How to grow mushrooms – both inside or in the garden (2024)

A tasty and healthy addition to your diet, if learn how to grow mushrooms you will be able to enjoy many different varieties that you might not always be able to find at the grocery store.

Mushrooms are not considered plants, vegetables, or fruits – they are the inhabitants of their own kingdom of fungi.Although they are an unusual crop to grow, you can still include them in your vegetable garden ideas, you just need to take account of their differing growing needs.

Find out how to grow mushrooms both inside, in your garden or in containers.

How to grow mushrooms for beginners

How to grow mushrooms – both inside or in the garden (1)

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If you wondering how to grow mushrooms, you first need to be aware that there are many different varieties. Each type may need specific growing mediums and temperatures, so some might be easier to grow as part of your vegetable garden container ideas, where you can more easily control the conditions.

'Mushrooms can be classified into three basic ecological groups: mycorrhizal, parasitic, and saprophytic,' explains Paul Stamens, author of, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms.

In North America alone, there are about 11,000 species of mushrooms that have been identified and named.

What are mushrooms grown from?

Mushroom seeds are actually spores – tiny cells that allow the reproduction of another mushroom without pollination. The spores are so tiny, you usually can’t see a single spore with the human eye. Spores are expelled from the mushroom and can travel through the air, falling on surfaces that allow growth of new mushrooms. They need a substance like sawdust or straw in order to grow.

Mushroom growers offer spawn, a mixture of spores and nutrients, as a starter for mushroom growing. Spawn is then applied to materials, such as straw, cocoa bean hulls, or even logs where the mushrooms will thrive and grow. Threadlike mycelium appears first before mushrooms begin to grow.

You can buy mushroom growing kits that usually include spawn and a growing medium.

How to grow mushrooms inside

How to grow mushrooms – both inside or in the garden (2)

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Growing mushrooms inside in a controlled environment can often be the easiest and most successful method.

Some mushrooms grow well in a number of mediums, and others need specific types of growing circ*mstances and soils. For example, they may prefer to be grown on composted manure, hardwood sawdust, cardboard or straw.

'Oyster mushrooms can be grown on straw in containers, mono tubs, or bags/fruiting blocks,' advises the team at North Spore.

'Reishi mushrooms grow best in a special filter patch bag and live the entire lifecycle in the bag if grown indoors.'

How to grow mushrooms in the garden

How to grow mushrooms – both inside or in the garden (3)

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Mushrooms can be a fun addition to the productive growing areas in your backyard.

The wine cap variety, Stropharia rugoso annulata, is a great option if you want to learn how to grow mushrooms when you're planning when to plant vegetables as 'they can tolerate some sun,' explain the experts at North Spore. They also help improve garden soil by mobilizing nutrients. Wine cap mushrooms can grow well in wood chips or straw.

Alternatively you can grow your mushrooms in a container on your back deck where you can control the growing conditions.

Other mushrooms that work well in outside growing areas include:

  • Wood blewitt– cl*tocybe nuda
  • Shaggy mane – Coprinus comatus
  • Pearl oyster– Pleurotus ostreatus

What conditions are needed for a mushroom to grow?

How to grow mushrooms – both inside or in the garden (4)

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Mushrooms like cool, dark places, with moist growing conditions. Basem*nts and sink or bathroom cabinets are great for growing mushrooms inside. They like temperatures averaging 57 °F (13°C), with no drafts or heat spots.

North Spore experts advise that wine cap mushrooms do well in an outdoor bed.

'These mushrooms are more sun tolerant than other types, but you should find a spot that is fairly dark or has low light.' Add these among your list of vegetables to grow in shade.

Some mushrooms are suited to growing outdoors on logs, but the growing process is longer.Check the growing conditions required for the variety you wish to grow.

When to grow mushrooms

It is best to start mushrooms after the last frost in your area, unless you are growing mushrooms indoors.

If you grow mushrooms indoors and in the garden, you can have fresh crops all year long. In some areas of the United States, you can grow mushrooms outdoors nearly year round, with different species coping well in different temperatures.

How long will it take to grow a mushroom?

How to grow mushrooms – both inside or in the garden (5)

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How long it takes to grow a mushroom depends on both the species and the environment.

For instance, Shiitake mushrooms need months to colonize before mushrooms appear.For beginners, North Spore suggests growing oyster mushrooms in an indoor container, as you could enjoy a mushroom crop in a month or so.

How to grow mushrooms – both inside or in the garden (2024)

FAQs

How to grow mushrooms – both inside or in the garden? ›

Grow Outdoors

If you already garden or shady landscaping, adding a mushroom bed not only improves soil health, but also gives you another crop to foster from spawn to plate or pantry. Growing mushrooms both on logs and in beds requires specific mediums.

