When to Harvest Magic Mushrooms — Timing, Potency and What Happens If You Pick Too Late

When should you harvest magic mushrooms from a magic mushroom grow kit? Pick too soon and the mushrooms will not have reached their full potential. However, pick too late and the whole substrate is covered with black spores. Timing is therefore everything.

When do I harvest magic mushrooms?

The best time to harvest magic mushrooms from your grow kit is just before the veil breaks. Typically, veil breaking happens between 5 and 12 days after the first mushroom pins pop up from the substrate.

This time range is broad because the maturing speed of magic mushrooms can vary. For instance, differences in strain, humidity, temperature and fresh air all play a role.

Why harvest just before the veil breaks?

The veil is a thin membrane that connects the cap to the stem and covers the gills. When the mushroom matures, the veil tears open and exposes the gills underneath. As a result, the mushroom starts releasing spores to reproduce.

Once released, these spores will cover the other mushrooms and the substrate beneath them. This is not harmful to the mushrooms or the substrate. Even so, the potency of the mushroom decreases slightly when you delay harvesting past the spore release.

What happens if you pick too late?

Your mushrooms will not be ruined. However, you will lose some quality. Here is what actually happens when you miss the ideal harvest window.

Potency drops per gram

Research and experienced cultivators suggest that psilocybin production peaks around the time the veil breaks. After that point, the mushroom keeps growing and absorbing water — but it stops producing more psilocybin. Consequently, you end up with a bigger, heavier mushroom that is weaker per gram of dried weight. In other words, you get more mass but not more effect.

Everything turns black from spores

Once the cap opens fully, the gills release millions of dark purple-black spores. As a result, these spores settle on neighbouring mushrooms, the substrate, and the inside of your grow kit. While they are not toxic, the black layer looks messy and also makes the mushrooms harder to clean before drying.

Mature mushrooms hold more water

Over-mature mushrooms absorb extra moisture and therefore become softer and more fragile when you pick them. In addition, they take longer to dry properly. Because good drying is essential to prevent mold during storage, wetter mushrooms require extra care and attention.

Do spores ruin future flushes?

Good news: a spore drop does not ruin your substrate. Many experienced growers have confirmed that even a heavy layer of spores on the substrate does not prevent future flushes from growing. Your next flush may look a bit different because of the dark-coloured surface. Nevertheless, new pins will still appear.

Quick reference: harvest timing

Making spore prints and syringes

This is more advanced, but it is interesting to know that you can make your own spore prints. In fact, you could put your own cultivation process independently on an infinite loop.

If you want to make a spore print or a spore syringe, then it is important to harvest before the spores are released. The spores need to be conserved for further cultivation. The best time to pick mushrooms for a spore print is when the cap has opened and flattened into the shape of an umbrella. Usually, this happens on the same day or in the next few days after the veil has broken.

For a more detailed walkthrough, also check out our guide on how to use a spore print and how to prepare spores for microscopy.

Too small for harvest?

"Should I pick the small mushroom together with the big ones? Or should I wait?" — This is a very frequently asked question.

What you can do is simply pick the mushrooms that are big enough first. Then, let the smaller ones mature for another couple of days.

But keep a close eye on your grow kit! Growth goes rapidly at this stage. Even one night away might be enough to find your mushrooms completely covered in spores. If some mushrooms seem to have stopped growing entirely, they may be aborts — read more about what to do with those.

How to pick the magic mushrooms

We have covered the picking of magic mushrooms in a separate blog post. The basic strategy is to twist and pull. To make it even easier, we also created video instructions for harvesting mushrooms:

After the harvest

Once your fresh mushrooms are harvested, the next step is drying them correctly. Learn how to dry and store your magic mushrooms so they stay potent for months. Moreover, if your grow kit shows signs of contamination after harvesting, address it before soaking for the next flush.