John Miller
Mushrooms are a fun and fascinating organism to grow at home. Unlike plants, mushrooms don't need soil or light to grow, as they feed off other substances to gain nourishment. The first step is to collect spores, which can be done at home by taking a spore print from a mushroom, or spores can be purchased from companies that produce them. Spores are then mixed with a growing medium or substrate, such as straw, wood chips, or grain, which provides the spores with the right mix of nutrients. This blend is known as the spawn, from which the mycelium, or the thread-like roots of the mushroom, will develop. The mycelium then produces the fruiting body, which is the mushroom cap and stem that we are familiar with.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mushroom type | Oysters, shiitake, portobello, white button, chanterelle |
| Growing medium | Organic substrates, hardwood logs, compost |
| Spore collection | Place mushroom gill-side down on paper, cover with glass, leave for 24 hours |
| Spore preservation | Store spore print in a sealed bag in a cool, dry, dark place |
| Spore application | Mix spores with water and spray, or use a spore syringe with sterile water |
| Growing conditions | Dark, warm, moist environment with good airflow |
| Substrate | Straw, wood chips, sawdust, grain, coffee grounds, corncobs, cotton hulls |
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What You'll Learn
Collecting spores
To collect mushroom spores, gently remove the cap from a mature mushroom and place it gill-side down on a sterile surface, such as paper or foil. Put a drop of water on the cap, then cover it with a bowl and let it sit for 24 hours. The spores will fall from the cap and create a print on the paper, which replicates the gill pattern from the mushroom. This is the spore print, which can then be used to grow mushrooms.
If your mushroom has pores instead of gills, you can still extract the spores. Remove the stem from the mushroom so the pores can touch the paper. Use scissors or a knife and cut the stem at its base, as close to the pores as you can. You can also just pull the stem out since it usually separates easily. If the top of the cap grows over the pores, use a sterilized knife to carefully carve out the skirt of the cap, avoiding the pores. You can still make a spore print if you accidentally damage the pores; the pattern will just be affected.
To create a spore syringe, work in a sterilized environment and with distilled water that has been boiled 2-3 times to ensure any bacteria has been eliminated. Make sure your syringe needle is sterile by holding it in a flame for a few seconds. Keep the spore print in a sealed bag in a cool, dry, dark place until you are ready to cultivate.
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Preparing the substrate
Before inoculating the substrate with mushroom spores or mycelium, it needs to be prepared properly. The first step is to add water to the substrate. Depending on the type of substrate, you may also need to amend it with additional nutrients. For example, if you are using manure as your substrate, it is important to sterilize it to eliminate bacteria and other microorganisms.
Sterilization or pasteurization is an important step in preparing the substrate. This process kills any competing mold, bacteria, or spores, giving your desired mushroom species the best chance to thrive. Sterilization methods can vary depending on the substrate. For example, substrates like straw can be pasteurized by cutting them into small lengths, shredding or weed-whacking them, and then heating them to a specific temperature range for a certain duration. Other substrates may be sterilized in an oven or autoclave, but this can dry out the substrate, requiring rehydration with distilled water afterward.
Another method to modify the substrate and give mycelium an advantage is to soak the substrate in a bath of hydrated lime-treated cold water for 24 hours. This raises the pH of the water, destroying pollutants and competitor spores while leaving the mycelium unharmed. After soaking, the substrate should be thoroughly rinsed and drained.
By properly preparing the substrate, you create an optimal environment for your desired mushroom species to grow and flourish.
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Creating the right environment
The substrate, or growing medium, is crucial to the success of mushroom growth. Mushrooms grow on organic substrates, which can include straw, wood chips, coffee grounds, grain, or other organic matter. The type of mushroom dictates the most suitable material. For example, shiitake mushrooms grow on hardwood logs, while other mushrooms thrive in sawdust or straw. The substrate must provide the right mix of nutrients, including sugar, starch, lignin, fats, protein, and nitrogen.
It is important to maintain a clean environment to prevent contamination and ensure adequate airflow. The humidity can be maintained by routinely spraying the substrate with water.
