North Spore
At a glance
- Categories
- Spawn, Kits, Equipment, Cultures, Substrate
- Ships to
- United States, Canada
- Price range
- Premium ($$$)
- Shipping speed
- Same-day fulfillment for most orders
- Free shipping
- Orders over $150
- Founded
- 2014
Who it’s best for#
North Spore is where most home growers start, and a supplier many stick with as they advance. If you want a single source that covers everything — kits, spawn, cultures, substrate, grow bags, and equipment — this is it. Their product range scales with you: from your first spray-and-grow kit up to named-strain plate cultures for agar work. Growers who value organic certification, reliable same-day shipping, and strong documentation for each product will find North Spore worth the premium.
What they do well#
The education library is the real differentiator. Their grow guides and video content cover nearly every species and technique in their catalog, so buying from North Spore comes with a support ecosystem that budget suppliers don’t offer. The USDA-certified organic certification on all spawn is meaningful if you’re growing for sale or take provenance seriously.
Their strain depth goes well beyond the usual gourmet trio. Liquid culture syringes cover 20+ species at $19.99 each. Plate cultures ($74.99) offer named strain codes across a wide range — useful if you’re isolating or building a culture library. Few direct-to-consumer suppliers offer this tier at all.
Where they fall short#
You’ll pay a premium for the polish. Grain spawn runs $22.99 per 3lb bag versus $18.95 for a comparable size at Out-Grow — a meaningful difference if you’re inoculating at volume. The trade-off is organic certification, consistent sterility, and the education ecosystem behind each product. If you already know your way around a flow hood and are optimizing for cost per bag, better value exists elsewhere.
Popular items also go out of stock frequently. North Spore’s demand consistently outpaces supply on certain species, so if you’re planning a grow around a specific strain, check availability before building your timeline around it.