Terrace gardening is all about using unused space at your home to grow vegetables and greens. No matter what space you use, be it a balcony terrace or windowsill, sunlight availability is a basic requirement for growing any plant. But mushrooms are something that you grow without sunlight in indoor spaces.
Mushrooms grow from spores (not seeds) that are so tiny you can't see individual spores with the naked eye. 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 will grow on substances like sawdust, grain, straw, or wood chips for nourishment. A blend of the spores and these nutrient sources is called spawn.
They are also very easy to grow and score very high on the nutrition scale. As per a study published in the Journal of Current Nutrition Reports 2023, they have high iron and protein content zero cholesterol and low calorific value. Mushrooms are grown on organic waste and the water requirement is very low.
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Mushrooms That You Can Grow At Home
Home growers favour many varieties of edible mushrooms. While all of these species are readily produced in commercial mushroom farms, they are also good candidates for DIY home mushroom cultivation.
Shiitake Mushrooms
This mushroom variety is famed for its inclusion in Japanese cuisine. Shiitake mushrooms have a meaty texture and release an earthy, umami flavour when cooked. They can be sautéed, fried, stir-fried, roasted, used as toppings on pizza, and added to soups.
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Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are white to light brown and fan-shaped with a mild and sweet flavour. Oyster mushrooms are often used in Chinese cuisine for stir-fries and soups.
White Button Mushrooms
A simple, spongy mushroom that is often found sliced on pizza.
Lion's Mane Mushrooms
A member of the tooth fungus group with fruit that initially takes a bulbous shape. Mature organisms resemble a lion's mane or a large beard.
Portobello Mushrooms
A dense, hearty mushroom popular in Italian cuisine. Portobello mushrooms are sometimes used as a meat substitute, as in Portobello mushroom burgers.
Maitake Mushrooms
Also known as a hen-of-the-woods mushroom, maitake mushrooms are cultivated as well as found wild. These mushrooms are sold in clusters with soft overlapping caps. This mushroom has an earthy aroma and is native to both the northwestern US and Japan.
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Also Read: How To Grow Corn: Tips For Home Gardeners
How To Grow Mushrooms
The secret of how to grow oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, or nearly any mushroom species is to provide the right growing conditions.
Grow Mushrooms Indoors
While you can grow mushrooms outside in your garden, it is far easier to produce a bountiful mushroom crop indoors. As a fungus, mushrooms do not need sunlight to grow. They do need a consistently cool, moist climate, and this can be easier to control indoors. If you have a cool basement or a climate-controlled garage or shed, this can be a great spot to grow your mushrooms. The ideal growing temperature is between fifty-five and sixty degrees Celcius.
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Provide The Right Growing Medium
Unlike plants, mushrooms do not grow best in potting soil. They are more likely to thrive in wood chips, hardwood sawdust (good for shiitake mushrooms), composted manure (good for white button mushrooms), straw (good for oyster mushrooms), or coffee grounds (also good for oyster mushrooms). Put your growing medium (also called a substrate) in a container at least six inches deep. This allows mushroom mycelium to freely spread.
Inoculate Your Mushrooms
There are two ways to plant, or inoculate, mushrooms. You can plant mushroom spores (the equivalent of plant seeds) or mushroom spawn (the equivalent of plant seedlings). Beginners should use mushroom spawn for their first harvest and move on to spores the next time. You do not need to press these organisms into their substrate. You can simply sprinkle them on top and add a quarter-inch more substrate on top of them.
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Keep Mushroom Spawns Warm To Start The Growing Process
While homegrown mushrooms do best at a temperature between fifty-five and sixty degrees Celcius, you can speed up the process by keeping them around seventy degrees for their first few days of growth. Place a heating pad under your growing container to add that extra warmth.
Keep Your Crop Moist But Not Wet
Mushrooms thrive on moisture, but they do not thrive when soaking wet. Try periodically misting your crop with a spray bottle but avoid letting the growing medium get soggy. Some mushroom growers cover their mushroom container with a damp cloth or a loose-fitting plastic bag to trap moisture.
Harvest Your Mushrooms After A Few Weeks
The sprouting process for mushrooms is called fruiting. In most cases, this will occur three to four weeks after you plant your mushroom spawn. The crop will begin as little mushrooms and then rapidly grow. You can tell mushrooms are ripe when their caps fully open and begin to detach from the stem. You can also add fresh mushroom spawn to the growing medium to continue the cycle.
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Eat Freshly Harvested Mushrooms Within A Couple of Days
Fresh mushrooms will only last a couple of days before going bad. Eat them shortly after harvesting, or freeze them for longer storage. Mushrooms that have already gone bad can be turned into mushroom compost to feed the next generation of mushroom spores or mushroom spawn.