Posted by How to grow edible Mushrooms at Home
Mushrooms are a nutritious food that can be eaten by people of all groups. Growing edible mushrooms at home has become popular all over the world. But is it easy to grow your own edible mushrooms at home? The answer is yes! When mushrooms are so easy to grow, why don’t you try to grow this nutritious food in your home?
Mushrooms give a high yield and can grow in small spaces, making it one of the easiest and most profitable crops even for new growers.
There are many types of mushrooms that can be grown at home and some species grow more easily than others.
On top of that, there are some growing methods that are so simple that they require very little effort (or skill). Today, we are sharing our tips on growing the easiest mushrooms. Let’s dive into it!
There are three reasons why you should grow mushrooms.
1. Mushrooms are easy to grow
It is easy to fall into the pit of a mycology rabbit, but the truth is that mushrooms can be grown even by newcomers.
This is a great video showing step by step growing Mushrooms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMNbEE0K1Cw
No need to be intimidated by unfamiliar techniques or terminology (inoculating substrate, anyone?). Starting with mushrooms is a lot more fun than you think.
2. Very little space is required for mushrooms
Whether you live in a house or an apartment, there is ample space in any home to grow mushrooms.
You can create a low-tech mushroom farm in your own home or grow mushrooms in outdoor garden beds depending on the variety.
3. Mushrooms are profitable
Mushrooms grow rapidly and densely, and require relatively little effort.
Suppose you have about 32 feet (10 metres) to dedicate to your mushroom setup and about 10 hours of extra time to spend on farming. You can harvest at least 22lbs (10kg) of oyster mushrooms per week.
You can grow a lot of mushrooms in the amount of time that most people spend watching TV every week!
What is the easiest mushroom to grow?
The easiest mushrooms to grow are:
- Oyster mushrooms
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Wine cap mushrooms
- Pioppino mushrooms
- Lion’s mane mushrooms
Let’s take a look at what makes these mushrooms so easy to grow:
1. Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are by far the best mushrooms for newbies to grow at home. They are found in many species, including pearl oysters, king oysters, and attractive colored pink, blue, and golden oysters.
What makes oyster mushrooms so easy to grow?
Oyster mushrooms are the easiest mushroom to grow because they like a variety of substrates, including coffee grounds, which you can usually get for free from local cafes.
These grow incredibly fast with very little effort on your part and are very strong against competing microorganisms like blue or green mould.
Since they are very tough, you can have some fun and try raising oyster mushrooms in a book.
What are the benefits of oyster mushrooms?
Some of the benefits of oyster mushrooms include:
- A good source of protein
- Contains iron, potassium, zinc, phosphorus & selenium
- Cholesterol-modulating abilities
What are the ideal growing conditions for oyster mushrooms?
The ideal growing conditions for oyster mushrooms are as follows:
- Season: Indoors all year round
- Location: For beginner or home mushroom growers, any indoor growing chamber will do it.
- Humidity: Spray with 80-95% relative humidity or water at least twice a day.
- Temperature: 10-30C (60-86F). The ideal temperature varies between varieties, but hard oyster mushrooms will tolerate a good range of temperatures.
- Lighting: Indirect light in small quantities
2. Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are traditionally very popular in Asian cuisine and are now becoming increasingly common around the world due to their delicious taste and long shelf life.
They are also considered medicinal mushrooms and have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
What makes Shiitake mushrooms so easy to grow?
Shiitake mushrooms are easy to grow thanks to their ability to grow both indoors and outdoors, making them ideal for a variety of set-ups.
If they are outside your home, they can be grown in logs kept in a shady place and will bear fruit year after year after their first flush. This method is the easiest way to grow mushrooms on shiitake.
Shiitake is usually grown on a sterile supplement saw when growing indoors, but some shiitake have strains that can also be grown on pasteurised straw, which is the easiest way to grow shiitake indoors.
What are the benefits of Shiitake mushrooms?
Some of the benefits of mushrooms on the shiitake include:
- High source of Vitamin D
- Potential immune-boosting benefits
- Contains anti-inflammatory beta-glucans
- High in antioxidants
What are the Ideal Growing Conditions for Shiitake Mushrooms?
The ideal growing conditions for shiitake mushrooms are as follows:
- Season: Indoors all year round. Outdoor logs produce the best grace in summer – autumn.
- Location: Inside an indoor fruiting chamber, or in a shady outdoor area for logs.
- Humidity: 80 – 90% relative humidity. Water accumulates once or twice a week, or fog bags with water several times a day if it continues to grow indoors
- Temperature: 7-21C (45-70F)
- Lighting: Indirect light.
