Mushroom Cultivation Guide

A Step-By-Step Mushroom Cultivation Guide

Growing delicious mushrooms is easier than you think. To grow delicious mushrooms, all you need is a cool, dark space and a few materials. Mushrooms are not just nutrients rich food but can be eaten by people of all groups. They contain an extra amount of vitamins like B2 and B3.

When growing them in your home or at your home is easy why don't you give it a try and grow this nutritious food. For proper growth, mushrooms require some very specific tools and techniques during the process, which can’t be replaced with any alternative.

Where to Grow Your Mushrooms?

The climate of the area or room you choose for mushroom cultivation counts a lot. It is an important factor in growing mushrooms. No doubt, you can grow mushrooms in different climate zones, but the best is to choose an indoor spot with constant humidity and temperature.

The conditions required for mushroom cultivation depend on the type of mushroom you want to grow. Before finalizing the spot or room for mushroom cultivation, it is better to first test out it by checking the temperature. We provide one of the best mushroom fruiting chambers so you can easily maintain the temperature requirement for mushroom cultivation.

Why Mushroom Cultivation At Home Is Beneficial?

Mushrooms are fungus fruit called Mycelium. They grow underground, in decaying logs, or within trees and remain unnoticeable until they fruit. Mushroom cultivation at home makes it easy for you to eat and enjoy your favorite mushroom varieties without the need to purchase them in small containers and at a high cost.

Mushroom cultivation at home is not just fun but also helps you get fresh organic produce. It helps you avoid wastage of mushrooms by picking only what and when you need them. Cultivating mushrooms at home is also a wonderful educational project for the kids.

Conditions And Precautions For Mushroom Cultivation

To grow perfectly, mushrooms need a moderate temperature, humidity, and ventilation. When growing mushrooms, it is essential to make sure the spot is moist and away from direct light. For proper growth, they can tolerate some light, but the growing area must stay mostly in low light or dark. Make sure the temperature for the mushroom cultivation will be within the correct range. You can also use a cupboard, lawn, laundry, or bathroom for mushroom cultivation.

Some types of mushrooms grow best outdoors. Due to their preparation in logs or ground, they take a much longer process for growth. When picking the mushrooms, the immature fruit bodies should not be disturbed. All the difficulties of mushroom cultivation can be removed by using the right mushroom fruiting chamber and being careful.

Things You Need To Know Before You Begin

When growing mushrooms it is best to know that process of mushroom cultivation is different from cultivating other vegetables. Mushrooms are different from most plants and grow from spores. The use of good quality mushroom substrates is best for first-time mushroom growers as it helps to make the cultivation process easy.

Rather than buying mushroom spores, beginners can prefer mushroom substrates and mushroom grow kits to get the desired results. Such grow kits are a good place to start mushroom cultivation, especially for those who are new to the process.

Fascinating Production Process

Mushrooms have a fascinating production process and are grown all year round. All they need is the use of the right growing kits and a highly controlled environment. Mushrooms grow in a fascinating and unique way. They remain in a category of their own. This makes it essential for the growers to follow the right mushroom growing process

The idea of mushroom cultivation is complicated for those who do not have previous experience with it. But growing mushrooms becomes easy when you have the right tools by your side. Learning the cultivation process and following the requirements helps to make the cultivation easy and mistake-free.

Start With Preparation Of Substrate

Mushroom substrating, also known as composting is started by wetting and mixing the ingredients properly. Substrates are artificially prepared growth mediums used for mushrooms so they can derive essential nutrients required by them for growth. The preparation of compost usually occurs outdoors. It can also be done in an enclosed structure or a building, under a roof over the substrate. The use of a substrate that is too dry or too wet must be avoided. The best way to start with the substrate is using ready to use substrate.

The best substrates for mushroom cultivation are organically prepared to support the growth of mushroom mycelia. They are also best to support its development and fruiting. Just make sure to clean your hands properly before working with the substrate. We provide one of the best substrates for mushroom cultivation, so you do not need to waste your time preparing them.

Finishing The Substrate

Finishing the substrate is a stage important for those who prefer preparing the substrate on their own. After preparing the substrate, the growers need to make sure that their substrate is free of insects, pest fungi, nematodes, and other pests. For this, they have to do proper pasteurization.