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Inoculation and colonisation
Inoculation is a vital step in cultivating mushrooms. It involves inserting the mushroom spawn (the mycelium of a mushroom) into a substrate that is suitable for growth. The spawn then colonises the substrate, eventually leading to the growth of mushrooms. The substrate can be diverse, including logs, stumps, woodchips, straw, sawdust, coco coir, and coffee grounds, as long as it is grainy or porous enough and carbon-rich.
Before inoculation, the substrate must be prepared. This includes ensuring optimal moisture content and cleaning the substrate of contaminants. Mixing substrates and placing them into a bag are also part of the preparation process. The cultivator must also ensure that the desired edible mushroom mycelium is established before anything else can take hold.
The inoculation process itself may involve drilling holes into a log, cutting wedges into a stump, or mixing spawn into individual bags. Spawn distribution, or where the inoculation occurs, depends on the nutrient level of the substrate. Low-nitrogen, carbon-rich materials like logs, woodchips, and straw can be inoculated outdoors, while nitrogen-rich substrates, which are more prone to contamination, require a more careful, indoor process.
Colonisation occurs after inoculation, when the mycelium starts to take over the substrate that was inoculated with spores. This period usually lasts between 3 to 6 weeks, depending on the strain and environmental conditions. Ideal conditions for colonisation are in a dark place with a temperature between 72°F and 80°F.
The inoculation rate, or the amount of spawn added to a certain volume of substrate, is also important. A higher inoculation rate will lead to faster mycelium growth, but it may not produce a larger amount of mushrooms, so it can be more expensive. For new cultivators, a high inoculation rate can boost success, but as growers become more experienced, they can lower the rate and observe any difference in colonisation time.
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Harvesting
The spores on the paper need to be rehydrated using sterile water to create a spore syringe. Work in a sterilised environment and use distilled water that has been boiled 2-3 times to ensure any bacteria have been eliminated. Make sure your syringe needle is also sterile by holding it in a flame for a few seconds. The spore syringe can then be used to inoculate the growing medium.
The growing medium, or substrate, is the organic material that the spores will germinate on. Suitable materials include straw, wood chips, coffee grounds, grain, or other organic matter. The variety of mushroom dictates the most suitable material. For example, shiitake mushrooms grow on hardwood logs, while other common mushrooms grown indoors include white buttons, portobellos, and oyster mushrooms.
Once the spores have been introduced to the substrate, the spawn will develop. The spawn is the tiny, thread-like, white roots known as mycelium, from which mushrooms will emerge during the fruiting process. When the spawn is mixed with a substrate, fruiting tends to be more vigorous, and mushrooms are more plentiful.
For shiitake mushrooms, the logs should be soaked in water overnight and kept hydrated. They can be placed outside, stacked or leaned against something so they don't touch the soil. You can harvest shiitake mushrooms every two to three months.
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Frequently asked questions
Collecting spores is the foundational step in the journey of mushroom cultivation. It is akin to saving seeds for plant growers. All you need is a mushroom, some paper and glass. Carefully remove the stem from the mushroom and gently remove any skirt that may be present protecting the gills in the mushroom head. Place the mushroom with the gills facing down onto the paper and cover it with a glass. Leave this setup for 24 hours. When you return, gently lift the mushroom. The spores will have fallen from the cap and you should see a print on the paper, which replicates the gill pattern from the mushroom. This is the spore print.
The spore print can be kept in a sealed bag in a cool, dry, and dark place until you are ready to cultivate. Properly stored spores can last for a considerable time.
The next step is to create a spore syringe. Work in a sterilised environment and use distilled water that has been boiled 2-3 times to ensure any bacteria has been eliminated. Make sure the syringe needle is sterile by holding it in a flame for a few seconds. The spores are then rehydrated using this sterile water and used to inoculate the growing medium.
Mushrooms grow from spores, akin to how plants grow from seeds. The spores germinate on organic substrates, which act as a growing medium. The substrate could be straw, wood chips, coffee grounds, grain, or other organic matter. When the spores germinate on the substrate, tiny, thread-like, white roots appear, called mycelium. The mycelium is the fungus from which mushrooms emerge during fruiting. Blending together the spores and the nutrients provided by the substrate is called the spawn. The spawn allows the mycelium to develop. Once the spawn is mixed with a substrate, fruiting tends to be more vigorous and mushrooms are more plentiful.
