Buzz
Any gardening enthusiast who enjoys growing their own vegetables should consider cultivating mushrooms. Mushrooms are a nutritious food option, being low in calories and fat, rich in fiber, and high in potassium. Moreover, mushrooms are incredibly easy to grow indoors. They thrive in indoor environments where temperature and light conditions are easier to control. Learning how to grow mushrooms also means carefully managing their growth conditions.
Steps
Basic Mushroom Cultivation Method
Decide on the type of mushroom you want to grow. The three easiest mushrooms to grow at home are oyster mushrooms, button mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms. The cultivation methods for these mushrooms are similar, but their ideal growth conditions differ.
- Oyster mushrooms grow best in straw; shiitake mushrooms thrive in hardwood sawdust; button mushrooms grow best in compost. The different growing mediums reflect the varying nutritional needs of each mushroom type. However, all three can be grown using sawdust or straw.
- Choosing which mushroom to grow depends on your preference. Grow the type you enjoy eating the most.
Purchase mushroom spawn. Mushroom spawn consists of sawdust inoculated with mushroom mycelium—essentially the root structure of mushrooms, similar to seedlings for plants.
- You can buy high-quality mushroom spawn from numerous online retailers, some gardening stores, or organic product shops.
- Ensure you purchase mushroom spawn rather than spores. Some retailers also sell spores, which are akin to seeds (instead of seedlings). Growing mushrooms from spores requires more time and effort and is better suited for experienced cultivators.
Sterilize the growing medium. If using straw or sawdust, you must sterilize the growing material before inoculating it with spawn. This step eliminates microorganisms that compete with the mycelium.
- To sterilize the medium, place the material in a microwave-safe container, add a bit of water to moisten the straw or sawdust, and microwave on high for two minutes until the water boils.
- This process kills any microorganisms, creating a safe environment for the mycelium to thrive. You may need to process multiple batches to sterilize all the straw or sawdust.
Warm the growing medium to encourage mycelium growth. The mycelium in the spawn needs to fully colonize the growing medium before mushrooms can form. A warm temperature facilitates this growth.
- After selecting the appropriate growing material for your mushroom type, place a handful into a shallow baking tray. A wide, shallow tray provides ample space for mushroom growth.
- Mix the spawn into the growing material by hand. Place the tray on a heating pad set to 21°C, the ideal temperature for mycelium growth.
- Store the tray in a dark place (like a cupboard) for three weeks to allow the mycelium to establish itself in the growing medium.
Move the growing medium to a suitable environment. After three weeks, transfer the tray to a cool, dark place (around 13°C). A basement is ideal, but a cupboard or drawer in an unheated room works well during winter.
- If you notice dark green or brown spots (similar to mold on bread), remove those sections of the growing material.
- Sprinkle a handful of potting soil over the growing medium and mist it to ensure even moisture. Cover the tray with a damp cloth to retain humidity.
- You can place a low-heat lamp near the tray to simulate sunlight, helping the mushrooms orient themselves and grow upward, making harvesting easier.
- Maintain a cool, moist environment as the mushrooms grow. Check periodically and mist if necessary.
- Mushrooms prefer cool air, but the key is to avoid overheating. They grow best at temperatures below 21°C.
Harvest when the mushrooms are fully grown. Within three weeks, you’ll see small mushrooms emerging. Continue maintaining a cool, moist, and dark environment to support their growth.
- Harvest when the mushroom caps fully separate from the stems. You can pull them out by hand, but this risks damaging nearby mushrooms. Instead, use a sharp knife to cut them at the base.
- It’s best to wash the mushrooms before cooking. Store harvested mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Growing Mushrooms with Coffee Grounds
Save the coffee grounds. Growing mushrooms with coffee grounds is an exciting way to repurpose what would otherwise be waste. Coffee grounds are an excellent medium for mushroom growth (especially oyster mushrooms) because they are sterilized during the brewing process and are rich in nutrients.
