John Miller
Growing mushrooms at home can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it's important to time it right to ensure a successful crop. The ideal time to plant mushrooms depends on whether you're growing them indoors or outdoors, and there are several methods for growing your own mushroom spawn to consider.
For outdoor growing, most mushroom varieties can be planted throughout the growing season when daytime temperatures reach 40°F or higher. Northern growers should aim to plant as early in the season as possible, once temperatures are consistently above 60°F, to maximise production.
If you're growing mushrooms indoors, you have more control over the climate, allowing for year-round cultivation. However, it's important to maintain the right conditions, including temperature, humidity, and a sterile environment, which can be challenging for beginners.
One popular method for producing mushroom spawn is the stem butt technique, which involves using the stems of oyster mushrooms placed in a container with damp cardboard. This method is simple and low-tech, but it may be less reliable and have lower yields. Alternatively, you can purchase grain spawn from a supplier, which is recommended for beginners.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ideal time to plant mushrooms | Depends on whether they are being grown indoors or outdoors |
| Indoor growing | Can be done year-round in a climate-controlled room |
| Outdoor growing | Dependent on the seasons |
| Mushroom varieties | Perennial crops that can be planted throughout the growing season |
| Temperature for outdoor growing | Starting when outside daytime temperatures reach 40°F or higher |
| Temperature for northern growers | Consistently above 60°F and well past the risk of the last frost |
| Temperature for southern growers | Grow into later months depending on temperature and weather |
| Temperature for indoor growing | 20 – 24°C (68 – 75°F) |
| Humidity for indoor growing | 85% – 95% RH |
| Spawn type | Grain or sawdust |
| Substrate | Straw, wood chips, compost, or mixed organic materials |
| Mushroom beds | Should remain moist, so at least partial shade is best |
| Location | Under conifer trees, the shady side of the house, in and among ornamental or vegetable plants |
| Mushroom varieties | Wine Cap, Shiitake, Almond Agaricus, Oyster, Button, Wood Blewit |
| Time from planting to fruiting | Varies from 2-3 months to 5-18 months depending on the variety |
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What You'll Learn
Indoor vs outdoor planting
The ideal time to plant mushrooms depends on whether you are growing them indoors or outdoors. Indoor growing can be done year-round in a climate-controlled room. Indoor growers often plant on a scheduled cycle throughout the year to ensure continuous mushroom production.
Outdoor growing is more dependent on the seasons and the climate. Most mushroom varieties are perennial crops that can be planted throughout the growing season, starting when outside daytime temperatures reach 40°F or higher. For growers in warmer climates, this may mean planting throughout most of the year. For cooler climates, it is best to plant in spring or early summer to speed up the time from planting to picking.
Outdoor mushroom cultivation offers several advantages over indoor methods. It is less costly, less energy-intensive, produces less plastic waste, has lower contamination risks, and enriches the soil. Mushrooms can also inhabit spaces that might otherwise be overlooked or underused, such as shady corners where vegetables won't grow. Outdoor systems can support sound forest management practices by using sustainable materials like logs, stumps, woodchips, and sawdust.
On the other hand, outdoor production has its limitations. Growers may need to grow more species than just shiitake to meet market demands. Urban and peri-urban growers may struggle to access logs or a shady area. Additionally, outdoor production is more susceptible to the unpredictability of the climate, whereas indoor systems offer a controlled environment with reliable and precise conditions.
Indoor mushroom production is accessible to both rural and urban farmers, even those with limited capital and resources. Abandoned and underutilized infrastructure, such as barns, outbuildings, basements, and warehouses, can be retrofitted for mushroom production.
Ultimately, the decision to grow mushrooms indoors or outdoors depends on various factors, including climate, available resources, and personal preferences. Some growers even opt for a hybrid system, combining the benefits of both indoor and outdoor cultivation.
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Choosing a substrate
The substrate is the material that the mushrooms grow on. The type of substrate you choose will depend on the variety of mushroom you are growing. Substrates can range from straw, wood chips, compost, or mixed organic materials.
For example, Wine Caps grow on woody debris, so a mixture of straw and wood chips is a good substrate for this variety. They grow best in partial shade, so consider planting them in a shady spot in your garden, or under conifer trees, or in and amongst ornamental or vegetable plants.
Oyster mushrooms grow on straw, so a kit for this variety would include a bag of straw, mushroom spawn, and a bag tie. You can also grow Oyster mushrooms indoors in a bag on pasteurized straw or sawdust pellets.
Shiitake mushrooms grow on wood and are supplied in a specially created growing block (or log) that contains all the nutrients required for a successful harvest.
Button mushrooms like to grow in a tray of composted manure.
Almond Agaricus is a warm-weather-loving mushroom that grows quickly and can be grown in garden beds, container gardens, or landscape pots. It grows well in nutritious garden soil and loves regular watering.
When preparing your substrate, it's important to have a clean working space. This could be a utility room, garage, or high-tech laboratory, depending on your method. The temperature should be kept around 20–24°C (68–75°F).
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Preparing the site
When preparing a site for planting mushroom spawn, there are several key steps and considerations to keep in mind. Firstly, it's important to select an appropriate location that meets the specific mushroom species' requirements. Different mushrooms thrive in various environments, so research the preferred habitat of the variety you plan to cultivate. Some mushrooms favour shady spots, while others prefer partial or full sun. Understanding these nuances is essential for success.
