Mushrooms: Nature's Magical And Mystical Delights

Mushrooms are fungi, and their growth process is unique and fascinating. Unlike other produce, mushrooms require highly controlled environments and sterile conditions to grow. The process often begins in a laboratory, where spores are inoculated into a growing medium, which can be natural or synthetic. Mushrooms thrive in substrates rich in organic matter, and their growth can be manipulated through environmental adjustments. They require adequate moisture, temperature, and limited light, and their growing cycle is typically six weeks. The most common method for growing mushrooms commercially is the use of large plastic bags filled with sterilised sawdust and wood chips, although this method produces significant plastic waste. Mushrooms can also be grown on logs or in bottles, containers, or bags, and they are harvested by hand.

Mushrooms are fungi, not plants

Although mushrooms are commonly thought of as vegetables due to their culinary uses, they are not a part of the plant kingdom. Mushrooms are fungi, and they belong to their own distinct kingdom.

The classification of mushrooms as plants or vegetables is a centuries-old misconception that can be traced back to the father of modern taxonomy, Carl Linnaeus. Linnaeus classified living organisms into two categories: animals and plants. This paradigm can be simplified as animals and "not animals," as the category of plants historically represented a diverse group of unrelated organisms. Without the context of evolution, these classifications were based on perceived similarities rather than genetic relatedness.

However, modern molecular evidence reveals that fungi, including mushrooms, are more closely related to animals than plants. Computational and molecular approaches have provided robust evolutionary histories that indicate the distinctness of fungi from plants. Additionally, the absence of chlorophyll in mushrooms, which is essential for food production in plants, further distinguishes them from the plant kingdom.

Fungi have unique characteristics that set them apart from plants and animals. They reproduce using spores, which are asexual reproductive units that are extremely light and small, allowing them to travel on air currents. The process of spore reproduction in mushrooms is distinct from the seed-based reproduction typically associated with plants. Furthermore, the mycelium of a fungus grows into and around its food source, secreting enzymes for external digestion, and then absorbs the nutrients, demonstrating a unique mode of nutrient acquisition.

The misclassification of mushrooms as plants has had significant implications. It has influenced how we understand, support, and engage with these organisms. The pairing of fungi with plants has led to challenges in various fields, including botany and mycology, underscoring the importance of accurate taxonomic classifications.

They require sterile conditions to grow

Mushrooms are fungi and require different conditions to grow than plants. They are grown in highly controlled environments, and the entire process starts in a laboratory. Mushrooms require sterile conditions to grow. The spores, or natural seeds of the mushroom, are too tiny for a person to handle. Therefore, lab personnel inoculate sterile cereal grains with the spores and incubate them until they develop into a viable product. These grains become \"spawn\", which can then be sown like a seed.

The basic growing medium for mushroom production is called a substrate. Two types of starting material are generally used for mushroom substrate: synthetic compost consisting of wheat or rye straw, hay, crushed corn cobs, cottonseed meal, cocoa shells, and gypsum, or manure-based compost made from stable bedding from horse stables or poultry litter. This process converts plant and animal products into a mixture of decayed organic matter that is necessary for growing mushrooms.

Specialty mushrooms like Shiitake, Oyster, Maiitake, and Enoki are grown differently from common white and brown button mushrooms. They are often grown on logs or in bags. The process of inoculating logs requires mycelium (spawn) to be placed inside the growing medium, whether natural or synthetic, and then climate-controlled (temperature, humidity, light, and air). The ideal growing conditions for mushrooms are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and greater than 90% humidity. Natural logs work well, and oaks and maples serve as the best hosts. For natural logs, it is best to use freshly cut logs so that they haven't dried out.

Mushrooms can also be grown indoors on shelves, making them popular with urban farmers. Warehouses, former industrial spaces, and even basements can become mushroom farms. Large plastic bags filled with sterilized sawdust and wood chips are often used to grow mushrooms. These bags retain moisture and help replicate natural conditions.

