John Miller
Mushrooms are a great crop to grow at home, whether you have a garden or not. They are nutritious, tasty, and can be expensive to buy at the grocery store. Growing your own mushrooms is a good alternative to foraging for them in the forest, which can be dangerous because edible mushrooms often have poisonous look-alikes. Oyster mushrooms are the easiest species to grow, but you can also grow shiitake and button mushrooms at home. To get started, you'll need to decide whether to grow your mushrooms indoors or outdoors, and then purchase spawn from a local or online supplier. You'll also need a substrate, such as compost, straw, sawdust, or coffee grounds, and a damp, dark place for your mushrooms to grow.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mushroom type | Shiitake, Oyster, White Button |
| Mushroom "seed" | Spore, Spawn, Inoculum |
| Growing medium | Wood chips, Hardwood sawdust, Composted manure, Straw, Coffee grounds |
| Container | Bucket, Box, Log |
| Moisture | Moist but not wet |
| Temperature | 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Light | No direct sunlight |
| Airflow | Well-circulated |
| Cleanliness | Essential |
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What You'll Learn
Using a grow kit
Mushroom growing kits are a good place to start if you're new to the process because a kit will provide everything you need. For example, if you want to grow button mushrooms, the kit will include a tray of composted manure. Shiitake mushrooms, on the other hand, grow on wood and are supplied in a specially created growing block (or log) that contains all the nutrients required for a successful harvest. Full instructions are usually included in the kits.
Most mushrooms will be grown in a dark place and will fruit fairly quickly. They are fascinating to watch as they develop and grow quickly. If you feel more advanced and want to start growing mushrooms from scratch, you will need to get hold of some mushroom spores.
Once you have used your grow kit, there are a few ways to reuse it and keep on growing. The simplest way to encourage more fruitings is to move your kit outdoors. A change in environment or temperature shift can sometimes be a cue for fungi to produce more mushrooms. Leaving the plastic on your kit helps to keep moisture in, preventing the block from drying out. After a couple of weeks, you should expect mushrooms after heavy rainfall or after a big temperature shift. Burying the mushroom block also helps protect it from the elements, and the fungi can wick moisture from the nearby soil. With any luck, your block will fruit in a couple of weeks!
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Growing from spores
Growing mushrooms from spores can be a challenging task, but it is a rewarding process that offers insights into the delicate balance of nature. Here is a detailed guide on how to grow mushrooms from spores:
Collecting Spores
The first step in growing mushrooms from spores is to collect the spores. This can be done by finding a mushroom and carefully removing its stem from the cap. Remove any remaining partial veil, or "skirt", to expose the gills located on the underside of the mushroom's head.
Creating a Spore Print
Once the gills are exposed, place the mushroom onto a piece of paper with the gills facing down. Cover the mushroom with a glass, ensuring it covers the entire mushroom, and let it rest for 24 hours. After this period, gently lift the glass and the mushroom. The spores will have left a print on the paper, resembling an outline of the gills. This spore print contains the mushroom "seeds" and should be stored in a sealed container in a dry, dark place.
Preparing the Spore Syringe
With the spore print, you can now create a spore syringe. Rehydrate the spores with sterile water, and use this to inoculate your chosen medium. This process involves mixing the spores with a substance that will provide the necessary nutrients for germination. Suitable substances include sawdust, straw, and grain. The mixture of spores and substance is called a spawn.
Understanding the Process
It is important to note that spores do not contain chlorophyll, so they rely on consuming other non-light substances for sustenance and germination. Once you understand the fundamental processes involved in mushroom cultivation from spores, you will be able to grow more types of mushrooms and witness the miraculous growth of these fungi. Additionally, propagating mushrooms from spores allows you to produce clones of the mushroom, resulting in edible copies of the parent fungi.
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Growing from spawn
Mushroom spawn is any substance that has been inoculated with mycelium, the vegetative growth of a fungus. Mycelium, a thread-like collection of cells, is to a mushroom what an apple tree is to an apple.
You can use spawn to move mycelium to any substance (substrate) if you want to grow mushrooms. Different substrates include logs, cardboard, straw, and wood chips. The simplest way for beginners to start growing their own mushroom spawn is by using the stem butt method. Take the stems of oyster mushrooms and put them in a container with some damp cardboard. In a couple of weeks, you’ll have your own spawn.
