Grow mushrooms at home

Having a mycological garden at home is being seen again in many homes, since in the past it was more common. It is an activity that may seem curious, but it is really practical if we are passionate about eating edible mushrooms and mushrooms because we can enjoy them all year round.

Thus, you can grow mushrooms at home and sell them, if you want to become a new business entrepreneur or grow them for your own consumption. Do you want to grow mushrooms at home because they are the most used in the kitchen? Or grow boletus at home by making a garden with various edible species? 

How to start growing mushrooms at home

To grow edible mushrooms in your home, you will have to start by getting something basic for it: the mushrooms themselves or their spores, as well as the appropriate substrate. The seeds of edible fungi , and also of the inedible ones, are those that allow their reproduction, such as spores, mycelia, mycorrhizae, etc., depending on the species and other factors. The suitable substrates for this type of cultivation are from soil to compacted straw, which you will have to place in a box or a sack, or even pieces of tree trunks. In addition, if you want to opt for an organic mushroom cultivation , you can do so using cultivation kits and ecological substrate that you will find in specialized stores.

After choosing the seeds, micelles or spores of the species you want to grow (later you will see the names), you will only have to decide which base and substrate you want, as well as find a suitable location in your home (below you can see the location conditions).

Edible mushroom grow kit

They are also called mushroom self-cultivation kits or mycokits and, as the name implies, they are packages that include what is necessary to be able to have this type of mushroom at home and consume them without difficulties.

In addition, if you are a beginner, you can get a basic starter kit which makes the preparation of the small garden even easier. These simple kits are even kid-friendly and make for a fun and interesting family activity.

Mushroom logs to grow at home

As we have commented before, another basis to be able to have this food grown at home is to use the trunks that produce mushrooms or seteros. In this case, you will only have to get one of the type of mushroom you want to have, since they are already sold prepared, and locate it correctly at home. Normally, the logs offer a higher production, so if you are going to consume, give away or sell a certain amount, it is worth it, but if it is only for your own consumption and from time to time, then opt for another option.

How to grow mushrooms in coffee grounds

Did you know that coffee grounds are great for gardening and farming? That’s right, and we recommend you try growing mushrooms with coffee residues if you want to set up your mycological garden step by step and not buy an already assembled kit. In reality, growing mushrooms in coffee grounds is simpler than it may seem at first.

Materials

• Spores of the edible mushrooms you want in your garden.
• Coffee grounds from the remains of your coffee maker.
• Plastic container that you can reuse and, preferably, that is dark. It can serve you a carafe of water or similar.
• Another container to make the mixture.
• A large bag that will fit the container.
• Corrugated cardboard.
• Ethyl alcohol (70% or more).
• Absorbent cloth or paper.

Elaboration

1. Sanitize your hands and tools with the ethyl alcohol. It is vital to ensure disinfection because the spores of the fungi you want to grow have competition, such as bacteria, which can proliferate in your garden and prevent mushrooms from growing.
2. Cut off the top of the container, poke 6 holes near its base so that the water can drain well, and disinfect the inside of the container.
3. Cut the corrugated cardboard into small pieces and moisten them in water.
4. Mix the cardboard with the coffee remains in a separate container.
5. Start filling the container with different layers of cardboard, coffee and spores of the chosen mushrooms until it is full or you run out of these ingredients.
6. Replace the top of the container, as a lid but without putting the cap on the carafe or bottle, and insert the container into the plastic bag. It is better not to close it, because it is needed to keep the humidity but still some air must circulate.
7. After 2 or 4 weeks, depending on the species, you can move your mycological garden and locate it in an area with a little more light, more air and humidity, but never in direct sun. The reason is that after this time, the mushrooms will already have a certain size and then they begin to grow looking for the light.
8. You just have to keep monitoring the environmental conditions and wait for the edible mushrooms to fully grow and you can collect them.

Names and types of mushrooms to grow at home

Some of the types of edible mushrooms that can be grown at home are:

• Enoki mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes)
• Shiitake mushrooms ( Lentinula edodes )
• Reishi mushroom ( Ganoderma lucidum )
• Poplar mushrooms ( Agrocybe aegerita )
• Thistle mushrooms ( Pleurotus eryngii )
• Oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus )
• Yellow oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus citrinopileatus )
• Pink oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus salmoneostramineus )
• Lion’s mane mushroom ( Hericium erinaceus )
• Paris or common mushroom ( Agaricus bisporus )

Care for growing mushrooms at home: conditions

It is necessary that a series of environmental conditions are met for edible mushrooms to grow , so it is necessary to know these basic cares to obtain good results. The conditions necessary for mushrooms to grow at home are, in general, the following:

• That the trunk, box or compacted straw alpaca that acts as a mycological garden is in a shady place , without direct sunlight.
• Avoid extreme temperatures and keep the range at the ideal temperature, between 15ºC and 20ºC .
• You have to keep the humidity high in the environment. It is best to have the mushroom garden in a humid place, but if you have a dry area you have to spray water frequently to keep the environment humid. It is recommended, especially at the beginning of the crop, to water twice a day.

However, some species need some more specific care, so you always have to be well informed about the conditions they need when acquiring their seeds or mushroom mycelia . For example, you can ask the store specialist and follow the directions on the container of the grow kit you buy.