Emily Johnson
Growing button mushrooms is a great project for beginner gardeners as their spores grow quickly and easily, and they can be grown indoors all year round. To grow button mushrooms, you need the right equipment and some patience! You can either buy a mushroom growing kit, which comes with everything you need, or you can grow your own mushroom spawn at home. The latter is a more complex process that requires a lot of time and precision, but it can be cheaper and give you more control over the variety of mushrooms you grow.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mushroom type | Button mushrooms |
| Mushroom species | Agaricus bisporus |
| Mushroom growing kit | Yes |
| Mushroom growing experience | Beginner |
| Mushroom growing environment | Indoor |
| Mushroom growing time | Any time of the year |
| Mushroom growing equipment | Yes |
| Mushroom growing success rate | High |
| Mushroom growing temperature | 24-26°C during spawn run, 18-20°C during pinning, 16-18°C during fruiting stage |
| Mushroom growing humidity | 85-90% during spawn run, 90-95% during pinning, 85-90% during fruiting stage |
| Mushroom growing light conditions | Minimal light during spawn run, minimal indirect light during pinning, moderate indirect lighting (200-500 lux) during fruiting stage |
| Mushroom growing CO₂ concentration | 5,000-20,000 ppm during spawn run, 1,000-2,000 ppm during pinning, below 1,000 ppm during fruiting stage |
| Mushroom growing substrate preparation | No need to prepare substrates when using a kit, critical step when growing from scratch |
| Mushroom spawn | Pre-inoculated spawn provided in the kit, can also be sourced from suppliers or grown at home |
| Mushroom growing medium | Nitrogen-rich manure, like horse manure |
| Mushroom growing time | About a month |
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What You'll Learn
Using a growing kit
Step 1: Prepare Your Growing Space
Firstly, you need to choose a dedicated growing space with temperature control. Many growers opt for a basement, crawl space, or a dark closet. You will also need a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
Step 2: Understand the Basics of Mushroom Care
Mushrooms require specific conditions to thrive. During the spawn run, maintain temperatures between 24-26°C with relative humidity at 85-90% and minimal air exchange. The CO₂ concentration should be elevated (5,000-20,000 ppm), and no light is required.
Step 3: Prepare the Substrate
Fill your trays with a growing mix to a depth of around 15 cm (6 inches), leaving a space of about 2.5 cm (1 inch) at the top. Button mushrooms grow well in warm compost, so you can use this as your growing medium.
Step 4: Inoculate the Substrate
Spread the spores on top of the compost and mist with water. As the spawn is pre-treated, you can apply it directly. Ensure an even layer across the substrate for uniform growth.
Step 5: Maintain Temperature and Moisture
Place the tray on a heating pad and adjust the temperature to 70°F (21°C). Avoid exceeding this temperature, as it can kill the spores. Keep the soil moist by spraying with water twice a day.
Step 6: Provide Darkness
Move the tray to a dark room and maintain the temperature and moisture levels.
Step 7: Harvesting
In about a month, you should start to see mushrooms. Harvest them by twisting them out of the soil when you are ready to use them. Fill the empty space with more casing to make way for new mushrooms. With proper care, your mushroom bed should continue producing mushrooms for 3 to 6 months.
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Maintaining the right temperature, humidity, and light conditions
During the spawn run, maintain temperatures between 24–26°C with relative humidity at 85–90% and minimal air exchange. No light is required during this stage. The CO₂ concentration should be kept elevated (5,000–20,000 ppm).
For pinning, reduce the temperature to 18–20°C while increasing humidity to 90–95%. Simultaneously, decrease CO₂ levels to 1,000–2,000 ppm and introduce minimal indirect light.
The fruiting stage requires a further temperature reduction to 16–18°C, with humidity maintained at 85–90%. Significantly increase air exchange to 4–8 room volumes per hour, and keep CO₂ levels below 1,000 ppm. Provide moderate indirect lighting (200–500 lux).
If you are using a growing kit, you can follow the specific directions provided. Generally, you will need to fill a tray or wooden box with a mixture of nitrogen-rich manure and compost, spread the inoculated material from the kit on top, and mist it thoroughly. Keep the tray or box in the dark, damp, and warm (around 21°C) for several weeks. After a few weeks, you should see a fine white webbing called mycelium, which is the start of your mushroom colony. Cover it with a couple of inches of damp potting soil or peat (casing) and lower the temperature to 12°C. Make sure to keep the bed moist.
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Preparing the substrate
If you are new to mushroom cultivation, you can start with a button mushroom growing kit. These kits come with a pre-inoculated substrate and mushroom spawn, making the process simple and rewarding. However, if you want to prepare the substrate yourself, here are the steps you can follow:
Firstly, prepare a sanitized workspace using 70% isopropyl alcohol on all surfaces, and use latex gloves and a face mask to prevent contamination. Then, create a mixture of equal parts compost and nitrogen-rich manure, such as horse or cow manure. You can use your own compost or purchase it from a store. This mixture will serve as the substrate for your mushrooms.
