Grown indoors, each kit is one square foot. Ideal for growing on a counter or table. Making it easy to harvest and care for. Written instructions included. Online help is available. Mushrooms are unique. The farm owners encourage you to reach out to them if you have any questions at any point in time. This beginners kit comes with comprehensive instructions (including links to online instructions which include photos and videos to aid you on your growing journey), colonized growing medium block and the casing layer you mix and apply to the block. The box the kit is shipped in becomes its growing chamber. You provide items found around the home. A small lightweight cotton cloth such as: cotton muslin, old t-shirt material or an old dish towel and spritz bottle. The mycelium within the kit is alive and growing. As such the kit needs to be treated like any living plant. Open the box upon arrival and follow the instructions included. Keep your eyes on them! Mushrooms double in size every 24 hours! So much fun to watch! Makes a Terrific Science project. Great for the Classroom too! From pre-K through college and beyond. All fruits and veggies have an ideal fruiting temperature. Agaricus (Button and Portabella) mushrooms have a force fruiting temperature range of 60-68 degrees - with 65 degrees being ideal. Agaricus mushrooms are shy. No direct sunlight. Kits should be kept away from windows and doors. Since March of 2004 Bob and Wendy have been growing mushrooms organically for the Missouri Ozarks and sharing the growing experience with others through kits. The 12" by 12" agaricus (white button or crimini/baby bella) kit weighs about 13/14 lbs. ~ This beginners kit comes with comprehensive instructions (including links to online instructions which include photos and videos to aid you on your growing journey), colonized growing medium block and the casing layer you mix and apply to the block. The box the kit is shipped in converts into its growing chamber. The mycelium within the kit is alive and growing. As such the kit needs to be treated like any living plant. The box needs to be opened upon arrival as it will need to breathe and you are instructed to begin the process within a week of its arrival. You start the process by following the instructions on mixing and applying the casing material provided. The mushrooms begin to emerge from 2-4 weeks after applying the casing as per instructions. Depending on the care given, during the following 3 to 8 weeks after the first flush of mushrooms have matured, mushrooms will be emerging. Typically with harvests every 5-10 days. Be aware that once the mushrooms emerge they double in size every 24 hours! So check your kit every morning and evening! So much fun to watch! Makes a Terrific Science project. Great for the Home School as well as in the Classroom from pre-K through college and beyond. Willow Mountain Mushrooms has been making kits since 2004. They provide detailed instructions to make it fun and easy for you to grow your own Gourmet Mushrooms right on your kitchen counter or table. This makes it easy to care for and harvest your mushrooms. Special Note: All fruits and veggies have an ideal fruiting temperature. Agaricus (Button and Portabella) mushrooms have a force fruiting temperature range of 60-68 degrees - with 65 degrees being ideal. Agaricus mushrooms are shy. They prefer to not be in direct sunlight. So, kits should be kept away from windows and doors. Know your Farmer! Made at Willow Mountain Mushrooms, a small family farm located in the Missouri Ozarks! In 2004, after working for some of the largest commercial mushroom producers in the US since 1981, Bob along with his wife Wendy (& children) went out on their own to establish their mushroom farm. At Willow Mountain Mushrooms they grow & distribute fresh mushrooms within a 100 mile radius and offer kits to share the growing experience with others across the US. If you have Any questions along the way please reach out to Willow Mountain Mushrooms via the email included on the instructions. Mushrooms follow their own unique set of rules. It is not unusual for even a master gardener to need advice. So, do not hesitate to ask. Thank You!