It is also important to condition the substrate and remove the ammonia. But when you use a properly sterilized mushroom substrate, you don’t have to grow through such steps. You can use our sterilized mushroom substrate to prevent the risk of pest fungi, insects, nematodes, etc. This will help you grow the best mushrooms with convenience.

Mushroom Spawning

Mushroom spawning is a process of mixing spawn with a substrate. The spawns can be defined as a medium that is impregnated with mushroom mycelia. It serves as the seed for cultivation. Spawns are a fibrous mass of mushroom mycelium that grows on dead organic matter. They can be obtained from germinating the spores that are obtained from the mushroom fruit body.

The preparation of mushroom spawn seems to be easy but requires good technical skill and investment. The spawns can also be obtained from the mushroom market at a nominal price. The mycelium from a mushroom culture is settled onto steam-sterilized grain and then it grows completely through the grain.

Just make sure your spawn will grow rapidly in the substrate. Spawns that are high yielding, provide early pruning, and create a high grade of mushroom are usually considered best for mushroom cultivation.

The Casing Stage

The casing stage includes the process of covering the spawn-run substrate. It is a covering applied to the substrate on which the growing mushrooms form slowly and steadily. The casing acts as a water reservoir and does not need nutrients. It also acts as a place where rhizomorphs form. The casing soil is not less than an effective substrate used for growing various kinds of mushrooms. Such soil is made with a combination of peat and various other types of organic matter.

After preparation, the soil must be sterilized properly. This can be done either by steaming or with formalin solution to kill the pests, insects & other molds. In this process, the substrate is covered with the casing soil so the mycelium can start growing from the substrate into the soil. This layer of casing not just supplies water to the mycelium for its growth and development, but also protects the substrate from drying.

The whole process of casing usually takes 4-7 days and helps you get harvestable mushrooms. Just make sure your casing is good enough to hold moisture properly, as moisture is necessary for the firm mushroom development. For the greatest yield potential, it is important to make sure you will supply maximum water to the casing soil, without even leaching into the underlying substrate. Knowing how, when, and how much to water the casing is an “art form” that each grower needs to have to grow the best mushrooms.

Pin Formation

The initials of mushrooms develop after rhizomorphs form in the casing. Usually, the initials are very small but you can see them ad outgrowths on a rhizomorph. Pinning usually develops when the CO2 content of the room is very less. Due to lower CO2 and colder air, the fluffy mycelium starts contracting. This contracting of the mycelium results in the formation of a pin. This is also the major reason that this stage is called pin formation.

In the pinning stage, it is important to prevent the air from entering the room. This must be done until the mycelium start showing at the casing surface. Also, make sure not to water the casing when the initial pin will starts forming. The surface of casing soil cools down when the mycelium starts growing. Such soil takes around 5-6 days to cool down properly. After the formation of a pin, the relative humidity in the mushroom growing room is lowered slowly. The reason behind this is to help pins start growing into mushrooms. The mushroom takes 5 to 7 days to shift from pin to harvestable.

Harvesting/Cropping

Harvesting/Cropping is the last stage of the mushroom cultivation process. When harvesting, it is better to look for mature mushrooms first. Properly grown mushrooms must always be picked only after 2-3 days of their first appearance. Make sure you will pick the mushrooms gently. This can be done by grasping the stalk and then pulling out it slowly. Holding the mushrooms gently with the forefingers, twisting the caps gently, and pressing them against the soil for the twist are some important things that must be considered while harvesting the mushrooms.

When picking mushrooms make sure to twist them lightly so you will not disturb the neighboring young mushrooms. The whole cycle of mushroom harvesting /cropping repeats itself in a rhythmic fashion. It usually goes on until mushrooms stop continuing to mature.

The high temperature of the air during cropping is considered better during harvesting. Such temperature favors mushroom growth, but on the other side, lower/cooler temperatures just lengthen the life cycles. Such temperature reasons both insect pests and disease pathogens. It is essential to make sure that the comparative humidity in the mushroom growing room is high. It must be high enough to properly minimize the drying of the casing. Also, make sure it will not cause the top surfaces of the mushrooms clammy or sticky.