How To Grow Mushrooms In A Bucket At Home

Mushrooms have become a part of everyday meals, especially in restaurants. Their meaty texture, variety, and ease of work have made them one of the primary ingredients in many food outlets serving Indian, Italian, Chinese, and Asian food, so much so that many times you cannot request them to be replaced or removed. However, if you are a fan of fruiting bodies of fungi, you cannot have enough of them.

Now imagine you have a variety of mushrooms growing at your home. You no longer have to purchase them from the market or go searching for your favourite kind. Mushrooms are probably the kind of produce that requires low maintenance and can grow anywhere. Here is your guide to growing them at your home and enjoying the produce at your convenience.

How To Grow Mushrooms In A Bucket?

1. You don’t need to invest a lot when planning to grow mushrooms at home because an old bucket is enough. Start by sterilising the bucket by leaving water and bleach in it in a ratio of 1:4. After washing it thoroughly, you need to start drilling holes so that the produce can grow and be harvested easily.

2. To another bucket, add wood chips. You can easily purchase them online or visit a pet shop. They are usually used to provide bedding for hamsters and rabbits to complete their business. Once the chips are laid, pour boiling water, close the lid of the bucket, and leave it. After it has cooled off, drain all the water and squeeze moisture from the chips so that they appear damp.

3. Purchase mushroom spawns and start layering in the sterilised bucket with moist wood chips that offer the perfect environment for mushrooms to grow and flourish. Make sure there are multiple layers, but the top layer has to be of the spawn. 

4. Make sure to put the lid on and store the bucket in the corner of the house that remains humid and does not receive direct sunlight. You can also wrap the bucket in a large poly bag so that its surroundings remain humid. 

5. In 2-4 weeks, you will start witnessing mushrooms growing out of the drilled holes. When mushrooms have matured you can harvest them and be ready for another harvest in 3-4 weeks.

How Do Mushrooms Grow?

Since mushrooms belong to the family of fungi, they also inherit the property of multiplying themselves. One mushroom can release thousands of spores, which can give birth to mycelium that grows in a thread-like structure, and later, it is recognised as the crop. 

You can grow mushrooms in any part of the house, which remains dry and cool, irrespective of the weather. Many people grow them in the attic or basement. In metropolitan cities, mushroom farming is done in apartments, and people are reportedly earning a huge amount by selling the harvest.

How To Take Care Of Mushrooms?

Mushrooms require low maintenance, therefore, many people can grow them at their homes. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind, 

  • Though mushrooms can grow in the dark, some amount of light can offer them strength and improve their colour. Though direct sunlight can dry out the substrate, you can make sure to keep them in an area of the house that receives some light during the day.
  • Mushrooms are grown in low-temperature settings, probably between 12°C and 18°C. The produce can bear a little bit of a difference in the temperature. 
  • Mushrooms do need water to grow but not too much. The moist substrate is enough to promote the growth. 
  • Humidity is crucial for the growth of mushrooms. You must have observed that they grow better during the rainy season when you don’t wish for them to sprout.
  • Many people add a small amount of gypsum powder to the substrate to ensure mushrooms are rich in calcium and sulphur content. If you cannot find it, you can also add brown rice or wheat bran flour to ensure a nutritious harvest.