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Mushrooms: Grow them at Home

The cultivated mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (also called A. campestris or A. brunnens) may be easily grow at home with the proper equiptment and care. Mushroom growing is considerably different from growing plants because it does not require sunlight. Any dark corner or unused shelter where temperatures are cool and ventilation is adequate will serve for growing mushrooms. Because a mild, even temperature is essential, the best times for growing them are spring and fall. The compost preparation should begin about five weeks ahead of the desired "spawning" time. The proper equipment needed to grow mushrooms includes: trays, a pitchfork, a watering can, manure, straw, gypsum, a thermometer, spawn, a pump mist sprayer, a sieve, and peat or sterile soil. The trays are used to grow the mushrooms in, and must be 10-to-12 inches deep. Trays 2 feet long by 3 feet wide are commonly used, but trays of other lengths and widths may be used. They can be made from scrap lumber and should be held together with screws, rather than nails, for durability. Ventilation, beneficial for mushroom growth, is provided by placing the trays on pieces of 2-by-4 lumber or bricks. Trays that stack should be constructed allowing 24-to-30 inches between tiers for adequate air circulation. Trays may be placed in the cellar, in a shed, under a table, in a cool room, or even under a bed. By placing trays in different locations, the spread of insects and diseases will be limited to only parts of the crop. Whereever the trays are placed, the area should be kept free of rats and mice and the windows screened to keep out insects. To prepare the compost, have available the pitchfork, watering can, straw, manure, gypsum, and thermometer. About a half-ton of com post will fill 60 square feet of trays and yield from 100to-150 pounds of mushrooms. When smaller amounts are composted, the pile should be covered with wet burlap and the burlap watered to keep the pile from drying out. The most important part of the compost is the manure. The "hotter" (more rich in nitrogen) it is the better. Horse manure is the best, but chicken, turkey, rabbit, sheep, goat, or even elephant manures may be used. Cow manure is very low in nitrogen and therefore undesirable. Use fresh manure, since then it will be the hottest. Thoroughly saturate the manure with water, if necessary, just to the point of run-off. Add an equal volume of straw that has soaked up water for a day. Check with local farmers and zoos for manure and straw. They may be glad to supply you with ample amounts! Do not use veterinarian stable manure or any manure that may have medicines in it since these may be detrimental to the mushroom spawn. As you mix the manure and straw together with a pitchfork, sprinkle the pile with gypsum. For a half-ton of compost, 20 pounds of gypsum is needed. Gypsum (calcium sulfate) is available

from local building supply companies at a low cost. It gives the compost good consistency, helping avoid a sticky texture. It is preferable to build the compost pile on a cement floor and under cover to discourage insects from entering and laying eggs in it. Once the compost pile is made (and covered with wet burlap if it is small and apt to dry out), it is left to rest. A stick thermometer or dairy thermometer may be used to judge when the pile should be turned. When the temperature reaches 160 to 170F. carmelization has taken place. Turn the pile literally inside out, adding water in places where it is dry and/or white. A thermometer is not essential; the compost may simply be turned once per week for five weeks, keeping it always moist. One week after the final turn it is time to add the spawn. The preferred spawn is dry, flake spawn; dry, brick spawn may also be used. Dry spawn is a pure culture of the mushroom mycelium in a dormant state. The mycelium is the body of the fungus -- its "roots, stems, and leaves" -- that grows throughout the compost and gives rise to the mushrooms -- the "flowers" of the fungus. If dry, flake spawn is used; it is mixed into the compost at a rate of about 1 quart per 15 square feet of growing surface area. Pile the spawned compost into the wooden trays in heaps. It will be easiest to fill the trays where they are to stay because once filled they are heavy and difficult to move. After 24 hours, press the piles flat into the trays using a brick or a piece of wood. Leave a space of about 2 inches to the top of the tray. If dry, brick spawn is used, pile the compost into the trays and place pieces of the brick (between the size of a walnut and an egg) into the compost about 1-to-2 inches deep, spacing them 6 inches apart. Cover the pieces of spawn and press the compost down flat as previously described. In 2-to-3 weeks the compost should become covered with the fine white webs of mycelium. If possible, the temperature should be increased to about 65 to 70F during these first weeks. In addition, it will be important during these first weeks to keep the compost moist by water misting it twice a day. The compost should not be watered by sprinkling or pouring water onto it. This not only disrupts the delicate mycelium, but may also make the compost too wet for its proper growth and development. Once the compost is covered with white mycelium, the casing should be applied and the temperature may be dropped back to about 55F. A sieve is used to remove any sticks, stones, or large clumps from the casing material. The peat or soil should be thoroughly moistened with water, but not soaking wet. The moisture content of the casing is critical to the development of the mushrooms. Covering the trays with several layers of moistened newspaper that are lightly watered twice daily will help maintain the proper moisture content. In about 10 days the newspaper should be removed and the trays misted twice daily as before. A few days later, tiny white pinheads should be visible that will develop into delicious mushrooms in about a week. The temperature of the area in which the trays are located will determine how quickly the mushrooms develop. Cooler temperatures (50 to 55F) will yield a

slower crop over a longer period of time. Higher temperatures (65 to 70F) will yield a faster crop over a shorter period of time. Both will yield similar amounts. Therefore, it is more practical to grow the mushrooms at cooler temperatures so as not to be overwhelmed with too many mushrooms all at once. Once the first mushrooms appear, subsequent ones will appear in flushes, every 10-to-12 days for 3-to-6 months until the compost is exhausted. Between flushes continue to mist twice daily. But do not apply water to developing mushrooms because they most likely will turn brown and deteriorate. Pick the mushrooms by grasping over the cap and around the stem and gently twisting. The mushroom will separate from the compost leaving some residual mycelial masses. These should be removed from the media with a knife to ensure the continued productivity of the tray. The holes left by the picked mushrooms should be filled with peat or soil to maintain a uniform surface. Mushrooms may be picked in the button stage to be eaten raw in salads or with dips. They may be picked in the typically marketed stage, with the unruptured veil covering the gills under the cap. These are used in all types of cooking, and store well. The advantage to growing your own mushrooms is that you may pick mushrooms with opened gills that have fully matured. These have the best flavor and are useful in sauces or special dishes. Such mature mushrooms do not store well, and for this reason are never seen in the market. After the trays cease bearing, the compost is in perfect condition for use as an organic amendment for vegetable or flower gardens or for mulches around trees and shrubs. The trays, areas where compost is mixed and where mushrooms grow, should be thoroughly scrubbed and air dried. Trays may often need to be replaced because they decay while in use. Cleaning and removal of all organic debris will help discourage diseases and insects. Mushroom growing kits of many types are available commercially. When the instructions are followed, they will produce batches of mushrooms. These kits are best used as gifts, experiments for children, or an introduction to mushroom growing. However, for the serious grower they are impractical; the price per pound of mushrooms produced is often more than grocery store prices. Mushroom trays with prepared compost are available from some commercial mushroom growers or from some nurseries. These may be a practical means of producing mushrooms for those who are unable to prepare the compost media themselves.

Prepared by: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Albany County Slightly Revised: 6/03