People are unaware of the fact that mushrooms are very easy to grow at home but instead of doing it, they prefer to spend their money at their local supermarket on such mushroom species that are cheaply imported from foreign countries where their production is in bulk. The mushroom varieties available at the shop do not have much shelf life. Hence if you learn to grow mushrooms at your home you will not only get fresher longer-lasting mushrooms but they will even taste stronger as the shop varieties have a more watered-down flavor. Mushrooms grow kit is a must-have thing.
Another major benefit of growing mushrooms at home is that you are free to a large variety of options of mushrooms that you will not find at the shops. The shops usually display limited varieties like button mushrooms, Shiitake, Oyster, and Portobello.
At first, you need to select a particular variety of mushrooms if you want to grow your own. There are so many varieties of edible mushrooms available that can be either grown inside your house or outside. But maximum growers at their beginning choose to settle with oyster mushroom because of its simplicity (Oyster or Pleutorus Ostreateus grows vigorously and so is very likely to grow in the right conditions).
You will have to find the specific growing requirements once you have selected a particular type of mushroom. It is because all fungus has their growing parameters. With the Oyster mushroom, you may use a wood-based substrate (paper, cardboard, etc.) or you may even grow it on straw. These are the basic substrates to use as they give you the best yields.
Mushroom spawn is the next thing that you will need. It will be easy for you if you buy your spawn from a shop. But you can even purchase it more easily online as many many garden centers only sell complete mushrooms grow kit. You will come across various websites that sell spawn and for a bag that will provide you with lots of mushrooms it is only going to cost you a few pounds.
In the case of oyster mushrooms, you have to pasteurize the straw or paper-based product as it kills off various bacteria present on it, hence providing the mushroom spawn a start when it comes to growing. By submerging the straw/paper in some hot water you can begin this process. After that, you have to keep it at around 60 degrees C for about 1 hour. After doing this, drain the substrate and allow it to cool before you load it into a see-through plastic bag. Then into the bag put a handful of straw/paper and then sprinkle spawn on top, and continue doing this until the bag is full. Then with the help of a metal tie, you have to tie the bag and then pierce holes over it. It will then allow air to help the mycelium grow and will allow mushrooms to grow further. For about 2 weeks leave it in a warm room until the bag completely colonizes. The best and ideal place can be an airing cupboard or boiler room.
When the bag gets fully colonized it is then ready to fruit. Within a span of a few days’ mushrooms will start appearing. You have to move the bag to a cooler, damper area where humidity levels are about 90% or higher so that it can fruit well. The mushrooms grow kit plays a very important role in this process.
