Mushroom Growing Tips

You might need some basic mushroom growing tips if you want to grow your own mushrooms.

Have you ever picked mushrooms in the wild?

If you did, you probably had fun but you probably had to travel to get to a place where there are mushrooms to pick and even if you were told there will be mushrooms there, it’s not always a guarantee.

Hunting for mushrooms is enjoyable but it could also be time-consuming there is no assurance that you will always get what you are searching for.

It is easy to buy your favorite mushrooms from the nearby grocery store, but you don’t know really know anything about where they come from and where did they grow and were harvested. Here are some mushroom growing tips.

Why grow your own mushrooms

Instead of foraging in the woods for mushrooms or buying them in a store you could simply grow your own mushrooms at your home.

If you decide to grow your own mushrooms, you will have full control over their variety and the cultivating environment. You will not have to meander in forests looking for woodsy morsels; you could just get them from your own backyard.

Furthermore, you can grow the type of mushrooms you desire, be it Oyster mushrooms or Jack O’Lanterns or whatever you choose. You can grow your favorite medicinal mushrooms and have them at your disposal when you need them.

So how do you go about starting to grow your own mushrooms?

Steps to take when growing your own mushrooms

Let’s get started on the path securing your very own delicious medicinal mushrooms.

1. What type
The first thing is to decide exactly what type of mushrooms do you want to grow? Growing any mushroom type largely depends upon the type of mushroom you prefer to eat. The most common mushroom species that people grow include Lion’s Manes, Shiitakes, Reishi, and Wine Caps. However, beginners usually prefer to grow Oyster mushrooms because it is relatively easy to grow. These mushrooms are one of the best options to learn mushroom cultivation because once you get a little experience, you are all set to grow more exotic and challenging types

2. Get The Right Spawn
The next step is to procure the mushroom spawn. The quickest way to get the spawns from local stores that sell various plant or online retailers, whatever is more convenient for you.
A more advanced way is to get your mushroom spawn by growing it yourself from spore. This could get quite complicated and time consuming since you need to take a spore print from a healthy mushroom carefully. If you are a beginner, just stick to readymade spawn from retailers, plant sellers, or online.

3. Select the Type of Substrate
After finalizing you got your mushroom spawn, the next logical step is to select the substrate to grow your mushrooms in. The substrate is the actual material in which you will cultivate your mushrooms. The type of substrate material mainly depends upon the mushroom type you want to grow.

If you chose to grow Oyster mushrooms as I am suggesting, you can use almost any substrate. Many people have successfully grown Oyster mushrooms on a wide range of substrates like wood, cardboard, pellets, wood shavings, corn cobs, and even paper bags.
No matter what substrate you select, you must treat it before you start growing any mushrooms in them. These treatments range from stovetop pasteurization, lime baths to cold fermentation.

4. Planting The Spawn
You can now start growing the mushrooms by inoculating the spawn. Technically speaking, the inoculation process is a little complicated, which involves using a heated syringe to inject the spawn into the substrate.
Luckily, it is fairly easy to inoculate Oyster mushrooms. Ensure that the substrate is a little moist and does not drip. Now mix the substrate and the spawn and scoop them into bags. Spread those bags on the growing area. You should incubate the substrate mix and stop when the bag turns entirely white.

5. Fruit and Harvest The Mushrooms
The last step is to fruit your mushrooms. Make little slits in the bags for proper airflow. Ensure to have an indirect light source. Oysters grow fast in the ambient temperature range of 50-80 degrees F. Your mushrooms should start to fruit within seven days. Remember that it is harvest time the moment the Oyster mushrooms begin to flatten.

Final Words about Growing Your Own Mushrooms

Hope these mushroom growing tips are useful to you. Growing your own mushrooms might seem a bit complicated at the beginning so it’s best to start the easiest way possible with growing Oyster mushrooms and then you gradually work your way up to more complex types. Patience and perseverance wins .