FAYSTON – Growing mushrooms at home doesn’t require special equipment or prior experience.
Fresh mushrooms can be grown with an at-home mushroom growing kit. Mushroom growing kits require minimal space and time, making it possible to grow your own food year-round, even during the cold Vermont winter months.
Mushroom kits are widely available and designed specifically for home use. They include a prepared growing block and instructions, which is all that is needed to easily grow mushrooms at home. Because mushrooms are fungi, they do not need soil and sunlight to produce a harvest. Common varieties such as oyster, shiitake and lion’s mane all grow well indoors and can be ready to harvest in as little as two to three weeks.
photo by Andrea Knepper
Check a local garden supply store for mushroom growing kits or look online. When shopping, look for a kit that has is certified organic, suitable for beginners with step-by-step instructions, variety and price. Oyster mushrooms are considered the most reliable variety for first-time growers. They grow quickly and are tolerant of a range of common household conditions, including the drier air often found in homes heated by wood stoves. Shiitake and lion’s mane kits are also good choices for beginners, but can take longer to mature.
Most kits come with a block of growing material, usually a mix of sawdust and grain, wrapped in plastic. This block is called the substrate and serves as the food source for the mushrooms. The substrate is inoculated with mushroom spawn. The spawn grows into a web of white fibers called mycelium. The mycelium gradually takes over the substrate, turning it white and preparing it to produce mushrooms.
photo by Andrea Knepper
Getting started with a mushroom growing kit is straightforward. Kits include detailed instructions, but the process is generally the same across different brands, including cutting the plastic packaging according to the instructions and soaking the growing block in water.
Mushrooms need a lot of moisture, so the growing block will be watered every day.
Within one to two weeks, small clusters of mushrooms beginning to emerge. This is called pinning. These baby mushrooms grow quickly, sometimes doubling in size every day. Watering the mushrooms should continue until they have reached maturity. The instructions in a kit will describe what to look for, such as the size and shape of the cap, to know when mushrooms are ready to harvest.
A mushroom growing kit can sometimes yield more than one harvest. After harvesting the first crop, a a second flush can be attempted. To do this, let a growing block rest for about a week in a cool, dry place. Repeat the instructions included with the kit: soak the growing block again and water as directed. In most cases, subsequent batches of mushrooms will take longer to grow and have a smaller yield.
photo by Andrea Knepper
When the kit is done producing, add the substrate to a compost pile or directly to a garden beds. The mycelium has already broken down the growing material, so it is ready to enhance compost or garden soil.
Growing mushrooms at home is a fun, easy, and rewarding way to continue harvesting fresh produce throughout the year. Whether looking to add flavor to home-cooked meals or wanting to try a new gardening experience, a mushroom kit is an excellent investment.
Andrea Knepper is a UVM Extension Master Gardener volunteer from Fayston.
Andrea Knepper
Andrea Knepper is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from Fayston.