- For 500 g of mushroom spawn, you’ll need 2.5 kg of fresh coffee grounds (brewed the same day). The best way to collect this amount is to visit coffee shops and ask for their used grounds—they’ll likely be happy to give them to you.
Find a suitable container. Ideally, use a mushroom grow bag, often sold with spawn. Alternatively, you can use a large freezer bag, a milk carton, or a cleaned-out ice cream container with four small holes poked in the sides.
Transfer the spawn into the container. Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap, then mix the spawn into the coffee grounds, breaking it apart with your hands to ensure even distribution. Place the mixture into a plastic bag or container and seal it tightly.
Place the spawn in a suitable environment. Store the bag or container of coffee grounds and spawn in a dark, warm place (18-25°C), such as a cupboard or under the sink. Wait about three weeks until the entire bag turns white—this indicates the mycelium has colonized the coffee grounds.
- Remove any green or brown spots that develop on the mycelium, as they can cause illness.
Change the mushroom growing location. Once the growing medium has turned completely white, move it to a bright but shaded area and cut a 5 x 5 cm opening at the top of the bag. Mist it twice daily to maintain moisture—mushrooms cannot grow in dry conditions.
Harvest the mushrooms. Tiny mushrooms will begin to appear within 5 to 7 days. Continue misting, and they will double in size daily. When the caps start to lift slightly, they are ready to harvest.
- If mushrooms stop growing, bury the coffee grounds outdoors under mulch; new mushrooms may sprout depending on weather conditions.
Other Mushroom Growing Methods
Grow mushrooms using a mushroom kit. For beginners, a pre-prepared mushroom kit is an easy and exciting way to grow mushrooms at home. These kits contain sterilized straw or soil already inoculated with mushroom spawn. All you need to do is place the kit in a suitable environment for 7-10 days, and you’ll have homegrown mushrooms.
- In the U.S., mushroom kits typically cost between $20-$30 (in Vietnam, prices range from a few thousand to tens of thousands depending on type and weight) and include varieties like button mushrooms, crimini, portobello, lion’s mane, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms.
- To grow mushrooms, simply open the kit and place it in a bright area away from direct sunlight—such as a shaded spot under a windowsill. The kit should be kept at room temperature and misted daily to maintain high humidity. Some kits come with a plastic bag to cover the spawn and retain moisture.
- Mushrooms will appear in 7-10 days, and you may see two or three flushes over about three months.
- The best part is that after harvesting, you can bury the kit outdoors under mulch or compost. Depending on weather conditions, mushrooms may continue to grow in that spot.
Grow mushrooms on logs. Another fascinating method for cultivating mushrooms like reishi, maitake, lion’s mane, shiitake, pearl, and phoenix oyster is to grow them on logs. This process involves inoculating wooden plugs with mushroom spawn and inserting them into logs. You can purchase these plugs online or from mushroom spore suppliers.
- First, find a suitable log for mushroom growth. The log should come from non-aromatic trees like maple, poplar, oak, or elm, be 0.9 to 1.2 meters long, and no more than 35 cm in diameter. The log must be cut at least two weeks before inoculation to reduce its natural resistance to fungi.
- For a 0.9-1.2 meter log, you’ll need about 50 plugs. Drill 8 mm holes 5 cm deep in a diamond pattern across the log, spacing them 10 cm apart. Insert the plugs and tap them firmly into place with a hammer.
- If placing the log outdoors, seal the holes with beeswax to protect the spawn from insects and weather. This step is unnecessary if the log is kept indoors in a garage or basement.
- Over time, the mycelium will grow from the plugs and spread through the log. Mushrooms will eventually emerge from cracks in the wood. This process typically takes 9-12 months, but mushrooms will continue to grow annually depending on temperature and humidity.
Advice
- For more information on growing mushrooms indoors and outdoors, you can explore articles on Mytour.
What You Need
- Mushroom spawn
- Sawdust, straw, or fertilizer
- Baking tray
- Heating pad
- Potting soil
- Spray bottle
- Water
- Towel
