Fresh-picked mushrooms add so much flavor to pizza, pasta, and more.
Plus, they’re easy to grow indoors.
(Note that if you do get a second or third crop, it will be less robust.)
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Why Grow Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are fast-growing and can be ready to harvest within a few weeks.
Use these step-by-step instructions to grow oyster mushrooms, portobellos, shiitakes, and more.
Credit: Blaine Moats
How Do Mushrooms Grow?
Instead, they’ll grow on material like sawdust, grain, straw, or wood chips for nourishment.
A blend of the spores and these nutrient sources is called spawn.
Mushroom spawn acts a bit like the starter you need tomake sourdough bread.
The mycelium grows before anything resembling a mushroom pushes through the soil.
Where to Grow Mushrooms
Mushrooms like dark, cool, andhumid growing environments.
Most mushrooms grow best between 55 and 60 degrees, away from direct heat and drafts.
Enoki mushrooms grow better in cooler temperatures, about 45 degrees.
Mushrooms can tolerate some light, but the spot you choose should stay mostly dark or in low light.
Only source mushroom spawn from a reputable seller that can confidently identify the key in of mushroom.
Its fun to experiment with different substrates.
Fill the trays with the mushroomcompost materialand sprinkle spawn on top.
At this point, drop the temperature to 55 to 60 degrees.
Cover the spawn with an inch or so of potting soil.
Use a household thermometer placed at soil level to monitor soil temperature.
Step 4: Harvest Mushrooms
Button mushrooms should appear within three to four weeks.
Harvest them when the caps open, and the stalk can be cut with asharp knifefrom the stem.
Avoid pulling up the mushrooms, or you risk damage to surrounding fungi that are still developing.
Harvesting every day should result in a continuous crop for about six months.
Once you learn how to grow mushrooms in your home, it’s super easy to keep them growing.
How to grow your own mushrooms at home.
The Royal Horticultural Society.
The Fungus Among Us: Mushroom Toxicosis.
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
North American Mycological Association.
