Emma Wilson
Mushrooms are a fun and nutritious food to grow at home. They are not plants, but rather a unique category of life, more closely related to humans than plants. They are the fruiting bodies of fungi, growing from spores and requiring a growing medium or substrate such as logs, straw, cardboard, or wood chips. Mushrooms thrive in dark, cool, and humid environments, making them a great option for indoor gardening. With the right conditions and some patience, it is possible to successfully cultivate various mushroom species at home.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mushroom type | Button, Lion's Mane, Oyster, Enoki |
| Mushroom lingo | Spores, Spawn, Substrate, Mycelium |
| Mushroom growing kits | Available for beginners, contain everything needed |
| Mushroom growing location | Indoors in a basement, under the sink, or a spot near a window with indirect light |
| Mushroom growing environment | Dark, cool, humid, well-ventilated |
| Mushroom growing medium | Logs, straw, cardboard, wood chips, compost |
| Mushroom growing temperature | 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit, 25 degrees Celsius for Lion's Mane |
| Mushroom growing moisture | High moisture, no standing water, routine spraying |
| Mushroom growing airflow | Yes, some airflow required |
| Mushroom harvesting | Collect mature mushrooms, twist or cut at the base |
| Mushroom storage | Paper bag in the fridge or uncovered container |
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What You'll Learn
- Choose a growing location: Mushrooms prefer dark, cool, and
- Prepare the substrate: Materials like straw, sawdust, or wood chips can be used
- Obtain spores or spawn: These are the tiny fungal 'seeds' that initiate growth
- Provide adequate moisture: Mushrooms require high humidity and frequent misting
- Harvesting: Collect mushrooms when mature, using a twisting or cutting motion
Choose a growing location: Mushrooms prefer dark, cool, and humid environments
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi and can be grown indoors or outdoors. They grow well in dark, cool, and humid environments.
When choosing a location to grow mushrooms, it is important to consider the specific requirements of the mushroom variety. Different mushroom species have different requirements in terms of temperature, light, and humidity. Most mushroom species thrive in a temperature range of 55-75°F (13-24°C), with some species preferring temperatures as high as 80°F. Humidity levels should be high, ideally maintained around 80-95% through regular misting of the growing area. Mushrooms do not require direct sunlight but do need some light to stimulate fruiting. Indirect or low-intensity light is best, as intense light can hinder their growth.
When growing mushrooms outdoors, it is important to identify a shady location that receives indirect light. This can be on the north side of your home, under a large tree or bush, or you can use agricultural shade cloth to create a breathable "humidity tent". The shade cloth helps retain moisture and promotes evaporative cooling. Mushrooms can also benefit from being grown alongside plants, which provide a cool, shady location and can improve soil structure and moisture retention.
When growing mushrooms indoors, it is important to create a controlled environment with optimal temperature and humidity levels. A well-ventilated area is essential to prevent CO2 buildup and provide proper airflow. You can use fans or vents to facilitate proper air circulation. It is also important to monitor the soil temperature and adjust it accordingly, as temperatures higher than 70°F can kill spores.
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Prepare the substrate: Materials like straw, sawdust, or wood chips can be used
Materials like straw, sawdust, or wood chips can be used as a substrate to grow mushrooms. The substrate is the growing medium for mushrooms, which they need to obtain their food from, as they do not create food from light. The substrate in which they grow must provide them with the right mix of nutrients, including sugar, starch, lignin, fats, protein, and nitrogen.
Each type of mushroom typically prefers a specific substrate. For example, button mushrooms need plenty of organic nitrogen to grow, and you can harvest them for up to 6 months. Lion's mane mushrooms, also known as monkey's head mushrooms, need warmer temperatures of 25°C and high humidity. Oyster mushrooms are less picky and will sprout on almost any kind of plant-based material, including cardboard, corn cobs, and toilet paper rolls.
The substrate you choose will depend on the type of mushroom you want to grow and the specific requirements of that variety. You can purchase spores from companies that produce them, but be sure to pick a reputable company with short shipping times to get fresh spores.
