultivation with multiple flushes. Once your mushrooms have fruited fully, simply dunk the bags to rehydrate for a second or third vigorous harvest from each block. With proper care and consistent humidity, each bag can produce up to a half pound of oyster, shiitake or other gourmet mushrooms.

If you’re ready to elevate your home or farm mushroom production, this 60-pack reusable kit is built to last. Just customize your substrate recipe, sterilize and inoculate using your preferred grain spawn or culture for an abundance of mushrooms. Consider adding self-healing injection ports to prevent contamination.

Sojourner Mushroom Grow Bags (50 Pk)

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The Sojourner 50-pack of mushroom grow bags offers a commercial-grade growing substrate for gourmet and medicinal varieties of an all-in-one cultivation system. These 10 x 20 inch 1.7 mil bags are constructed thicker than competitors to stand up to multiple flushes.

Inside each bag is sterilized whole oats with gypsum for a nutrient-rich mushroom substrate. So you can inject your preferred liquid culture or grain spawn directly through the microporous filter patch, allowing for gas exchange while preventing contamination. This also makes inoculation simple, with no extra tools required.

Image 5: mushroom grow bag fruiting second recommended, mycelium germination example on a shelf in a dark damp cellar.

A major upside to the Sojourner bags is they produce very full, dense flushes with an evenly distributed pinset. With the right humidity and airflow conditions, you can yield around 28–42 grams dried or 112–168 grams fresh per block. Most varieties like Lion’s Mane, Reishi and various Oysters will flush 2–4 times from each block with proper rehydration between harvests.

For growing gourmet mushrooms on a serious scale, these commercial-quality grow bags really perform. As long as you have a quality sterile inoculant and a fruiting room that meets the species requirements, you’ll achieve mushroom cultivation success with this complete ready-to-inoculate kit.

What Mushrooms Are Suitable For Grow Bags?

Grow bags provide a versatile substrate for cultivating many types of gourmet and medicinal mushroom varieties in your own home or garden. When purchasing pre-inoculated kits or sterile bags to inoculate yourself, make sure your selected mushroom species matches the growing medium and conditions provided.

• Hen Of The Wood. Hen of the woods, or maitake, thrives in grow bags with supplemented sawdust or wood-based substrates. These impressive, frilly mushrooms grow in handsome clusters on the sides of oak trees and bags. Provide hen of the woods with temps between 45-65°F and humidity above 85% for bountiful fall harvests.
• Oyster Mushroom. Oyster mushrooms are among the easiest to grow in lighter substrates like straw or supplemented sawdust. They populate grow bags quickly with their aggressive mycelium and require high humidity plus lots of air circulation to fruit abundantly in clusters.
• To grow meaty, umami-rich shiitake mushrooms, use grow bags with an oak, sawdust or wood-based medium. Shiitakes prefer slightly cooler temps between 45–75°F and appreciate a good shocking with cold water to stimulate enormous flushes.
• Chestnut Mushroom. Grow bags with supplemented hardwood sawdust or straw make an ideal medium for chestnut mushrooms to form their hearty, earthy caps. Maintain high relative humidity around 90% and adequate ventilation for the best yields.
• Blue Oyster Mushroom. The most cold-tolerant of all oyster mushroom varieties, blue oysters grow well in supplemented sawdust or straw-based substrates. Blue oysters thrive in temps as low as 45°F and require high humidity levels between 95-100% to fruit their dense clusters.
• Reishi Mushroom. Also known as the “mushroom of immortality,” reishis grow in a variety of wood-based substrates, performing especially well in grow bags. Keep temps between 68-90°F and humidity above 90%. Be patient, as reishi take weeks to months to fully fruit.
• They are a cinch to grow in basic straw substrates within grow bags, forming their squat, charcoal-colored caps quickly under the right conditions. They need temps between 55-68°F, humidity above 85%, and plenty of fresh air to flourish into maturity.

Alternatives to Mushroom Growing Bags

While mushroom growing bags provide a convenient, all-in-one cultivation system, they are not the only way to grow mushrooms at home. Many mushroom enthusiasts also use alternative methods that allow more customization, larger yields, or cheaper startup costs.

Some popular alternatives to pre-made grow bags include:

1. Grain Jars & Containers. Wide-mouth mason jars or food-grade plastic containers can be used to prepare sterilized grain spawn at home. Grains like rye, millet, or sorghum are soaked, drained, and pressure-cooked before injecting with mushroom culture or spores. Compared to grow bags, jars give you more control over the growing medium, inoculant strain, moisture content, and other factors.
2. Wood Substrates. For wood-loving species like shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane, and maitake, cultivated sawdust, logs, or wood chips make an ideal fruiting substrate. While pasteurizing or sterilizing wood materials takes extra effort, the nutrient density can lead to abundant, full-bodied mushroom growth. Logs and large blocks also yield higher quantities compared to grow bags.
3. Terrariums & Greenhouses. Using an enclosed terrarium, grow tent, or DIY greenhouse provides maximum control over growing conditions like humidity, moisture and airflow. Sheltered environments are especially useful for mushrooms that require specific microclimates to thrive, though they limit scalability. Terrariums can also regulate CO2 concentrations to boost growth rates.
4. Bulk Monotubs. For large-scale mushroom growing, experienced cultivators often use bulk monotubs instead of multiple grow bags. Bulk substrates made with coco coir, manure compost, straw, or other nutritious bases are prepared in a large plastic storage container with drainage holes. After sterilization and inoculation, a properly prepared monotub can yield several pounds of mushrooms per flush!
5. Liquid Culture Cultivation. Another intriguing mushroom growing alternative utilizes liquid culture methods. Myceliated grain water or other nutritious liquids are inoculated and grown within glass jars or flasks. Agitated cultures foster faster mycelial growth rates compared to solid substrates. The nutrient-rich liquid cultivation broth can then be used to expand inoculations dramatically.

When assessing mushroom growing alternatives, consider factors like space constraints, equipment/effort involved, contamination risks, and the mushroom species’ preferred fruiting habitat. Grow bags strike an optimal balance for small footprint, low-maintenance home growing.