HOW TO GROW MUSHROOMS AT HOME

How to grow mushrooms at home

When it comes to growing your own mushrooms at home you have two choices. You can either buy a premade mushroom box (with instructions included)  from your local plant centre or you can be brave, start from scratch, and do it all yourself.

How to grow mushrooms at home

Button mushrooms are one of the most commonly consumed mushrooms in the entire world and probably the best variety to try and grow at home. While they are the easy to find in your local supermarket, home grown mushrooms will always taste better.

So if you are going to take the plunge and start growing mushrooms at home you will need:

1.  A 2ft x 3ft growing tray which is approximately 6-8 inches deep.

2. Compost. Mushroom Compost is made from a mix of well rotted materials such as hay, straw, straw horse bedding, poultry litter, cottonseed meal, cocoa shells and gypsum. Sphagnum moss peat is then added to this so as to provide a consistent product. Be in mind that it may well be easier to buy some pre-made!

3. Mushroom spawn - this can be bought online or from good plant retailers.

4. Peat moss

5. A piece of wood or flat object

6. A water mister

7. Some old newspapers

How to grow mushrooms at home

To begin with, place the well-rotted compost into the growing tray and water. Be sure that the compost is completely wet - you want it moist not soggy.

Next, take 1 to 2 cups of the dry button mushroom spawn flakes and mix it into the compost. You’ll need to loosen the mixture and put it into loose piles in the tray. With a piece of wood or something flat press the compost and spawn mixture into the tray. Now let it set overnight.

Keep the temperature between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 weeks, misting daily with your spray bottle.

Once you see white webbing on the surface of the soil you’ll need to apply a 1 ½ inch layer of moist peat moss and cover with a few layers of newspapers. The newspaper must be kept moist. Continue to evenly spray the newspaper twice daily. Maintain a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

After 10 days remove the newspaper and continue to mist twice daily. In a few days you’ll see tiny white pinheads sprouting.

Once the button mushrooms reach your desired size you can pick them and new mushrooms will grow in 10 to 14 days. You’ll have an endless supply for 3 to 6 months using this method and then you’ll need to start the process again from step one.

For related articles click onto the following links:
Growing Mushroom
HOW TO GROW MUSHROOMS
HOW TO GROW OYSTER MUSHROOMS
THE BLEEDING TOOTH FUNGUS
WHAT ARE MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI?