An ever increasing number of people enjoy mushrooms as an individual delicacy or added to their favorite dishes to enhance the flavor. With the ever increasing prices that people are being asked to pay, more and more individuals are retaliating by growing their own mushrooms. Many have found that mushroom gardening is fun and easy. There are many different techniques that are suggested and most all of them end in an abundant harvest for the gardener. With some research and comparison shopping, everyone should be able to grow mushrooms.Growing MushroomsMushrooms can be grown indoors in any climate. They should be exposed to very little amounts of sunlight and should be maintained in the dark as much as possible. Cellars, basements, closets, or cabinets are really good locations for growing this delicacy. The chosen location for the garden should be well ventilated. Carbon dioxide is produced by mushroom beds; therefore, it is necessary that the air is circulated substantially.
The temperature should be maintained in the range of 55 to 65 degrees F and the humidity level should be around eighty percent.Mushroom HousesSome individuals may choose to design and build a "mushroom house". Most of these individual's plan to continue growing mushrooms in the future. These are simple sheds or cellars that will only be used for growing crops of mushrooms. When designing these buildings, individuals need to keep in mind that it needs to be dark, clean, ventilated, promote air circulation, and be well insulated so the environment will offer a temperature that is constant. If planning to garden in the building year round, it will require some sort of heating system in order to keep the temperature around sixty degrees F. The location of the building should be one that is protected from winds that will be cold and the building itself needs to be draft, rain, and animal proof.Getting StartedWith the various techniques, many gardeners simply use trial and error to find what works the best for them. Following are the steps to one technique for growing mushrooms:
The temperature should be maintained in the range of 55 to 65 degrees F and the humidity level should be around eighty percent.Mushroom HousesSome individuals may choose to design and build a "mushroom house". Most of these individual's plan to continue growing mushrooms in the future. These are simple sheds or cellars that will only be used for growing crops of mushrooms. When designing these buildings, individuals need to keep in mind that it needs to be dark, clean, ventilated, promote air circulation, and be well insulated so the environment will offer a temperature that is constant. If planning to garden in the building year round, it will require some sort of heating system in order to keep the temperature around sixty degrees F. The location of the building should be one that is protected from winds that will be cold and the building itself needs to be draft, rain, and animal proof.Getting StartedWith the various techniques, many gardeners simply use trial and error to find what works the best for them. Following are the steps to one technique for growing mushrooms:
- Start with sterilized mushroom farm compost that contains mushroom spores in the mix.
- Cover the compost with about one inch of peat. This is sterilized topsoil.
- Lightly water the soil so that it is only damp not wet.
- Continue to water about 3 times weekly using a spray bottle to lightly moisten the compost
- Never fertilize the compost.After about a month of gardening, most mushrooms have popped up and are ready to be harvested. Many types will yield several crops from one batch. To harvest the mushrooms, the gardener should cut the stalks of the mushroom even with the level of the soil. Harvesting will most likely come in waves and should be done until there are no more appearances. When harvest is complete, beds should be sanitized and a new crop of mushrooms can be started.
