The Copelandia Blue Spring Red Spore grow kit is a ready-to-fruit mushroom kit that gives you a fully colonised 1200ml block of horse dung substrate run through with Panaeolus cyanescens mycelium, plus a cup of topsoil for casing and a grow bag. Despite the name, it is not a spore product: "Red Spore" is part of the strain's name. This page is written for adults aged 18 and over, and the kit is meant for growers who have fruited a kit before.
What Is the Copelandia Blue Spring Red Spore Grow Kit?
BSRS, short for Blue Spring Red Spore, belongs to a Dutch selection line of Panaeolus cyanescens, the species growers still call by its older genus name, Copelandia. The kit arrives with the hard part done: the 1200ml block is already fully colonised, so your work starts at the casing step and ends at the harvest.
The print came into a Dutch breeder's collection already carrying the name, and nobody recorded why. The breeder carried the line forward by selection over several generations, not by raising it from a random print. People who have grown it mention reddish-orange spores and fruit bodies, and blue flecks in the mycelium. Open the bag and the first thing you notice is the smell: earthy and farmyard, the way a horse dung substrate should smell.
Copelandia Blue Spring Red Spore Grow Kit Specifications
| Species | Panaeolus cyanescens (Copelandia) |
| Strain | Blue Spring Red Spore (BSRS), selected Dutch line |
| Block | 1200ml, horse dung, fully colonised |
| In the box | Colonised block, grow bag and a cup of casing topsoil |
| Temperature | 21–26°C |
| Humidity until pinning | 95–100% |
| Humidity while fruiting | 90–95% |
| First pins | 6–11 days after setup |
| Harvest | 5–7 days after pinning |
| Difficulty | For experienced growers |
| SKU | SH0277 |
Complete the setup with a fine-mist spray bottle and a thermometer-hygrometer. Holding 21–26°C and 95% humidity is the whole game with Copelandia, and guessing the humidity by feel rarely works.
What You Need to Grow a Copelandia Grow Kit
Besides the kit itself, you need three things: a misting bottle, clean tap or mineral water, and a bright spot out of direct sunlight. Gloves, a face mask and hand gel help keep the block clean while you case it. A heat mat is only worth it in the colder months, when a Northern European room drops below 21°C overnight.
The casing layer is what sets a Copelandia kit apart from most cubensis kits. The topsoil sits loosely on top of the block, holds moisture and gives the pins a surface to form on. It also changes how you water: Copelandia dislikes water landing directly on its mushrooms, so most of your spraying goes to the casing and the inside of the bag.
How to Grow the Copelandia Blue Spring Red Spore Grow Kit
Setting up the kit takes about ten minutes, and the first pins appear 6 to 11 days later. Work through the steps in this order.
- Wash your hands with soap and water; gloves and alcohol hand gel are better still. A dung substrate punishes dirty fingers.
- Check the block: firm and white with mycelium, with no green or black patches.
- Spread the cup of topsoil evenly over the top of the block and place the kit in the grow bag.
- Wet the topsoil thoroughly, stopping short of soaking it, and mist the inner walls of the bag. Leave enough fresh air in the bag, then close it with a paperclip.
- Once or twice a day, spray the topsoil and the inside of the bag, then squeeze the bag to push out the old air. Both the casing and the bag must stay moist.
- When pins appear after 6 to 11 days, take the kit out of the bag, mist the inner walls of the bag, refresh the air and put the kit back. Avoid spraying the pins themselves.
- Harvest 5–7 days after pinning starts, as described below.
When to Harvest Copelandia Blue Spring Red Spore
Harvest Copelandia later than you would cubensis: 24 to 36 hours after the caps start dropping their black spores. Cubensis growers pick before the veil breaks; with Copelandia, letting the mushrooms mature longer is the better call. To pick, tip each mushroom sideways until its stem breaks off at the base.
With BSRS, the harvest window is also your chance to see the strain's colour. Lay a cap gill-side down on a sheet of white paper next to a sheet of black card, cover it with a glass, and leave it for a few hours. The print shows you the spore colour this line is named for.
