Mushrooms are easy to grow and have a lot of benefits for health and the environment.
However, mushrooms are not necessarily the easiest plant to grow because mushrooms can have specific needs for growing conditions.
Also, the different types of mushrooms will have different growing conditions that lead to the best growing and harvest.
But, with the right type of growing conditions and harvesting, you can have a consistent supply of mushrooms for months.
7 Tips For Growing Mushrooms Indoors For The First Time
1. Go for the correct type of mushroom
Conducting proper research is vital before planting mushrooms.
You want to think about how easy it is and how much time it takes for the mushroom to mature.
For a first-time grower – Button and oyster mushrooms are two of the easiest types of mushrooms to grow.
Brown caps, wine caps, chanterelles, and shiitake mushrooms would be good options as they do not take as long to mature as other types.
Enoki mushrooms can be grown indoors, but you should raise them separately from other varieties of mushrooms as they need to be cooler than mushrooms.
If you are attempting to grow mushrooms for the first time indoors, use spawns instead of spores. Spawns are much easier and will grow a lot easier for you.
Finally, always buy your supplies from reputable vendors and look to see if they have reviews from other gardeners.
2. Choose a favorable place to grow your mushrooms
Mushrooms grow well in dark and damp places.
They do not have chlorophyll, so they do not need sunlight for food.
They lose moisture rapidly because they do not have skin, which means that the higher humidity stypmpes up evaporation.
It is also necessary that the soil is moist, but not wet.
Look for a room that you purposely go to ofter with good ventilation, like the basement. Mushrooms release spores in millions as they grow.
Prolonged exposure to these spores may result in irritation to respiratory system and cause allergic reactions. Because of this, it is always best to use a mask when near the mushrooms.
3. Carefully select your substrate
A substrate is essentially a mushroom’s growing medium and is distinctly different from soil since it would most likely not grow in soil.
The mushroom type will determine what substrate you will be using for your indoor mushroom farm.
For indoor mushrooms, straw and hardwood sawdust are the most common substrates to use for all types of mushroom farming.
Other examples of substrate for mushroom farming:
| Substrates | Description |
|---|---|
| Straw | – It is made from stems of oats, wheat, or barley – They are cheap – Straw is usually pasteurized – Best for – Oyster species |
| Hardwood Sawdust | – Common hardwood species used to make this type of substrate include: Maple, oak, hickory, and beech – It is inexpensive to prepare or buy – Offers faster colonization – If you use sawdust, make sure it is from untreated wood – Best for – Reishi, Shiitakes, and Lions mane |
| Coffee Grounds | – They are high on nitrogen which makes that helps produce higher yields – Preferably use fresh coffee grounds to reduce the probability of contamination – You can either sterilize or pasteurize the grounds – They can also be used as supplements for the other substrates – Best for oyster and shiitake mushrooms |
| Compost Manure | – The manure is left to decompose fully, or it can be expedited by heating it to 160 degrees Fahrenheit – 2 pasteurization processes occur; the first to remove contaminants and the second to remove ammonia. – Best for – White Button, Portobello mushrooms |
4. Always sterilize your substrate
Sterilization is important for eliminating any microorganisms in the substrate.
This helps to minimize competing with the nutrients with your mushroom spawns.
You can do this in 3 easy steps:
- Take a small amount of straw/sawdust in a bowl.
- Add water into the bowl until the entire substrate is damp.
- Place it inside a microwave and heat until it evaporates all water.
Working with a small portion is vital to a complete sterilization of all the substrate.
You may substitute using a pressure cooker instead of a microwave.
Sterilization is not only for the substrate as well. Sterilize your hands, kits, and work tools even before starting to grow, to avoid contamination.
5. Maintain optimal growth conditions
If you want to keep your mushrooms healthy, you need to control their environmental conditions.
Start by putting your spawn into the sterilized substrate and place the (pan) in a dark room.
Mushroom spawns grow best at an approximately 70o (F) temperature.
Use a heating pad to maintain this temperature for approximately 2 – 3 weeks.