Should I grow mushrooms inside or outside? ›

Grow Outdoors

If you already garden or shady landscaping, adding a mushroom bed not only improves soil health, but also gives you another crop to foster from spawn to plate or pantry. Growing mushrooms both on logs and in beds requires specific mediums.

How do you plant mushrooms in your garden? ›

First, line the bed with cardboard to retain moisture and keep out weeds. On top of the cardboard, spread a growing medium layer of wood chips, sawdust, or straw. Top the nutrients with your first layer of mushroom spawn, then cover it with another layer of nutrients to surround the spawn with food.

Where is the best place to grow mushrooms outside? ›

In many senses, growing mushrooms outdoors is ideal because the forest (or any shady environment with good humidity and air flow) creates the ideal conditions for fruiting without the need for any climate control on the part of the farmer.

What is the best environment for growing mushrooms? ›

The ideal growing conditions for mushrooms are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and greater than 90% humidity. Natural logs work well and oaks and maples serve as the best hosts. For natural logs, it is best if the log is newly cut so that it hasn't dried out.

What are the cons of growing mushrooms indoors? ›

Cons. The cons of indoor mushroom growing include space limitations for one. If you live in small quarters or share a home with family or roommates, you might have a hard time allocating dedicated space to your new hobby.

What is the best room to grow mushrooms in? ›

Look for a cool, dark, and well-ventilated area in your home. A basem*nt, spare room, or even a large closet can be transformed into an ideal environment for mushroom cultivation. Cleanliness is essential to prevent contamination and ensure the success of your mushroom crop.

What is the best and easiest way to grow mushrooms? ›

  1. Step 1: Location. Find a suitable location in your yard. ...
  2. Step 2: Lay A Bed Of Straw And Woodchips. Lay down a bed of organic material in which the mushroom mycleium can thrive. ...
  3. Step 3: Wet the Bed and Innoculate With Your Spawn. ...
  4. Step 4: Keep Wet and Wait. ...
  5. Step 5: Harvest and Enjoy.

Can you grow mushrooms in just soil? ›

In the wild, mushrooms grow on both soil and other substrates like wood, but no soil is necessary for growing them at home. Instead, they'll grow on substances like sawdust, grain, straw, or wood chips for nourishment. A blend of the spores and these nutrient sources is called spawn.

Do mushrooms need room to grow? ›

The spaces used to grow mushrooms can be as small as a closet to a retrofitted room, garage, or basem*nt, to a modified warehouse or a building specifically designed for mushroom growing.

What is the easiest mushroom to grow outside? ›

Wine Cap mushroom beds. Perhaps the easiest mushroom to grow outside is the Wine Cap, Stropharia rugoso-annulata. This is a tasty mushroom you're not likely to find at the grocery store.

How to encourage mushroom growth? ›

Placing the bale in the shade, using shade cloth, or inoculating with sawdust spawn can keep your mushroom bale growing well as temperatures rise. To inoculate, disperse spawn evenly on all sides of the bale, getting as close to the center as possible.

How to prepare a mushroom bed? ›

Make sure you separate the substrate thoroughly to ensure a consistent and quick colonisation of the wood chips. Now spread out the spawn over the watered wood chip layer as evenly as possible and cover it with the remaining wood chips. Afterwards the mushroom bed needs to be watered again for about 10 minutes.

What is the best location for mushroom cultivation? ›

The best location to grow mushrooms is indoors. This is because the temperature inside our homes is what the mushrooms require to fruit year-round. The main challenge is that we generally keep our houses dry to stop mould from growing. The best location is one where we can manage temperature and humidity.

How often should I water mushrooms? ›

A: Mushrooms are 90% water so it is very important to water twice a day at a minimum. With the provided spray bottle, mist 5 times under each flap twice a day, morning and evening. If you are available to attend your mushrooms more often, then mist more whenever you notice that the surface of the soil is dry.

Where do mushrooms prefer to grow? ›

Most mushrooms prefer shade or dark places, which is why you'll often find them on forest floors. However, some mushrooms can grow in part to full sun, such as those you may find growing on manure in a field. Mushrooms are more likely to adapt to less ideal conditions if they have a quality substrate to grow on.

Where is the best place to grow mushrooms at home? ›

Mushrooms are best grown under-cover, where temperature and moisture can be controlled. A shed, garage, garden cold frame or cellar will work well – anywhere out of the sun where it's possible to give mushrooms their optimum growing temperature of around 15°C (the temperature shouldn't go below 10°C or above 20°C).

Do mushrooms grow better in sun or shade? ›

Unlike plants that rely heavily on direct sunlight for photosynthesis, mushrooms do not require direct sunlight. In fact, excessive exposure to direct sunlight or full sun can be detrimental to their development. The ideal lighting condition for mushrooms is often described as mimicking natural daylight.

Can you eat mushrooms that grow outside your house? ›

Though many wild mushrooms are highly nutritious, delicious, and safe to consume, others pose a serious risk to your health and can even cause death if ingested.

References

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