In addition to providing the right substrate, it is important to maintain a clean environment to prevent contamination, keep a high moisture level without standing water, and ensure some airflow. Mushrooms thrive in dark, cool, and humid growing environments, typically between 55 and 60 degrees, away from direct heat and drafts.
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Obtain spores or spawn: These are the tiny fungal 'seeds' that initiate growth
To grow organic mushrooms, you'll need to obtain spores or spawn—the tiny fungal seeds that initiate growth. Here's a detailed guide to help you with the process:
Obtaining Spores:
Collecting mushroom spores is a simple process that allows you to grow your own mushrooms. You'll need a bowl, some water, a piece of paper, and a fresh, healthy mushroom. Start by removing the stem from the mushroom and placing the cap, gill side down, onto the paper. Add a drop of water onto the cap and cover it with a bowl. Let it sit for 24 hours. Finally, remove the bowl and cap to reveal the spores. This method works for mushrooms with gills or pores.
Obtaining Spawn:
Spawn is the living fungal culture, called mycelium, grown onto a substrate. It serves as the backbone of any mushroom-growing operation and is often compared to seeds in traditional gardening. Unlike seeds, mushroom spawn is grown from selected genetics and cloned for consistent production of a specific mushroom variety.
Using Spawn to Grow Mushrooms:
If you're using spawn to grow mushrooms, you have the option of purchasing a growing kit or starting from a substrate. Growing kits are great for beginners and can be used for indoor or outdoor cultivation.
For outdoor cultivation, choose a shady area in your garden and cover it with cardboard. Add layers of wood chips, straw, or other substrates, along with spawn, until your mushroom bed is at least 8 inches deep. Keep the substrate moist, especially during the first few weeks. Mushrooms will fruit once the spawn has fully colonized the substrate.
For indoor cultivation, you can follow a similar process using a grow kit or substrate. Oyster mushrooms, in particular, can grow on various substrates, including toilet paper, books, and newspapers.
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Provide adequate moisture: Mushrooms require high humidity and frequent misting
Mushrooms require a high humidity environment to grow. To create this environment, you can mist the substrate with water routinely. This can be done by spraying water 4-5 pumps onto the soil area 3 times a day, or whenever you remember, for 8 days, or until you see baby mushrooms sprouting. This process is called "pinning".
To further help the soil maintain moisture, you can cut an "X" into the top of the bag and leave the flaps on. This creates a humid, greenhouse-like effect.
Soaking is another important step in hydrating the soil and giving it a sufficient moisture boost. Fill a bowl or bucket with water and place the mushroom bag inside with the "X" facing down. Leave it to soak for 6-10 hours, or overnight.
Mushrooms also require a dark, cool, and humid growing environment. The ideal temperature for most mushrooms is between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, away from direct heat and drafts. Enoki mushrooms grow better in cooler temperatures, at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Harvesting: Collect mushrooms when mature, using a twisting or cutting motion
Mushrooms are ready to harvest within a few weeks of planting. They grow quickly, so it is important to check on them daily and harvest them as soon as they are large enough to eat.
Some types of mushrooms, such as button mushrooms, should be harvested using a sharp knife to cut the stem cleanly at the base. This encourages regrowth. Other types of mushrooms, including oyster and lion's mane, should be harvested by holding the clump and twisting one full turn to loosen them from the substrate.
Mushrooms have a high moisture content, so it is best to store them in a paper bag in the fridge or in an uncovered container.
- Check on your mushrooms daily.
- Once they are large enough to eat, begin harvesting.
- For button mushrooms, use a sharp knife to cut the stem at the base.
- For oyster and lion's mane mushrooms, hold the clump and twist to loosen them.
- Store the mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge or an uncovered container.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushrooms thrive in dark, cool, and humid growing environments. A basement or a spot under the sink could work, with temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees.
First, you need to buy a mushroom grow kit, packed with a growing medium inoculated with mushroom spawn. Then, fill a tray with an equal mix of compost and manure, spread the spawn on top, and mist thoroughly with water. Place the tray on a heating pad and set the control to 70 degrees.
Button mushrooms are one of the easiest types of mushrooms to grow. They thrive in dark, humid, and warm conditions.
