John Miller
Mushrooms are a tasty, nutritious, and healthy substitute for meat. They are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. They can be pricey at the grocery store, but growing your own mushrooms at home is a simple process that can be started with a store-bought mushroom and a few basics. The most common substrate for home-growing is compost, and the simplest option is to buy a growing kit that will provide you with the substrate and spores as well as instruct you on what to do. The easiest mushrooms to grow are oyster, button, and shiitake mushrooms. Mushrooms need a dark, cool place to grow, such as a basement or crawl space, and a rich, fertile, moisture-retentive growing medium.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mushroom type | Oyster mushrooms are the best variety for home growing, but any type can be used. |
| Propagation method | Mushrooms can be grown from spores, spawn (living fungal culture), or by using a box kit, bucket, or log. |
| Growing medium | Straw, hamster bedding, or shredded cardboard can be used as a growing medium. |
| Moisture | A moist environment is required for mushrooms to grow. |
| Water type | Boiled tap water or spring/well water/rainwater can be used, but distilled water or water straight from the tap should be avoided as it contains chlorine that will kill the spores. |
| Light conditions | Only white button mushrooms need to grow in the dark, so indirect light is suitable for most mushrooms. |
| Harvest time | Mushrooms can be harvested in about 19 days. |
| Cloning | Cloning can be achieved by placing a piece of mushroom tissue on an agar medium to obtain growing mycelium. |
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What You'll Learn
Using store-bought mushrooms
Propagating mushrooms from store-bought mushrooms is a great way to save money and enjoy your favourite fungi at home. Oyster mushrooms are one of the easiest types to grow and are usually available at most grocery stores.
To get started, you'll need a few simple materials, most of which you probably already have at home. Choose a suitable container, such as a plastic tub or cardboard box, and gather some straw or moistened cellulose material like hamster bedding or shredded cardboard. You'll also need a fresh store-bought oyster mushroom with the white fuzzy stuff (mycelium) near the base.
Once you have your materials, cut the stem butts of the mushroom and place them in a jar or bag with used coffee grounds or soaked cardboard. Keep the container in a high-humidity environment. After about two weeks, the mycelium will have taken over the substrate. At this point, you can transfer the jar or bag to pasteurized straw. Place the container in a high-humidity chamber, and in about 19 days, you should see tiny mushrooms forming. Harvest your mushrooms once they reach a good size, usually around day 26.
It's important to note that propagating mushrooms can be a complex process, and success is not always guaranteed. However, with a bit of research, time, and luck, you can certainly give it a try. Remember to choose a mushroom variety that is suitable for your local environment, as different mushrooms have specific needs.
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Growing from spores
Growing mushrooms from spores is a simple process but it requires patience. Firstly, spores need a moist and humid environment to become cottony structures called mycelium. Mycelium "fruits" and produces the fungi. Mycelium bunches up into primordia, which forms mushrooms.
To harvest spores at home, you will need a bowl, some water, a piece of paper, and a mushroom. Remove the stem from a fresh mushroom, then put the cap gill side down onto a piece of paper or sterilized tin foil. Put a drop of water on the cap, then cover it with a bowl and let it sit for 24 hours. Remove the bowl and cap to reveal your spores. To reduce the risk of contamination, wear gloves sterilized with 70% rubbing alcohol. Sterilize any scissors or knives by holding them over a flame until they turn red hot, then dip them into distilled water.
If your mushroom has pores instead of gills, you can still extract the spores. Cut a hole in an index card and place it over a bowl, then insert the stem into the hole so the cap rests on the paper. If you plan on growing the mushrooms to eat, make sure you get a type you know is edible. It’s best to buy mushrooms from the store if you want to eat them because eating wild mushrooms can be dangerous.
Once you have your spores, you can begin the process of creating the right environment for them to grow. Mushrooms need a warm, moist environment with a good food source. The spores will germinate, mate, and grow into mycelium, which will then produce mushrooms. Only a very small amount of spores will actually go on to mate and grow into mycelium. Some spores may even make it to the mycelium stage but that strain may not be able to produce a mushroom fruit body to reproduce.
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Using spawn or plugs
There are different types of spawn available, including sawdust spawn, grain spawn, and plug spawn. Sawdust spawn is cheaper than plug spawn, more reliable, and colonizes faster. It is also more suitable for inoculating outdoor logs. To use sawdust spawn, you will need an inoculation tool to inject it into logs. You can also use it to treat wooden dowels if you intend to create a plug spawn. One advantage of sawdust spawn is the particle size, which provides many inoculation points, increasing mycelium colonization. However, it may not be as nutritious as grain spawn, so you may experience lower yields.
