Organic Pioppino Mushroom Grow Kit Fruiting Block

1-Pack
$29.99

Our Certified Organic mushroom fruiting blocks make growing your own mushrooms easy. Designed by mycologists and colonized to the perfect level, all you have to do is create the right environment and fruit your mushrooms.

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USDA Certified Organic

USDA Certified Organic

Trusted by 350K+ Growers

Trusted by 350K+ Growers

Money Back Guarantee

Money Back Guarantee

The North Spore Organic Pioppino Mushroom Grow Kit offers an opportunity to cultivate a highly sought-after gourmet species, Cyclocybe aegerita, directly from your home.

This fruiting block is designed for advanced indoor growers, producing distinctive large flushes characterized by elegant, long stems and velvety, medium-to-large brown caps. Pioppino mushrooms are a culinary favorite, celebrated for their rich, earthy flavor and firm texture, making them an excellent addition to diverse dishes.

Crafted with scientific expertise by mycologists, this kit reflects North Spore's commitment to premium quality and successful cultivation. The block is USDA Certified Organic, ensuring a pure and natural growing experience.

As a ready-to-fruit colonized substrate, this block provides a robust foundation for mushroom development. It is specifically formulated for indoor environments, allowing for controlled growing conditions.

Growers can anticipate a significant first flush, typically yielding 0.5 to 2 lbs of fresh mushrooms, with the potential for multiple subsequent flushes with proper care. The robust mycelial network supports consistent production.

North Spore provides comprehensive educational resources to guide you through the cultivation process, from initial setup to harvest. These resources offer species-specific care instructions to optimize your yield and ensure a rewarding experience.

Understanding the specific requirements of Cyclocybe aegerita will help achieve the best results. Detailed guidance on environmental factors and misting schedules is readily available.

Explore the rewarding challenge of growing your own gourmet Pioppino mushrooms and elevate your culinary creations with fresh, homegrown fungi.

Receiving and Storage

Remove kit from the shipping box as soon as possible. Then, unfold the top of the bag, making room for air space. It's also important to check and confirm that the filter patch is not obstructed. This will help the organism breathe and continue to thrive!

Fruiting blocks should be used within 1 week of receipt. If you don't plan to use immediately, you can refrigerate your block for up to 6 months.

Growing Instructions

For the majority of mushroom species, all that is needed to initiate fruiting (or begin the growth cycle) is a change in environmental conditions -- specifically humidity, light, temperature, and changes to oxygen and CO2 levels.

For best results:

We recommend growing your pioppino block in a fruiting chamber (like a monotub or martha tent) as a controlled environment will decrease the risk of contamination and increase the chances of success. 

Creating optimal conditions:

The environmental parameters for pioppino mushrooms can be found on this page under "Temp, Humidity & CO2 guide" and on page 14 of our fruiting block instruction booklet.

Preparing your block:

Unfold the top of the bag, making room for air space. It's also important to check and confirm that the filter patch is not obstructed.

How to initiate fruiting:

  • Make a small cut (2-3”) at the top of the bag under the seam and place upright in your fruiting chamber.
  • Allow the block to pin within the bag.
  • Once pinning has occurred, cut off the top of the bag, leaving sidewalls approximately 4” taller than the block.
  • Return to fruiting chamber until ready to harvest.

Special considerations:

  • Pioppino mushrooms are not heat tolerant and require cooler temperatures to fruit.
  • Pioppino mushrooms are slow to pin.

Harvesting your mushrooms:

Harvest pioppino mushrooms when first veil breaks. Remove entire cluster with care to minimize breaking and then trim away substrate. Shelf life can be prolonged by harvesting your pioppinos early, before the veil breaks.

Growing different blocks together:

With some compromise, many different species of mushrooms can be grown together in a fruiting chamber. First, consider the temperature range of the mushrooms you desire to grow, and second, the CO2 sensitivity. Humidity ranges overlap for the majority of species. We encourage you to experiment with many different groupings!

Troubleshooting:

Having issues with unusual growth, stunted growth, or no growth at all? Refer to pages 16-18 in our fruiting block instruction booklet.

