Swordbelt Mushroom Grow Kit
Scientific Name: Agrocybe aegerita

Skill Level: Intermediate

Growing Time: Colonisation ~2–4 weeks; pins 20 days after induction; harvest 6–10 days after pinset

Shelf Life: fresh fruit 3–7 days

Ideal Fruiting Temp: 10°C – 18°C

Swordbelt takes 1 month to fruit from date of inoculation and will not fruit, if they are not grown at colder temperature.

Yield: Moderate — commonly 1–2 flushes, ~600g-800g

Fruiting Orientation: Top

Flushes : Once, subsequent flush are poor if at all.

Brand-Your kits made with Unicorn grow bags, USA

Unicorn is the only bag in the world that has been tested by Eurofins, a third party lab in Europe and passed the stringent EN 1186, and USFDA 1520 for plastic migration into the substrate (Microplastic). Unicorn PP bags was tested at the highest levels of 121 C for 3.5 hours.  No PE bags or other manufacturers’ PP bags have achieved this important food safety criteria.
Lead time (mentioned in the listing above “add to cart” button) means time it takes to prepare this order. Product in stock does not mean its ready to send out, it means it can be prepared in the lead time mentioned.

Swordbelt (Pioppino) Grow Kit — Elegant & Meaty

Agrocybe aegerita (also called Pioppino, Black Poplar, Brown Swordbelt or Poplar mushroom) prefers a distinct workflow: incubate at a warmer mycelial temperature and then induce fruiting by lowering temperature into the 10–18 °C window. Pins often appear within 2–5 days of induction and expand rapidly, most kits produce harvestable clusters about 6–10 days after pinning. This block-to-harvest speed, combined with a meaty texture and savory flavor, makes Pioppino a favourite for chefs and home growers alike.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rushing induction: Initiating fruiting before full colonisation often causes poor pinset.
Poor humidity control: Pioppino needs very high RH for primordia; low humidity aborts pins (Very Important!)
Insufficient airflow: Lack of fresh-air exchange can yield malformed caps and overly long stems.(Long stems are formed because mushrooms are trying to reach for air).
💡 Tip: Aim for a warm colonisation (22–27 °C) and then a distinct cool induction into 10–18 °C for reliable, high-quality pioppino clusters.

What if pins form inside the bag?
Don’t worry. Ignore the internal pins. Gently fold the top of the bag to push out excess air, cut a small X in the side of the bag where you want the mushrooms to grow, and begin misting that spot daily. The internal pins will be naturally aborted as they don’t have space to grow.

Want to Learn More?
This kit introduces you to Stage 3: Fruiting — the final step in mushroom growing. To explore all three stages (from spores to harvest), check out our Educational Mushroom Growing Kit.

Checkout all our Spray and grow kits.

Checkout out our fine Misting Spray Bottle to produce tiny droplets and keep humidity high. The size of droplets formed can easily be evaporated , this constant evaporation signals mycelium to pin.

Could not fruit the bag, or was it contaminated? Send us a photo or call us, and we will help you resolve the issue.