The stem butt method works well with oyster mushrooms because they are aggressive and easy to grow. In the wild, oyster mushrooms grow on logs and other wood. Since cardboard is made from wood pulp, it’s a good substitute, and oyster mushrooms will grow on it. If you plan to grow large amounts of oyster mushrooms, it’s better to grow them on coffee grounds or grain, as these provide more nutrients and will produce a larger and more consistent crop.
If you don't have access to wild oyster mushrooms, you can buy fresh ones from the grocery store. If they’re fresh enough, the stem will still be alive after you cut it off, and will continue to grow in the right conditions. The stem butt method involves taking the lower stems of fresh oyster mushrooms and propagating mycelium from them onto cardboard.
You can buy mushroom spawn from different producers offline or over the internet. Research reputable producers so you can get the best quality. Spawn varies when it comes to quality. You should have the inoculation date inscribed on your purchase. Take note of this date as it may degrade due to bacteria, mould, or waste products. It is a ‘use or lose’ product, so its lifespan is limited to an average of 2 months. Refrigerate to extend its lifespan.
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Choosing the right substrate
Mushrooms require a substrate (such as wood) to grow. The substrate is the growing medium or bedding for the mushrooms. It is important to choose the right substrate for the type of mushroom you wish to grow.
Shiitake mushrooms, for example, are known to grow well on oak wood, including cut branches and trunks. Similarly, white button mushrooms thrive in composted manure. Oyster mushrooms, on the other hand, prefer straw or coffee grounds as their substrate.
When choosing a substrate, it is important to consider the moisture content. Mushrooms require a consistently cool, moist environment to grow. Therefore, the substrate should be able to retain moisture without becoming soggy. Sterile conditions are not necessary for mushroom growth, but they can increase the chances of positive results. Contamination by bacteria and moulds is a risk, particularly with certain species such as Chanterelles and Matsutakes.
Common substrate options include straw, sawdust, wood chips, compost, and manure. These materials can be purchased as part of a mushroom growing kit, or they can be sourced and prepared independently. If preparing your own substrate, it is important to soak the material for several hours and then drain it thoroughly to remove any excess water.
Once the substrate is prepared, it can be mixed with mushroom spawn (the equivalent of plant seedlings) and placed in a sterilised container. The spawn can simply be sprinkled on top of the substrate and then covered with a thin layer of the substrate material.
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Providing the right environment
The growing medium is also important. Mushrooms do not grow well in potting soil. Instead, they thrive in substrates such as wood chips, hardwood sawdust (good for shiitake mushrooms), composted manure (good for white button mushrooms), straw (good for oyster mushrooms), or coffee grounds (also suitable for oyster mushrooms). The substrate should be placed in a container at least six inches deep to allow the mushroom mycelium to spread freely.
Cleanliness is essential when growing mushrooms, as airborne contaminants can disrupt their growth. The container should be sterilized with soapy water and rubbing alcohol before use, and the substrate should be soaked and then drained to remove any excess water. It is also important to provide optimal humidity levels and proper air circulation. Misting the substrate with a spray bottle can help maintain the necessary moisture levels, but it is important not to let the growing medium get too soggy.
Mushrooms can be grown in various vessels, such as storage bins, plastic pails, or even laundry baskets. However, it is important to ensure that the vessel has holes for the mushrooms to emerge. If the container does not have holes, small holes should be drilled into the sides (not the bottom) to allow the mushrooms to grow through.
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Frequently asked questions
First, decide which type of mushroom you want to grow. Oyster mushrooms are the easiest species to grow, but shiitake and button mushrooms are also suitable for beginners. You can then decide whether to grow your mushrooms indoors or outdoors.
Mushrooms thrive in cool, humid conditions, but they can be grown in more arid climates with more frequent watering. They grow best in the dark, in a warm environment with lots of moisture and airflow.
You can buy mushroom growing kits that contain everything you need, including a growing pan or tub, mushroom spawn, growing substrate, a damp towel, and a spray bottle. If you don't want to buy a kit, you will need to source these materials yourself.
First, place handfuls of your chosen growing substrate into your tub or pan. Then, purchase mushroom spawn and inoculate your substrate with it. Next, put the inoculated substrate in an environment with the recommended conditions for colonisation. When small mushrooms appear, put the substrate in an environment with the recommended conditions to promote fruiting. Finally, harvest your mushrooms.
Substrates that have been used for successful mushroom growth include compost, straw, sawdust, coffee grounds, and horse manure.