Temp, Humidity, & C02 Guide

Temperature 55-65°F  |  13-18°C
Humidity (Phase 1: Primordia)95-100%
Humidity (Phase 2: Fruitbody)85-95%
CO2 Sensitivity (Phase 1: Primordia)<2,000 ppm
CO2 Sensitivity (Phase 2: Fruitbody)<2,000 ppm

  • Primordia -  The earliest recognizable stage of fruitbody development. Also known as “baby mushrooms” or “mushroom pins.”
  • Fruitbody - A fully grown mushroom, the reproductive structure of the organism in which the spores are produced.
  • CO2 sensitivity - When CO2 levels are too high, yields will decrease, stems will become long and stringy, caps will be small, and/or growth will halt.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Fruiting block kits are mushroom grow kits, but tend to be larger (5 lbs) and some require a bit more care depending on species. Instead of boxes, they are bagged. We recommend growing them in a fruiting chamber such as a monotub or martha tent set up like our BoomRoom. A controlled environment will produce the best results for the fruiting blocks. And, since these kits are slightly larger, they can produce more mushrooms than our Spray & Grow Kits.

Oyster mushrooms and lion's mane mushroom fruiting block kits are great for beginners because they are reliable producers and require the least amount of effort. Reishi is also great because the mushroom grows in the unopened bag (no special care or fruiting chamber required!)

All kits should grow a minimum of one flush of mushrooms, but with a little patience and skill you can often get a second or third flush depending on the species! After you’ve harvested your first flush of mushrooms, remove any growth from the block and follow these instructions:

⮕ If you have a martha tent or an automated fruiting chamber, leave the humidity and fan running and wait about 2 weeks for new pins to begin forming.

⮕ If you are using a monotub or non-autmated fruiting chamber, open 2x daily and spray blocks generously with water. Try not to expose the blocks for too long to decrease chances of contamination.

⮕ If you don't have a monotub, martha tent, or fruiting chamber cover the block with a humidity tent made from a large plastic grocery bag with LOTS of small, quarter-sized holes. Remove the humidity tent 2x daily and spray blocks generously with water.

Be patient: It's totally normal for it to take longer for mushrooms to appear with each subsequent fruiting. However, if there's no progress after two weeks, it’s a good idea to soak your block.

Soaking your block: Take your block out of the bag and soak in a bowl of cool water. Most species only need to soak for 20 minutes. However, only soak your lion's mane block for 5-10 minutes as these blocks tend to break apart if soaked for too long. After soaking, let the block drain by leaving it cut side down for another 10 minutes or tip it around to let extra water run off. You don't want to leave standing water in your bag, so pat your block dry with a towel before placing it back in the bag.

Note: Shiitake blocks should not be placed back in the bag.

For most species, you should leave the block in the bag for the entire duration of the growing cycle. However, there are some exceptions.

⮕ Shiitake should be removed from the bag before going into the fruiting chamber.

⮕ Nameko should have most of the top of the bag cut off (leaving about 4" of plastic above the block) before going into the fruiting chamber.

Our fruiting block kits are made from sawdust blocks that have been amended with substrate supplements.

Cluster of brown-capped mushrooms with long, light-colored stems against a white background.

Backed by Our 100% Grow Guarantee

Every kit comes with our 100% Guarantee: You’ll get your first flush of mushrooms, or we’ll make it right. With over 350,000 happy growers, North Spore is trusted by hobbyists, chefs, and mycologists alike.

Reviews

  • 5 stars: 16 (94%)
  • 4 stars: 1 (6%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
S
Shawn Miller
Fantastic Fruiting Block

Thank you NorthSpore for this wonderful Pioppino fruiting block! I wasn’t quite ready to open the block for fruiting when I received it. I had to wait 4 months, refrigerated, before the opportunity presented to cut the bag open. Wow, I had a 24oz first flush and an 18oz second flush with no issues. Thanks for always backing up your product.

Shawn Miller review photo
C
Casey Nichols
Block looks great!

I’ve never grown pioppino before and am very excited to try it. My block showed up with my BoomrBin today and it is very well colonized and I can’t wait for some of this heat to cool off to get it going!

Thanks for sharing your review! Wishing you the best of luck with your block and a great harvest ahead!

J
John B
Fun & Delicious

These were fun to grow and flushed quickly. Upon harvest they were easy to do so from the fruiting block once two vertical cuts were made to access the top of the block. A small portion taste test revealed absolute deliciousness! Hints of pepper, nutty, umami.

The plan is to pan fry some with a brisket this evening as a side with garlic and shallots.

Next up is to add them to a lasagna recipe my wife came up with.

We're looking forward to chowing them down and for the second flush!

C
Christina
Quick growers!