Grain spawn, on the other hand, has more nutrients compared to sawdust spawn, making it suitable for growing mushrooms indoors. However, it is not recommended for outdoor use as it can attract birds and rodents. Grain spawn is typically used for commercial indoor mushroom grows and is not suitable for inoculating outdoor logs.
Plug spawn is a popular choice for growing mushrooms outdoors. It is commonly sold in garden centers and is easy to use, requiring only a hand drill and no additional tools. To use plug spawn, you will need access to freshly cut hardwood logs, such as birch or oak, no more than a month or two old. Avoid using pine, fruit trees, or other softwoods. Drill holes into the logs, spacing them 4 to 6 inches apart in a diamond or triangular pattern. Then, insert one plug into each hole and seal with melted wax to protect the spawn from drying out or contamination. Keep the logs in a shaded area, moist, and well-watered.
It can take several months to a year for the mycelium to colonize the logs and begin fruiting. Once established, you can expect to harvest three to five crops of mushrooms per year for up to three to five years. When your mushrooms are large enough, gently cut them at the base and store them in the fridge, using them within a few days for the best flavor.
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Misting and humidity
Mushrooms require a humid environment to grow and develop correctly. The humidity level should be anywhere from 80 to 99% relative humidity during the fruiting stage. Mushrooms with tougher textures like Reishi and Turkey Tail can handle lower humidity levels, while more tender and fleshy mushrooms like Lion's Mane require higher humidity levels. During the pinning stage, relative humidity should be between 95 and 100% to stimulate the production of pins and allow the mushrooms to develop properly. Once the pins have formed, a relative humidity of 80-95% is ideal for the development of the fruiting bodies, reducing the potential negative side effects of excessive moisture.
To maintain the ideal humidity level, misting is one of the simplest methods. This involves using a spray bottle to mist the mushrooms and the surrounding area with water multiple times a day to increase humidity levels. This method is cost-effective and easy to set up, but it may not be sufficient for large-scale cultivation as it requires a lot of manual labour and may not provide consistent humidity levels. Another popular method is using pond misters, which are devices that spray a fine mist of water into the air. Pond misters can provide consistent humidity levels and are easy to set up, but they can be expensive and require a constant supply of water, which can increase water usage and costs.
Fans can also be used to control humidity by circulating air and reducing the risk of condensation. They are cost-effective and easy to set up but should not be used in areas with extremely low humidity as they can cause mushrooms to dry out. Perlite, a type of volcanic rock, is another option for controlling humidity levels in mushroom cultivation. Ultrasonic humidifiers are a favourite among mushroom growers, allowing for relative humidity levels of 95% or higher. These humidifiers use a vibrating disc to vaporize water droplets and create a fine mist. Many also come with sensors and controls to regulate humidity levels.
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Growing in a box, bucket or on a log
To grow mushrooms in a box or bucket, you'll need a good fruiting medium, moisture, and the right growing environment. Mushrooms grow from spores, but it's easier to grow them from store-bought stems, as you can use the mycelium already on the fungi. Simply cut the stems to 1/4 inch (6mm) and place them in a cardboard box, paper bag, or plastic bin with moist straw or other material at the bottom. Add another layer of stems and then cover with more straw or material. Keep the medium and mycelium damp, in the dark, and at a temperature of 65-75 degrees F (18-23 C). After two to four weeks, the mycelium should be ready to fruit. Tent plastic over the medium to preserve moisture and allow the fungi to form. In about 19 days, you can harvest your mushrooms.
When growing mushrooms on logs, it's important to handle the logs gently to avoid damaging the bark, which is needed to maintain moisture and protect the log from wild fungus. Choose hardwood logs, such as oak, sugar maple, or sweet gum, and cut them to 3-4 feet in length. Let the logs sit in a cool, dark, damp place for 2-4 weeks, then inoculate them with mushroom spawn. You can use plug spawn or sawdust spawn, but for smaller projects, plug spawn is ideal as it doesn't require extra tools. After inoculating the logs, they are relatively low maintenance and can provide mushrooms for years to come.
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Frequently asked questions
Oyster mushrooms are the easiest to grow, followed by button, shiitake, and chanterelle mushrooms.
Mushrooms need a dark, cool, humid environment with a minimum temperature of 15°C and a few hours of light per day.
The simplest option is to buy a growing kit that includes the substrate. Commonly used substrates include compost, manure, hardwood sawdust, or straw.
You can purchase spores from companies that produce them. Pick a reputable company with short shipping times to ensure you get fresh spores.
Mushrooms will be large enough to harvest after about three weeks and you can continue harvesting for up to 60 days, depending on the species.
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