You may have heard of people growing their own mushrooms . Would you like to try it too, but don't know how to get started? In this garden tip, we will take you through the process of growing your own mushrooms. It is easier than it seems and it is very satisfying. You just need to have a little patience and let nature do its work. And with a special growing set, you will be on your way to your own mushroom harvest even faster.
Which mushrooms can you grow yourself?
Mushrooms that you can grow yourself are:
the common white mushrooms
• which you can also find in the store (but they are even tastier if you grow them yourself)
• mild in taste
• can be used in many dishes
oyster mushrooms
• grow quickly and are therefore ideal as a "beginner mushroom"
• tastes nutty
shiitake
• require a bit more attention and patience, so for more advanced growers
• umami taste
Attention! It sounds so obvious and yet we still want to mention it: if you see mushrooms growing in the garden, do not just eat them. It takes some knowledge and experience to really recognize mushrooms. There are many types that look very similar, but are still different. And some mushrooms are poisonous, even if they do not look like it.
Growing mushrooms: how do you get started?
Mushrooms are not fussy guests, but of course you want to give them the optimal conditions to grow.
What do you need?
a suitable container of 10 cm deep
a growing medium or substrate on which mycelium can grow such as compost, wood shavings, straw, coffee grounds or even a tree stump
mushroom spores
There is also something called mushroom spawn: that is a substrate on which the mycelium is already growing. If you buy a grow kit, it often already contains mushroom spawn and you do not have to let the spores develop themselves.
What do the mushrooms need?
a cool place with a temperature of about 15 °C, for example a cellar
(never colder than 10°C, never warmer than 20°C)
a dark place without direct sunlight
a high humidity
Step-by-step plan for growing mushrooms
Choose your mushroom species and check what growing conditions it needs. For example, white mushrooms like compost, while oyster mushrooms grow well on sawdust or straw. Shiitake has a soft spot for tree trunks. If you buy a grow kit, it immediately contains the right growing medium for the mushroom species in question.
Fill the growing tray with the growing medium to within a few cm of the edge and moisten it well (not soaking wet!).
If you are not working with a grow kit containing mushroom spawn (a mixture in which the mycelium is already growing), you will need to distribute the spores over the compost, sawdust or straw yourself in this step. The mycelium can then start growing.
Cover the mixture with a layer of compost and place a piece of cardboard, jute or cotton cloth on top that you moisten.
Keep the container moist by misting regularly, but don't overdo it. Mushrooms like moisture, but won't grow in soggy conditions.
After a few weeks you will start to see small mushrooms which will then grow quickly, depending on the species (white button mushrooms for example are faster growers than oyster mushrooms).
Mushrooms are harvested by cutting them off at the base with a sharp knife. Some types, such as oyster mushrooms, continue to grow after the first harvest and will produce a new batch after a few weeks.
What is the difference between mycelium, spawn and substrate?
Growing mushrooms comes with a whole vocabulary of its own. So here are a few terms in a row:
mycelium
are the white fungal threads of a mushroom, a kind of root system, so to speak: they are created when you mix the spores of a mushroom with a growing medium (such as compost)
mushroom spawn
is a substrate on which the mycelium is already growing: it is included in the growing kits that you can buy and you therefore skip a step in the growth process
mushroom substrate
is the growing medium in which you grow the mushrooms and which contains the nutrients needed for the mycelium to develop properly
When can you start?
You can grow mushrooms all year round, but spring or autumn is just a little better suited for the job. Why? Simply because the humidity and temperature in those periods are more favourable than in the warm, dry summer or too cold winter. Especially if you do not have a special growing space, the weather conditions are extra important.
If you grow indoors, like in a basement, you are less dependent on seasons. In any case, make sure you keep the space dark, cool and humid.