They can be grown on logs, in bags, or in beds

Mushrooms are fungi and require different conditions to grow than plants. They can be grown on logs, in bags, or in beds. Specialty mushrooms like Shiitake, Oyster, Maiitake, and Enoki are grown differently than common white and brown button mushrooms. The process of inoculating logs requires mycelium (spawn) to be placed inside the growing medium, whether natural or synthetic, and then climate-controlled. Oaks and maples are the best hosts for natural logs, which should be newly cut so they haven't dried out. Synthetic logs are bagged mixes of sawdust, millet, rye, and water to feed the mycelium.

The most common method for growing mushrooms is inside large plastic bags filled with sterilized sawdust and wood chips. These bags retain moisture and help replicate natural conditions. However, this method produces a lot of plastic waste and requires a lot of energy for sterilization and climate maintenance.

Mushrooms can also be grown in traditional beds filled with sterilized sawdust and compost. Garden beds full of compost are the perfect medium for growing Nameko mushrooms.

The growing cycle for mushrooms is six weeks. The first three weeks are spent growing the vegetative part of the fungus, called the mycelium, which is like the roots. The last three weeks are spent picking mushrooms and letting them grow to pick again. After the first three weeks, the temperature in the growing room is dropped below 20 degrees Celsius to signal the spawn to develop a fruit body (mushroom) and drop spores.

Mushrooms grow quickly, doubling in size in 24 hours

Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and they can grow very quickly. In fact, they can double in size within 24 hours. This rapid growth is due to several factors. Firstly, mushrooms are specially adapted to reproduce and disperse their spores, which are the offspring of fungal reproduction. These spores can grow into new fungal mycelia if they settle in a suitable environment with the right nutrients.

Mushrooms have gills, which are specialised ridges that house and protect their spores. The gills produce a fine rain of powdery spores that fall and can be dispersed to a new location. This is similar to the way that plants produce seeds, which then grow in favourable conditions.

Another factor contributing to their rapid growth is the presence of special intra-cellular "rails" or proteins. These structures enable the efficient transport of necessary growth materials to the tip of the hyphae, which are thread-like strands of mycelium. As a result, fungi can extend their hyphae by fractions of an inch or several millimetres per day.

Additionally, mushrooms grow well in humid environments with controlled temperatures. For example, oyster mushrooms incubate at 24°C (75°F) and fruit between 20-30°C (68-86°F). Increasing humidity can promote faster growth, but it is important to balance this with the risk of bacterial infection and mould.

When growing mushrooms, it is essential to select the appropriate substrate, which can vary depending on the species. Straw, for instance, provides a fast-growing medium due to its particle size and structure, allowing the mycelium to spread rapidly. Other substrates include sawdust, wood chips, wood pellets, and even coffee grounds, coco coir, or cardboard for certain species like oyster mushrooms.

They require adequate moisture, temperature, and limited light

Mushrooms are fungi and require entirely different conditions to grow than plants. They require adequate moisture, temperature, and limited light.

Mushrooms thrive in substrates rich in organic material. The ideal growing conditions for mushrooms are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and greater than 90% humidity. Mushrooms don't require sunlight and can be grown indoors, making them popular with urban farmers. Warehouses, former industrial spaces, and even basements can become excellent mushroom farms.

The growing cycle for mushrooms is six weeks. The first three weeks are spent growing the vegetative part of the fungus, called the mycelium, which is similar to roots. During this stage, the mycelium fully permeates the substrate, which can be a natural or synthetic growing medium. Synthetic substrates are made from bagged mixes of sawdust, millet, rye, and water to keep feeding the mycelium. Natural substrates include garden beds filled with sterilized sawdust and compost.

After the first three weeks, the temperature in the growing room is dropped below 20 degrees Celsius to signal the spawn to develop a fruit body (mushroom) and release its spores. Mushrooms can double in size in 24 hours and are typically harvested by hand after four days.

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