Once you've identified a suitable location, it's time to tend to the soil. Mushrooms grow well in moist, nutrient-rich soil with a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5. To create the ideal environment, mix organic matter, such as compost or manure, into the soil to enhance its structure and nutritional content. This process not only improves drainage but also ensures that your mushrooms have access to the nutrients they need to flourish.
The next step is to create beds or rows for planting the mushroom spawn. The size and spacing of these planting areas will depend on the mushroom variety you intend to cultivate. As a general rule, smaller mushrooms require closer spacing, while larger varieties need more room to grow. Creating raised beds or clearly defined rows helps with drainage and makes it easier to control the environment and access the mushrooms when they start to fruit.
It's also crucial to address any potential weed issues. Weeds can compete with mushrooms for nutrients and water, hindering their growth. To prevent this, remove any unwanted plants or grass from the site before planting the spawn. A thorough weeding ensures that your mushrooms have unrestricted access to the resources they need and helps to minimise competition, giving them the best chance to thrive.
Additionally, consider the moisture requirements of mushrooms. They thrive in moist conditions, so it's essential to prepare your site with adequate irrigation in mind. Ensure that your chosen location has easy access to water and consider installing an irrigation system or setting up a regular watering schedule to maintain optimal moisture levels. Consistent moisture is critical for mushroom development and will encourage bountiful fruiting.
Lastly, preparing the site also involves thinking ahead about potential pest and disease issues. You may want to see also The process of mushroom inoculation involves bringing spawn into contact with a food source. The spawn is brought into contact with the substrate to initiate its growth and development. The substrate is any material that is a food source for mushroom mycelium. The inoculation rate is the amount of spawn added to the substrate, which is usually shown as a ratio to the amount of substrate. The higher the inoculation rate, the faster the mycelium will grow through the substrate, but the substrate likely will not produce a larger amount of mushrooms. Thus, a high inoculation rate means more money spent on spawn per pound of mushrooms. For a new cultivator, using a high inoculation rate can boost the success rate. There are several stages of mushroom growth that involve inoculation. The first is the culture stage, where growers use mushroom tissue or spores to grow mycelium in a nutrient-rich medium, resulting in a petri dish or liquid culture. The second is the grain spawn stage, where growers use the petri dish or liquid culture from the first stage to inoculate sterilized grain to grow more mycelium. The third is the sawdust spawn stage, where growers use the grain spawn to inoculate more grain for more mycelium or to inoculate sawdust to create sawdust spawn for growing mushrooms outdoors. The final stage is the bulk substrate stage, where growers use grain or sawdust spawn to inoculate bulk substrates like straw, supplemented sawdust, or logs to grow mushrooms. The type of substrate dictates the method of inoculation. For example, inoculating a log may involve drilling holes into it, while a stump may require cutting wedges. Outdoor methods can generally be done with little concern for introducing contaminants, while most indoor methods require the substrate to be inoculated in a sterile space to avoid contamination. Low-nitrogen, carbon-rich materials like logs, woodchips, and straw are fine to inoculate outside in the open air. During outdoor inoculation, it is helpful to be clean, using a clean table and clean hands, but sterility is not a concern. Before inoculating a substrate, growers need to gather supplies and equipment, including buying or making mushroom culture or spawn. The ideal time to plant mushrooms depends on whether they are being grown indoors or outdoors. Indoor growing can be done year-round in a climate-controlled room, while outdoor growing is more dependent on the seasons. Most mushroom varieties are perennial crops that can be planted throughout the growing season when daytime temperatures are consistently above 40°F. For northern growers, it is recommended to plant as early in the season as possible once temperatures are above 60°F to maximize production. You may want to see also The time from planting to harvesting depends on the mushroom variety. For example, spring-inoculated logs may be ready to fruit their first mushrooms as soon as fall. If inoculated later in the year, logs are typically not ready to fruit until the following year. Larger logs and those planted with plug spawn will take longer to colonize before fruiting. The harvesting process differs depending on the type of mushroom. For example, for Oyster, chestnut, and pioppino mushrooms, bags can be cut corner to corner on the broad side of the bag. Bags can then be laid down so the fruiting is on top or the fruiting can happen on the side. Second flushes will happen from the same cut. Be sure when harvesting to remove all mushroom material. For Lion’s mane, small v’s or x’s are cut into the bag. Typically two can be cut on the broad side and one on the compact side of the bag. Lion’s mane should be side-fruited, as top fruiting can gather water and encourage disease. For King oyster, bags are usually top-fruited. The bags should be cut open at the top, leaving 3 inches of plastic above the substrate. You may want to see also Mushroom spawn is any substance (typically grain) that already has mycelium (a network of cells that appear similar to a plant root system) growing on it. The stem butt method is a cheap and easy technique to try at home. You don’t need access to expensive equipment, and it’s not very time or resource-intensive. The stem butt method is less reliable and has lower yields. The ideal time to plant mushrooms outdoors depends on the climate. For growers in warmer climates, planting can be done throughout most of the year. For growers in cooler climates, it is best to plant in the spring or early summer. Mushroom planting can be done indoors year-round in a climate-controlled room.Mushrooms: Medicine or Just a Fun Guy?
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