I started them about a week ago - they pinned within a few days, and were just starting to really grow when I left for an overnight trip yesterday. This is what I came back to (from about 1/2" tall!)

Wow, Christina! They look amazing! Thank you for sharing.

J
Jason Keene
They’re great

I love them must buy

We're glad you enjoyed them, Jason! Thanks for the review.

J
Jason Keene
Good stuff

Mushrooms grew great. I love them.

So great to hear, Jason!

S
Scott
Quick to pin, and a great harvest!

This fruiting block produced a bunch of delicious Pioppino! Quick to pin, and no shortage of big delicious mushrooms. Working on a second flush at the moment!

Wow Scott, what a beautiful grow! Thank you so much for sharing!

X
Xiang
Pioppino fruiting block

These pioppino are absolutely amazing, and grow very full! I saw pining happened after i let it sit art a temperature between 20-30 degrees, and 2 days later it was almost full of pining. This was my harvest after it was done growing.

Wow Xiang! What a beautiful harvest! Thank you so much for sharing.

M
Maline
Getting there

I used the automated Monotub to grow these pioppinos; it took about 3 weeks for this harvest. They were very tasty.
I hope I will be able to be better at this. I guess practice makes perfect.

Wow Maline, thanks so much for sharing your amazing Pioppino grow with us. It really is an amazing journey, and there are always new things to learn. Don't hesitate to reach out if you ever need anything!

M
Martti Putkonen
Lots

Got a wonderfully large second fruiting

Congrats on the harvest, Martti! We appreciate your business.

L
Lisa A
Very Excited About This One

I ran into a few issues with this fruiting block but thanks to customer service I was able to have some success with this grow. From pin to flush was about 6 days. This is my first time trying pioppino and already have recipes lined up.

Thanks for the great review, Lisa! Our team is here to help if you ever need anything.

J
James
Very Pleased

My first experience with pioppino, and very pleased with the results. A little slow to pin, and slower growing than the oysters and chestnuts I'm accustomed to, but that blessing allowed me to harvest them in their prime, before veil break. I harvested large mushrooms over two and a half inches in diameter with veils intact! Cheers to North Spore, The only place I deal with, and the best customer service team you'll find anywhere!

We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, James! Our team is here if you need anything.

D
David
Heavy producer, easy to fruit, and tastey.

My mom bought me this kit for my birthday last year and it was a hit. It did well in my DIY fruiting chamber, and I was able to taste the famous Piopinno for the first time.

They remind me of a milder shiitake with a more delicate texture. They hold up similarly through long cooking sessions but give up all their flavor to the broth.

Very versatile culinary mushroom from an easy to grow kit.

B
Brandise Wilkins
Fantastic Experience

I bought this block with limited knowledge. The instructions were clear and I saw pins in a very short time. Everyone in the house had a great time watching them grow. I wrote to customer service for help on what the mushrooms should look like when they were ready to harvest. They were very helpful and I am confident that this company takes great care of all their customers. Will buy from them again!

B
Brandise
Loved This!

This kit was really fun. These mushrooms changed so rapidly I was amazed. I wasn’t sure when to harvest them so I wrote to customer service here. Louis Giller responded promptly with great advice. He even asked me to send an additional photo the next day to verify that they were ready to harvest. This company really cares about the satisfaction of their customers and the quality of their products.

N
Norene
Forms a wonderful canopy of delicious mushrooms.

My experience with these were awesome grew in 95% humidity to form pins then dropped it to 88% for harvest with plenty of fresh air exchanges. The mushrooms were gorgeous and these are some of my favorite tasting mushrooms. They go great with Pasta and I even pickled some. Highly recommend growing this variety if you can.

d
diligentJim
Pin city

I was astonished to see just how many fruits were growing off this block. I top fruited it, but pins were busting through on all sides and just growing like crazy. Clearly, the genetics of this strain is quite good. I had this block in a climate-controlled fruiting chamber, which definitely helped it grow so abundantly. If you are trying to fruit this without a humidity dome/bag or something like that, I would not expect results similar to mine. It's on the second flush right now, and I expect many more mushrooms off this block. They do advise you that it may take 2-3 weeks for them to ship it out. I understand why there is a delay, but I wish it didn't take that long. I gave it 4 stars only because it took exactly 3 weeks for it to ship after I placed the order, which, to be fair, was *just* within their estimate. If it only took 2 weeks to ship, I would give them a fat 5 stars.