3. Wine Cap Mushrooms
Unlike tree mushrooms like oysters, wine caps grow on the ground. This makes them ideal for growing in well-composted outdoor garden beds.
Also known as King Stropheria or garden monsters, they are commonly used in permaculture systems because they break down organic matter quickly and kill soil-based pathogens in garden beds.
What makes wine cap mushrooms so easy to grow?
Wine cap mushrooms are easy to grow thanks to their hard love for the outside.
They spread quickly and are aggressive growers, so you get a big return on your growing effort.
These will grow into a wide range of layers, including wood chips, saws, straw and leaf litter, which makes them ideal for making a bed in your garden with a range of different materials.
What are the benefits of wine cap mushrooms?
Some of the benefits of wine cap mushrooms include:
- Builds rich soil in the garden
- High source of fibre
- Higher Vitamin D due to outdoor growing conditions
- Favourable, mild taste
What are the ideal growing conditions for wine cap mushrooms?
The ideal growing conditions for wine cap mushrooms are as follows:
- Seasons: Autumn and spring
- Location: Outside the partially shaded garden bed
- Humidity: Maintain moisture using straw or hardwood chips as a layer, plant in shady places and water regularly.
- Temperature: Above 10C (50F)
- Light: Sunny with partial shade. A sunny area will need more frequent watering to retain moisture.
4. Pioppino Mushrooms
Also known as the Black Poplar Mushroom, Pioppino is becoming a popular mushroom for its rapid growth due to its unique shape and texture, making it a popular breed among chefs.
It is native to southern Europe where it is often grazed in the wild and is found growing near poplar trees.
What makes Pioppino mushrooms so easy to grow?
Pioppino mushrooms grow easily because they can be grown indoors or on pasteurised straw in a bed of mushroom chips or wood chips.
If you keep growing indoors, you will get the best results at temperatures below 15C (59F) and high humidity. Since it can be a little more difficult to make without a dedicated controlled growing environment, we recommend that the easiest way to grow pioppino is on an outdoor bed made of wood chips or straw.
Growing up this way, you can simply vaccinate with a bed or patch pioppino spawn and wait for it in the fall when conditions are favourable.
What are the benefits of pioppino mushrooms?
Some of the benefits of pioppino mushrooms include:
- Rich in antioxidants
- Adds texture to pasta, risotto, soup and noodle dishes
- Rich source of linoleic acid
- High in a wide range of nutrients
What are the ideal growing conditions for pioppino mushrooms?
The ideal growing conditions for pioppino mushrooms are as follows:
- Season: Autumn fruiting outdoors, or year-round indoors
- Location: Inside an indoor grow chamber or outdoor mushroom bed
- Humidity: Keep humidity high by spraying with water every day
- Temperature: Ideally 8-16C (46-60F)
- Light: Can grow in low light, but indirect light is fine
5. Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
It’s no secret where this mushroom got its name—the fruit looks just like a shaggy Lion’s mane!
Lion’s mane mushroom has gained popularity in recent years for its health features. It is an adaptogen that is often used to enhance cognitive ability.
What makes Lion’s mane mushrooms so easy to grow?
The Lion’s mane is one of the easiest mushrooms to grow thanks to its ability to grow fast and fruit easily without being too fussy.
It grows large round individual mushrooms from small holes cut in growing bags and it does well at room temperature, which reduces the need for careful temperature control.
What are the benefits of Lion’s mane mushrooms?
Some of the benefits of lion’s mane mushroom include:
- Reduces inflammation
- Promotes intestinal health
- Increases cognitive ability
- Used in both medicine and cooking
What are the Ideal Growing Conditions for Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?
The ideal growing conditions for Lion’s Mane are as follows:
- Season: Indoors all year round
- Location: Inside any fruiting chamber
- Humidity: Fog several times a day to ensure high humidity.
- Temperature: 15-20C (59-68F)
- Light: Grows best in shady areas away from direct sunlight.
How to grow mushrooms in an easy way
The process of mushroom cultivation is different from other vegetables. Before we describe the growing process, it is important to go over a few key points.
- Although most plants grow from seeds, mushrooms and other fungi grow from spores.
- When mushroom seeds are mixed with soil or other growing medium, a white, root-like substance called mycelium grows.
- A mushroom substrate is a substance that can grow on mycelium. For white button mushrooms, the proposed substrate is a mixture of compost and Fertilizer.
- Mushroom span is a substrate on which mycelium has already grown.
