Will Peroxide Kill Mushroom Spores?

Growing techniques for mushrooms is revolutionized with use of hydrogen peroxide.

Costly and sterile environments had been a limiting factor in home mushroom cultivation. Then the discovery that hydrogen peroxide will not kill growing mushrooms, but will kill airborne spores, revolutionized the way home hobbyists produced gourmet mushrooms.

Technique

Hydrogen peroxide purchased at drug stores is added to the mushroom growing medium and agar spawn medium to protect them from common airborne contaminants such as other mushroom or fungi spores, which can ruin a crop of mushrooms.

Function

Mushroom mycelium that penetrates and colonizes the growing medium is resistant to hydrogen peroxide because the mycelium enzymes break apart the hydrogen bond, turning it into water and oxygen. Any other type of fungal, bacterial or yeast spores are killed by the hydrogen peroxide.

Cost

Hydrogen peroxide costs less than $1 per bottle and reduces the need for costly sterilizing equipment, laminar flow hoods, HEPA filters, gloves and clean rooms traditionally used in mushroom culture.

Significance

The use of hydrogen peroxide in mushroom culture allows the home hobbyist to produce gourmet mushrooms without expensive equipment in a nonsterile environment. Clean mushroom spawn, without contaminants, will produce more and better quality mushrooms.

References

• Jr. Genius: Growing Mushrooms the Easy Way