he cycle goes like this: first stage is composting for 6 to 14 days. Second stage involves the pasturization / heat sterilization for about 2 hours. Spawning and growth is the third stage, and takes 14 to 21 days at 75° to 80° degrees Fahrenheit. Any cooler, and growth is slowed, and hotter and the mycelia can be damaged. When the mycelium has propagated and grown through the whole compost layer at about 13 to 20 days a cap of peat moss is added. Pinning (the earliest formation of what we recognize as mushrooms) occurs at 18 to 21 days. Harvesting is repeated over 7 to 10 day cycles, and after three flushes the process begins all over again.