Step 1. Add the spores to the growing medium
The first step is to establish a substrate or growing medium. To do this, start with a planting tray that measures approximately 14 by 16 inches with a 6-inch depth. Trays can be made of wood, plastic or metal. Fill the tray with a mixture of compost and manure, leaving an inch of space at the top of the tray. Then, spread the spores on top.
For best results, try to keep the condition sterile in this step so that other types of mold and fungus cannot enter the substrate. Be sure to clean your hands thoroughly before working with the substrate, for example, and disinfect used knives and other tools.
Step 2. Make sure the soil is moist all the time
Mushrooms thrive in a humid environment, so it is essential to ensure that the soil stays moist throughout the growing process. To keep your growing medium moist, spray it once or twice a day or spray it or cover it with a damp towel.
Step 3. Incubate the spores
For the first three weeks, the soil temperature must be incubated to 70 degrees to promote growth. This can be done by placing the tray in a warm area of the house, or you can place the tray on a seedling heat mat. Choose a heating pad that has proper temperature control and place it under the tray. Using a soil thermometer, make sure that the soil temperature never rises above 70 degrees as high temperatures can kill the seeds.
Step 4. Lower the temperature to between 55 and 60 degrees
Soon white, root-like growth – or mycelium – will appear above the soil. When the whole tray is covered, it’s time to lower the temperature. Although many vegetables have to be grown in the summer, growing mushrooms is a great winter project because they grow in cool temperatures. Reduce the soil temperature to 55 to 60 degrees (to do this, you will probably need to remove the heating pad from the bottom of the tray), and cover the mycelium with about an inch of soil.
After a few days at this temperature, tiny mushrooms known as primordia will begin to germinate.
Step 5. Harvest the mushrooms and enjoy
Button mushrooms should grow fully after three or four weeks. Once the caps are fully open and separated from the stalks you will know that they are ready to be cut. If they are allowed to grow more, they will turn brown and be classified as Crimean mushrooms. In the final stages of their growth, they turn into larger portobello mushrooms. To cut the mushrooms, use a sharp knife to cut the stems. Do not pull the mushrooms from the soil as this process may damage the surrounding growth.
Mushrooms will grow continuously for about six months if they are cut daily because each mushroom will release its own seeds. When the growth stops, more mushroom spans can be added to the existing growing station. It is important to remember that fresh mushrooms do not last long after cutting, so they should be cooked or eaten within a few days.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it safe to grow mushrooms at home?
Mushrooms emit spores, but these spores do not harm humans if inhaled once / twice. Long-term exposure / inhalation can cause flu-like symptoms or some respiratory illness. Mushroom spores are very small and cannot be seen with the naked eye. Always wear a mask and apron when working. Be sure to disinfect them after use to avoid contamination.
2. What are the conditions required for growing mushrooms?
Mushrooms require dark places with high humidity with low temperatures of 24-25 degree Celsius (24-25 in early stage and 16-18 degrees for formation of fruiting bodies). Some mushrooms, such as Enoch, can grow at low temperatures (7-8 degree Celsius) and paddy straw mushrooms can grow at 35 degree Celsius.
3. Are mushrooms good for health?
Yes, mushrooms are very healthy because they contain antioxidants, proteins, vitamins (C, B, D) and minerals. They help maintain heart health, digestion and control blood pressure. It contains many B vitamins like thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3).
4. What is the best mushroom to eat?
There are many mushrooms like Enoki, Shitake, White Button, Milky, Oyster, Portobello, all these mushrooms are different in size, shape, colour and taste. All of these varieties have specific health benefits, some are high in fibre and some are high in protein and vitamins. Thus all mushrooms benefit us in one way or another.
5. Can I grow new mushrooms from mushrooms brought to the store?
Yes. You can grow new mushrooms from mushrooms brought from the store (trusted source) by raising the edges of any suitable growing medium (straw, saw dust, cardboard / wood) mushrooms. The edges of the mushroom still contain mycelium (the vegetable part of the fungus) which helps in the reproduction of the fungus. Oyster mushrooms are ideal and easy to grow from the edges of the mushrooms.
6. Do mushrooms take longer to grow?
Harvest days for mushrooms depend on the type of mushroom you grow. Some can be cut in one month and some take up to 4-5 months.
Great Video showing step by step growing mushrooms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMNbEE0K1Cw
Use this method to easily grow delicious mushrooms for pizza topping, creamy soup or salad.
As you can see, you can easily grow delicious, health-promoting, valuable mushrooms using home setup.