How to Grow Edible Mushrooms at Home
Mushrooms continue to form a larger part of the home gardener's income. However, they have a life cycle that's very different from that of green plants. The specific procedures for growing mushrooms vary greatly by the particular species. Oyster mushrooms are a common first choice if you're raising mushrooms for profit as they can grow on many different substrates. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Water
- Drill with bits
- Hammer
- Spawn plugs
- Punch
- Cheese wax
- Crock pot
- Turkey baster
- Metal tags
- Soaker hose
Instructions
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Cut hardwood logs that are up to 6 inches in diameter and up to 3 feet in length. Soak the logs in a tub of fresh water if they are dry. The best choices of hardwoods include beech, black gum, elms, honey locust, maple and oaks.
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2
Drill 20 to 30 holes, about 5 inches apart, into each log. The holes should be 5/16 inch wide and 1 ½ inches deep. In early fall or late spring, hammer a colonized spawn plug into each hole. Sink the plug about ¼ inch below the surface with a small punch.
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Melt cheese wax in a crock pot and use a turkey baster to drip it into each hole to seal it. Mark any identification information on a metal tag and tack it the end of the log. Stack the logs vertically in complete shade and keep them moist. Water the logs with a soaker hose if natural rainfall is insufficient to keep the logs from drying out.
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Wait for the logs to produce mushrooms in about 6 months and mature in about a year. Soak them overnight with a soaker hose in early fall or late spring to shock them into producing fruit. Oyster mushrooms produce best at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
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