Next, the substrate must cool to 25°C before introducing the spawn. Break the spawn into small, evenly sized pieces and thoroughly mix them with the substrate, building layers 5-7 cm thick. Maintain the moisture content at 65-70% throughout the mixture.
Finally, pack the spawned substrate into containers or bags at a depth of approximately 20 cm to provide enough space for the mushrooms to develop. This process is called incubation and requires 14-21 days in complete darkness at a temperature of 24-26°C.
By following these steps, you will successfully prepare the substrate for growing button mushrooms. It is important to be precise and maintain the necessary conditions to ensure the optimal growth of your mushrooms.
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Growing your own spawn
The simplest way for beginners to start growing their own mushroom spawn is by using the stem butt method. You can take the stems of oyster mushrooms and put them in a container with some damp cardboard. In a couple of weeks, you will have your own spawn.
If you want to grow spawn in a laboratory setup, you will first need to grow a master culture in a test tube or petri dish. This will eventually be expanded onto agar plates. From there, cut out pieces of agar and add them to grain. From the first generation of grain, multiply it several times into a larger amount of grain.
To grow button mushrooms, you will need to prepare a sanitized workspace using 70% isopropyl alcohol on all surfaces. Wear latex gloves and a face mask to prevent contamination. The substrate must cool to 25°C before introducing spawn. Break spawn into small, evenly sized pieces and integrate thoroughly with the substrate, building layers 5-7 cm thick. Maintain moisture content at 65-70% throughout the mixture. Pack the spawned substrate into containers or bags at a depth of approximately 20 cm to provide adequate mass for mycelial development. Incubation requires 14-21 days at 24-26°C in complete darkness.
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Creating an indoor bed
Choose a Container
Select a container that is at least 6 inches (15 cm) deep, such as a wooden box or a tray. The size of the container will depend on the amount of mushrooms you want to grow. Make sure to leave a few inches of space below the rim of the container.
Prepare the Substrate
Fill your container with the appropriate substrate for button mushrooms. While button mushrooms can grow on various substrates, nitrogen-rich manure, like horse manure, is recommended for indoor cultivation. Fill your container with the substrate, leaving a few inches of space below the rim.
Add Spawn to the Substrate
Obtain mushroom spawn from a reputable seller. Sprinkle the spawn on top of the substrate, or mix it in gently. The spawn contains the mushroom spores and will serve as the starting point for your mushroom colony.
Maintain Moisture and Temperature
Mushrooms thrive in damp and warm conditions. Mist the substrate thoroughly and cover the container with plastic wrap or wet newspaper to maintain moisture. Keep the temperature around 70°F (21°C) for the first few weeks.
Monitor for Mycelium Growth
After a few weeks, you should notice a fine white webbing on the surface of the bed. This is called mycelium, and it's the start of your mushroom colony. At this point, lower the temperature to 55°F (12°C).
Add Casing
Cover the mycelium with a couple of inches of damp potting soil or peat. This layer is called the casing. Maintain moisture and ensure the bed doesn't dry out.
With patience and care, your indoor mushroom bed will soon start to produce button mushrooms. Remember to harvest the mushrooms when they are mature by twisting them out of the soil. Enjoy the fruits of your labour and continue caring for your mushroom bed to encourage continuous growth!
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Frequently asked questions
Using a mushroom growing kit is the easiest way to spawn button mushrooms. These kits come with everything you need, including a pre-inoculated substrate with mushroom spawn, and are designed for ease of use and a high yield.
Mushroom kits tend to have specific directions that may differ from traditional mushroom-growing methods, so be sure to read the package carefully and follow the directions. Some kits already contain the spores for growing a specific type of mushroom, while others just contain growing trays and appropriate substrate.
To spawn button mushrooms without a kit, you will need to prepare a sanitized workspace using 70% isopropyl alcohol on all surfaces, and use latex gloves and a face mask to prevent contamination. The substrate must cool to 25°C before introducing spawn. Break spawn into small, evenly sized pieces and integrate thoroughly with the substrate, building layers 5-7 cm thick. Maintain moisture content at 65-70% throughout the mixture. Pack the spawned substrate into containers or bags at a depth of approximately 20 cm to provide adequate mass for mycelial development. Incubation requires 14-21 days at 24-26°C in complete darkness.
The simplest way to create your own mushroom spawn is by using the stem butt method. You can take the stems of oyster mushrooms and put them in a container with some damp cardboard. In a couple of weeks, you will have your own spawn.
