About North Spore
North Spore has the knowledge, tips, and supplies to help you grow fantastic spores and mushrooms. They have a knowledgeable team of mycological pros to help you throughout the fungi journey, from preparation all the way to harvest.
The brand has received spotlight features in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Seattle Times, One Green Planet, Heavy, Money Control, and other notable publications. They have sprouted a following of 14k on Facebook and a colony of 43k mushroom lovers on Instagram.
This North Spore review will do some digging on the brand and find out what customers have to say about them and their best-selling products. We’ll also fill you in on discounts to help you decide if their mushroom growing kits are worth checking out.
Overview of North Spore
Friends and founders John Carver, Eliah Thanhauser, and Matt McInnis created North Spore out of a shared passion for mushrooms. The trio’s love for the friendly fungi grew over the years, transforming into a desire to share what they had learned with the world.
North Spore’s mission “is to make the world of mushrooms accessible to all, fostering innovation and collaboration to improve tomorrow.”
Their team of skilled mycologists grows every single last one of the spawn the company uses and sells. The brand proudly stands by their product, guaranteeing quality and fruitful results. They are also very active in promoting anti-racism in their company and the community.
The brand’s headquarters are located in Westbrooke, Maine, where they grow their spawn and ship it to mushroom enthusiasts across the country. Now that you know the brand’s roots, this North Spore review will take a quick look at their pros and cons:
Pros
- Provides an affordable variety of mushroom growing kits, as well as dried mushroom and wellness products
- Detailed information and tips available on how to get the best results possible with your kits
- Customers say their kits work and produce great results, and also report great customer service
- Save up to 25% when you buy in bulk
- Spin to Win 10% off, 5% off, or free shipping
- The brand offers a Spore Rewards program
- Ships products (other than North Spore grow kits and spawn) internationally
- 30-Day refunds
Cons
- Some shoppers reported mold in some of the Boomr Bags and spawn bags
- Cannot ship grow kits and spawn internationally
- No free shipping or returns
How long does mushroom spawn take to grow?
After you’ve inoculated your spawning jars, place them somewhere dark in a temperate (70-80°F) room. In about 14 days you should stay to see white spongy mycelium sprouting from where you treated the soil.
In about 3-4 weeks, your mycelium should have successfully colonized. Leave them to do their thing for another 7 days so they have time to get a full grasp on the substrate.
After that, you will see little white bumps poking their heads out of the surface. Voila, these are your mushrooms! Another 5-12 days and you can pick and enjoy them.
Do spores germinate?
Germination is the process by which a plant develops from a seed or a spore. Spores germinate by way of certain nutrients fixing themselves to receptor proteins that are found within the spore’s inner membrane.
As the nutrients go into the protective layer of the spore coat, germinant mingles with the protein receptor resulting in the germination of the spore.
North Spore is all about helping you get the best mushrooms, no matter which variety you like best. They have a wide selection of mushrooms to choose from and helpful tips to guide you along the way.
The North Spore review will feature an array of mushroom grow kits, different types of spawn, and fertilizer to help the growing process.
North Spore Growing Kits Review
We’ll now feature the brand’s best-selling growing kits to help you grow your own mushrooms. Ahead, you’ll find details on five different kits that the brand offers, from the crowd-favorite Oyster to the lesser-known Pioppino.
North Spore Grow Your Own Golden Oyster Mushrooms Review
Touting an array of health benefits like potentially lowering cholesterol, minimizing tumor size, and reducing arterial plaque, Golden Oyster Mushrooms are a celebrated classic. They have a smooth, simple flavor that is a great addition to poultry but can also stand on their own when seasoned properly.
The North Spore Golden Oyster Mushrooms are ideal for beginners and are said to be one of the easiest to grow. Boasting large and bountiful fruitings, these mushrooms can be continuously cultivated after your first harvest.
In this kit, you’ll find a sawdust block that has been completely colonized with North Spore Oyster Mushroom spawn. Get sprouting and gardening for $28.
North Spore Grow Your Own Pink Oyster Mushrooms Review
Notably high in protein, Pink Oysters are the star of a light and heart-healthy meal.
Known and loved for their tumor and cholesterol-reducing properties, some say these mushrooms taste like ham. If you’re into the whole ham thing, you cook these mushrooms until the water is drained and they become firm for a similar texture.
Before you eat your mushrooms, you’ll need to grow them first. The Grow Your Own Pink Oyster Mushrooms kit comes with a sawdust block covered in mycelium. Follow the instructions and before you know if you will have large vibrant, pink mushrooms to eat to your heart’s content.
Great for beginners, you can grow your own North Spore Pink Oyster Mushrooms for $28.