Between Flushes
After the first harvest, give the topsoil a heavy soaking from about 10cm away. Some standing water in the kit, 1–2cm, does no harm; tip it out 1–2 days later, and the next flush begins. The bag stays damp, but the young mushrooms stay dry.
If the first flush comes up slowly or small, remove those mushrooms and spray the kit heavily until about 2cm of water stands in it. Within 1–2 days the block usually responds with a fuller crop.
Copelandia Cyanescens Grow Kit Troubleshooting: Blue Mycelium or Mould?
Blue in a Blue Spring Red Spore block is usually the strain, not a problem. The breeder describes blue patches in the mycelium as part of this line's character, and Panaeolus cyanescens also bruises blue wherever it is handled. Mould looks different: fuzzy green, powdery, or black and wet, and it spreads over days.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Blue tint within white mycelium | Strain trait, or bruising from handling | Nothing; carry on |
| No pins after 11 days | Room below 21°C, or casing too dry | Move somewhere warmer, mist more evenly |
| Pale, dry, cracked casing | Casing drying out | Spray until it is evenly dark again |
| Small, slow first flush | Block too dry | Harvest, then fill with about 2cm of water for a day or two |
| Fuzzy or powdery green patch | Mould | Keep the bag closed and don't touch it with bare hands |
Our verdict: if the blue sits inside healthy white growth and stays firm, leave it alone. Photograph the block on day one, so you have something to compare against when you're not sure.
Blue Spring Red Spore vs Other Copelandia Grow Kits
All Copelandia grow kits we carry are the same species on the same 1200ml horse dung block, so you grow them the same way. What differs is the strain.
| Blue Spring Red Spore | Man in Black | Weza | Hawaiian / Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | P. cyanescens | P. cyanescens | P. cyanescens | P. cyanescens |
| Block | 1200ml horse dung | 1200ml horse dung | 1200ml horse dung | 1200ml horse dung |
| Known for | Reddish-orange spores, blue mycelium | Dense clusters of white fruits | Thick stems, flat caps | Classic named varieties |
The verdict: the best Copelandia grow kit for a grower who likes watching the tub change is Blue Spring Red Spore, for its colour, its selected Dutch line and its blue-flecked mycelium. If you want a sturdier, easier-to-handle mushroom, pick Weza; for the classics, Hawaiian or Florida.
One honest limitation: we have been answering grow questions since 1999, and Copelandia asks more of you than a cubensis kit. It wants a warm room, a casing layer kept moist every day and patience at harvest. If this would be your first kit, start with cubensis and come back to BSRS afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Copelandia Blue Spring Red Spore?
It's a selected Dutch line of Panaeolus cyanescens (Copelandia), sold here as a grow kit with a fully colonised 1200ml horse dung block, a grow bag and a cup of casing soil. "Red Spore" is part of the strain name, not a spore product.
How do I grow a Copelandia Blue Spring grow kit?
Case the block with the topsoil, put it in the grow bag, and spray the casing and bag once or twice a day at 21–26°C. Pins appear after 6–11 days and you harvest 5–7 days later.
Are there instructions for the Copelandia Blue Spring grow kit?
Yes, the steps on this page follow the standard Copelandia method: casing, daily misting and airing, and a late harvest 24–36 hours after spores start to drop.
Is the Copelandia Blue Spring grow kit good for beginners?
No. The casing step, the dung substrate and the 21–26°C it needs make it a kit for growers who have fruited at least one kit before.
Why is there blue in my block?
The breeder describes blue patches in the mycelium as typical of this line, and Panaeolus cyanescens bruises blue where touched. Fuzzy green or black wet patches are mould instead.
When should I harvest Copelandia?
Later than cubensis: 24–36 hours after the caps start dropping black spores. Tip each mushroom sideways until its stem breaks off at the base.
Last updated: November 2026
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Medical disclaimer. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before use of any substance.