If you are a mushroom lover and you wanted to grow mushrooms at home and indoors, this article is for you. Mushrooms are very healthy, tasty, and nutritious. But we should grow every food of our organically without the use of any chemicals. Here is a full guide for you to grow mushrooms at home indoor:
Choose The Best Varieties To Grow:
There are so many types of mushrooms are available that you can grow and all of them are delicious. The process to grow any kind of mushroom is the same and not that difficult. But still, you should always know the variety so if you get a great success, you should stick with it or try a different variety.
White button mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, and Oyster mushrooms and most popular varieties of mushrooms among home gardeners. The process to grow these varieties is the same with only a little difference like the growing medium of them is different.
White button mushrooms grow best in manure, hardwood or sawdust is a great medium to grow shiitake mushrooms and oyster mushrooms like to grow on straw and coffee grounds.
I always encourage my readers to try all varieties, so they can pick their favorite and grow it every year. Just remember, always use the organic growing medium to grow your favorite mushrooms.
Purchase Spores Or Spawn:
If you are new in growing mushrooms, you are wondering what is spore or spawn. In a simple explanation, spores are seeds of mushroom, and spawns are seedlings of mushroom.
Spawn of mushroom is a substance that is treated with mycelium. Mycelium is string-like structures that are necessary to grow mushrooms. Now you can either grow your own spawn from spores or buy spawns to save time.
Sterilize The Growing Medium:
I already mentioned the best growing mediums for different varieties of mushrooms. You should always sterilize your medium, no matter which variety you like to grow. Sterilizing is necessary because there are so many germs are present in the medium that can kill your crop. So it is good to sterilize it. Here is a simple method:
You can use two ways to sterilize your medium. Put your medium like straw or hardwood in a bowl and fill it with water. Now put your bowl in the microwave oven until water starts to boil. Or you can first put your bowl on fire and when the water reached the boiling point, add your medium in the water. It will kill all the germs that can be lethal to your mushroom crop.
Plant Mycelia On Medium:
The spawn of mushrooms that contains mycelia need to spread on growing medium to produce nice healthy mushrooms. Warm indoor temperature is necessary for better growth of mycelia. Here is a simple process to grow the mycelia:
Select a container or tray (shallow will be preferred) and put your growing medium on top of it and spread it with your hand.
Now put some spawn on growing medium and mix them well together. Always sterilize your tools first.
A temperature of 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit is great for mycelia. You can use heating pads to achieve this temperature. A dark room of yours for about a month is enough for better growth of mycelia.
Right Conditions For The Mycelia Container:
After a month or less, mycelia will colonize your medium. So keep checking the stages of the mycelia from time to time. If mycelia cover all your medium, it’s time to relocate the shallow container of mycelia to a nice and more suitable location.
The best temperature for this process is 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit. A dark room is still a big need.
A Few Tips For Better Growth:
When mycelia colonize your medium, the stuff should be white and mossy. If there are any green and brown spots on it, remove these spots and through them away.
Cover your growing medium or substrate with some soil and give it water. Do not overwater it, just for a little higher moisture level. Mushrooms grow better in a dark and damp place, so for damp medium, place some damp piece of cloth or damp towel on the medium to retain the moisture level.
You can provide some light in the darkroom to mushrooms by using a simple lamp. The light of the lamp will act as sunlight and it will give some orientation. Mushrooms will grow toward the light, mean upward, so you can easily harvest them.
I already talk about the temperature and moisture requirements of mushrooms. A little damp growing medium is needed for better growth. The temperature of 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit is best for optimal growth.
Harvest Time:
After the colonization of the mycelia, little growth of mushrooms will appear in just 20-30 days. Sometimes, it can take a little longer than a month. Keep the moisture level high and temperature between 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. You will know when your mushrooms are ready to harvest. Use a nice sterilized sharp knife to harvest the mushrooms.