North Spore Grow Your Own Chestnut Mushrooms Review
If you’re a fan of the sweet, nutty flavor of chestnuts, then this kit is going to be a home run for you. These mushrooms are said to be easy to grow, but they’re not the easiest to get subsequent fruitings out of.
These North Spore chestnut mushrooms like cooler temperatures, so don’t keep them in the kitchen. Antimicrobial and cancer-fighting, chestnut mushrooms have a meaty texture and look similar to a button mushroom.
Get cultivating with the Grow Your Own Chestnut Mushrooms kit for $28.
North Spore Grow Your Own Pioppino Review
The Pioppino mushroom is wonderful for anyone who is an experienced grower. Not just with mushrooms, but plants in general. Taking the time to pay attention to plants and knowing what they need to fruit is an asset when growing Pioppino.
The mushrooms in this North Spore mushroom grow kit like a cool, humid climate and the brand recommends a humidity tent for proper moisture.
With a crunchy meatiness, Pioppino has a delectable taste and a host of health benefits that make them a pleasure to eat. With anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants, these mushrooms are a great diet staple. Boost your health with the Grow Your Own Pioppino kit for $28.
North Spore Grow Your Own King Trumpets Review
If you’re a seafood lover you’ll probably enjoy the abalone-like texture and taste of King Trumpets mushrooms. Packed with B vitamins, these large, delectable fungi are said to be extremely fleshy and would make a great meat replacement for those who struggle with eating veggies.
An intermediate to advanced kit, the Grow Your Own King Trumpets can be temperamental, possibly drying out or restricting growth if they don’t have the right humid environment. Put your green thumb to the test for $28.
North Spore Grain Spawn Review
North Spore grain spawn comes in 5.5lb bags with a variety of growing times depending on the type. For the serious fungi-lover, these spawn produce a ton of mushrooms, so be sure to have the right kind of space available.
Next, this North Spore review will feature the brand’s best-selling spawn, including the crowd-pleasing Blue Oyster sawdust spawn and the advanced Pioppino grain spawn.
North Spore Blue Oyster Mushroom Sawdust Spawn Review
These Blue Oyster Mushrooms really rock. Easy to grow and quick to colonize, this North Spore Mushroom log kit creates a hazy gray-blue mushroom field over 10+ logs.
These kits are for anyone who wants a ton of mushrooms and wants them fast. The spawn come in 5.5lb bags along with a guide on how to properly care for them.
As for colonization, you’re looking at 4-12 months, but keep an eye on these blue guys as they like spring and fall and may not fruit if the weather isn’t right for them.
The mushrooms provide several health benefits like reduced cholesterol, all while having a meaty texture and a seafood-like taste. The Blue Oyster Mushroom Sawdust Spawn is $25.
Interested in other log kits? Check out North Spore Mushroom Plugs for Shitake mushrooms.
North Spore Wine Cap Mushroom Sawdust Spawn Review
Wine Cap mushrooms are like your generic nature-lovers: they like sitting around the edge of a shady tree or mingling with perennials in your backyard garden.
When you cook these mushrooms, they take on an earthy wine flavor with potato-like notes, almost like a delicious vegetarian boeuf bourguignon.
The best time to grow the Wine Cap Mushroom Sawdust Spawn is in the spring where it can take just two months to come to fruition. From there they keep fruiting for years to come. A wonderful choice for beginner growers, a bag of this spawn is $25.
North Spore Pioppino Mushroom Grain Spawn Review
A tricky but rewarding mushroom to grow, Pioppino is described as “snappy-stalked mushrooms with velvety brown caps.”
For the advanced grower, the Pioppino Mushroom Grain Spawn grows well indoors in cool temperatures but needs humidity to be at its best.
When cooked, the Pioppino’s stalk gets crunchy, while the cap takes on a firm texture and nutty flavor. Packed with antioxidants, this mushroom spawn is $30.
If you’re looking for an even more advanced grow, try the experimental and temperamental North Spore Morel Spores.
North Spore ‘Boomr Bag’ Manure Based Sterile Substrate 5lb Review
Yielding a good crop starts with the right soil. Your spawn will need something to feed off of during germination, and the Boomr Bag has the stuff it craves.
The brand urges customers to let their North Spore mushroom substrate sit for 1-2 weeks to ensure it wasn’t compromised when transported.
Store your Boomr Bag Manure Based Sterile Substrate 5lb at room temperature where it can last for a few months. Help your mushrooms be their best for $25.
North Spore Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
This North Spore review combed the web to find helpful customer reviews that shed light on the brand and their products.
Ahead, you’ll find customer reviews sourced from the brand’s website, Reddit, and Amazon, all mentioning some of the pros and cons of their grow kits and accessories.