During This Time – The spawn will spread through the substrate, eventually propagating through it. It should take about 3 weeks to fully propagate. Once this is finished, lower the temperature on the heating pad until it reaches an approximately 55 to 60 o (F) temperature. Then, top the mixture with a thin layer of soil (typically one inch) while keeping it moist.
You could also water the mushrooms regularly, but placing it on top with a damp cloth would likely be easier voiding the watering.
The dampness of the cloth should never dry out, allowing for the humidity to be approximately 80 – 90 %.
Too much moisture, however, creates a deformity in the mushroom cap.
6. Ensure proper maintenance
Mushrooms, like any other crop, should be given the proper attention and maintenance to be viable.
In particular, you should be sure to keep the growth environment moist and below 70 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the growth.
You should routinely check the mushroom for any contamination.
The first sign of contamination is black or a greenish tint on your mushrooms. You will want to throw away said batch before it becomes detrimental to the rest of the growth.
You also need to address the said contaminants or, in a week or so, you will lose your entire crop.
7. Watch out for when and how your harvest your mushrooms
While most mushrooms will start to form within 3-4 weeks, you should only begin harvesting when the caps open and separate from the stipes.
Once this opens, always use a sharp knife to cut the mushroom at the stipe and avoid pulling them out.
Pulling out mature mushroom stipes can damage the tender mycelium that is forming.
But picking the right time of harvest will help you to get the most yield and quality!
Early harvesting will decrease yield, but letting mushrooms remain for a longer time will increase yield, but often the quality is compromised depending on how much longer you wait.
Once you’ve harvested all your mushrooms, wash them carefully, store them into a clean paper bag, and place them into your refrigerator.
Mushrooms are pretty perishable when not processed, so be sure to use or cook them within a week!
NOTE: Do not freeze mushrooms since it would significantly alter their taste.
Benefits of Growing Mushroom Indoors
Self-sufficiency
How easy is it to grow your own food?
In the right conditions, you could probably set up your mushroom farm anywhere in your garden or even in your city apartment.
Value for Money
Ultimately, your home-grown mushrooms will cost you a small proportion of what you would pay at the grocery store or in restaurants.
In addition to being more economical, you also get the luxury of cooking up your own creations and experimenting with different recipes to prepare a variety of delicious meals.
Superior Quality
Farm-fresh mushrooms beat packaged mushrooms.
They are healthier comparatively because they do not contain preservatives, which extend the life of mushrooms.
Furthermore, since you are growing them in a controlled environment, you would use less pesticide and fertilizer, resulting in a meal that is tastier and healthier.
Eco-friendly
The majority of soil types used for growing varieties of mushrooms indoors derived from waste sources.
Reducing, reusing, and recycling waste sources contributes to improve sustainability efforts overall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do mushrooms need sunlight?
Mushrooms do not need light to grow, however they do prefer light when producing their fruit from mycelium.
Therefore, throw in a few hours of sunshine and they will grow faster. If you don’t have sunlight, you can use a dim bulb instead—and still get the same yields.
How long does it take to grow mushrooms indoors?
Normally, the kind of mushroom you are growing determines how long it will take to grow them.
If you are growing most common species with no starter, it will take about 7-8 weeks to be ready for harvest.
If you use a growing kit, you will be growing mushrooms in as little as 2 weeks.
Which are the best mushrooms to grow indoors?
Although there are many varieties of mushrooms that can be grown indoors, Oysters are by far the best to grow indoors.
They grow in almost every substrate and require minimal maintenance.
Do mushrooms grown indoors taste better than wild mushrooms?
Mushrooms grown at home have a superior taste as they are cultivated in a controlled environment.
In a natural environment, sterilization is impossible, so wild mushrooms often face food competition with other organisms.
Some wild mushrooms are poisonous, and eating one could kill you.
Identifying edible from inedible wild mushrooms can sometimes be problematic, so be cautious.
Final Thoughts
When you begin with mushroom cultivation, aim for only one species to start.
Don’t rush into diversifying! Trying to produce too many different types of mushrooms too quickly will leave you disappointed as well as losing time and money.
Also, invest in a good quality equipment kit. The actual cost of production when growing mushrooms indoors for the first time is typically very low.
All kits come with a complete guide, and just doing what it says will make your indoor growing ventures completely successful.