Northspore.com proved helpful in highlighting important details about some of the brand’s best sellers. All of the North Spore products we looked at were rated at 4.9/5 stars and above:
- The Boomr Bag was rated an average of 4.9/5 stars by almost 250 reviewers
- Grow Your Own Wine Cap Mushrooms are rated 4.9/5 stars from over 75 buyers
- Grow your Own Pink Oyster Mushrooms received 4.9/5 stars from over 40 customers
- Grow Your Own Golden Oyster Mushrooms are rated 5/5 stars out of over 60 reviews
The reviews for The Boomr Bag did not disappoint, with many reporting on its effectiveness and high quality: “Colonizes very quickly so you know the mushrooms like it,” and “reliable timesavers made with care and…quality ingredients.”
These bags of fertilizer appear to work wonders, and other customers continue to tell of the quality of products and service they receive from North Spore.
A negative North Spore review is hard to find, but there are a few issues with the Boomr Bags and the occasional mold that comes with them.
One review reads, “of the many bags I have ordered, only one arrived with some mold growth which I had to dispose of.” Thankfully, the rest of the commentary was extremely positive.
We came across a North Spore review Reddit thread that revealed an instance of a buyer receiving moldy spores from the company. Other users chimed in with their personal positive experiences when they had such issues.
One Redditor said, “Ran into the same thing, they refunded both my bags.” Others spoke to the quality of the brand, writing, “I’ve been buying from them for a while now never had that happen b4! They will definitely refund you or replace your bag! Great people!”
Understandably, items like spores can get moldy during shipping, but the response from North Spore shows us how helpful their customer service is.
Before we move on to the next section of this North Spore review, we want to give you one more example from Amazon. The Grow Your Own Lion’s Mane Mushrooms kit is awarded 4.5/5 stars from 263 buyers.
73% of Amazon customers rated this kit as 5/5 stars, reporting quick and numerous harvests, as well as its simple set-up. Other buyers write of the quality of the mushrooms and their great taste, overall signaling that this kit is a winner.
As with anything, we know it can’t always be all good, so we checked out the 7% of 1-star reviews to see what kind of issues this kit has.
As expected, mold is the number one issue. Considering mushrooms are what they are (a fungus that requires humidity and bacteria to thrive) this isn’t too surprising.
From what we’ve learned from customers, the positives far outweigh the negatives. The largest complaint is mold, but North Spore has simple solutions for that: great customer service and a solid refund policy.
Is North Spore Worth It?
Sometimes you just get a good feeling about a company. That’s what reviews are for, to give you a heads up about anything that seems iffy about the company you want to buy from. To us, North Spore appears to be an overall solid company.
We like the responsiveness of their customer service team and the reputation they have among customers. Solid customer service is the foundation of a steady, reliable brand, and that’s the picture we’re getting from our North Spore review.
The brand’s products are affordable, but they also have ways for customers to save money and a good return policy for any items that didn’t meet their needs. In general, North Spore seems like a good company that wants to make their customers happy.
If you have a concern with your order, just reach out to them and they’ll do their best to meet your request if possible. Whether you’re new to growing mushrooms or a seasoned grower, we believe North Spore’s products are worth the buy.
North Spore Promotions & Discounts
This North Spore review is happy to report on the following promotions,
- Spin to Win 10% off, 5% off, or free shipping
- The Spore Rewards program lets you accumulate points or ‘spores’ to redeem for rewards
- Save up to 25% when you buy in bulk
Where to Buy North Spore
You can buy the full selection of North Spore products directly from northspore.com. Some products can also be found on Amazon.
FAQ
What is North Spore’s Shipping Policy?
The brand exclusively ships their spore and mushroom grow kits to the US and Canada. Everything other than North Spore mushroom growing supplies, such as dried mushrooms, t-shirts, and wellness products ship internationally.
Normally, shipping times to US customers are about 3-5 business days. Keep in mind that some spawn kits can take 2-3 weeks to produce, as North Spore is actually growing the spawn to ship to you. Shipping prices are calculated based on location at checkout.
To make sure your order doesn’t get stuck in the post office over the weekend (where it may mold), choose a shipping option that guarantees delivery before the weekend.
If you’d rather pick up your order just choose ‘Contactless Pick-up’ at checkout.
What is North Spore’s Return Policy?
You can return your North Spore products within 30 days of purchase as long as they are unused. Be advised that you will need to pay for the return shipping. To make a return, fill out the Return Form on the brand’s official website. You’ll need to include the following information,
- Name, Email, Order Number
- Batch/Lot Number
- Items that you want to return or place
- Specify if you would like a replacement, return, or replacement
- Let them know why you want to return your item(s)
How to Contact North Spore
We hope that you found what you came looking for in this North Spore review, but if you have a specific question for the company not answered here, you can shoot them an email at info@northspore.com or live chat with them on the official website.
Their customer service hours are Monday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm EST.
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