Learn about Growing Mushrooms
Welcome!
We are so excited to help you learn more about growing gourmet mushrooms! Whether you have purchased one of our Grow Your Own Kits, or are just starting to learn about growing mushrooms, you will find lots of information to help. This page and the FAQs page together can help give you a great base knowledge to start your growing journey.
We enjoy spreading our Mush Love of growing gourmet mushrooms, so please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions. HAPPY GROWING!!
Basic needs of your growing mushrooms
As you start growing your own mushrooms, here is some information that will help you understand the process.
Disclaimer: This information is meant for use with Grow Your Own Kits from Megan's Mushrooms. While most of the information can be applied in other mushroom growing scenarios, some information is specific to the varieties offered in our kits. We want to share the love and knowledge of growing mushrooms so please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions on growing mushrooms even if you haven't purchased a kit. We will do our best to help or point you in the right direction. MUSH LOVE!
~Mushrooms fruit as a response to environmental changes. It is believed that they fruit due to stress from these changes as a way of survival. When mushrooms are fully mature, they release spores that will produce new life forms.
~There are 4 main environmental changes that induce mushroom fruiting. These are Temperature, Light, Oxygen and Humidity.
Up until now, your mushroom mycelium (the white stuff you see in your grow bag) has been growing and colonizing the sawdust. This is done in a warm and dark environment, around 70 degrees F. While temperature drops will help induce fruiting, it is not completely necessary as you will work more closely with the other 3 environmental changes. If possible, you can place your block in a cold environment for up to 12 hours before you cut open your bag. When considering where you will grow your mushrooms, prioritize the other 3 environmental changes first. If you have a spot in your house that has the required lighting, and is below 70 degrees, this may be a good spot to place your grow block.
Your mushrooms will require at least 4-6 hours of natural or artificial light a day. The more light, the more nutritional value your mushrooms will have.
The grow box allows you to concentrate light and humidity to the small area of the hole your created, to control where your mushrooms will grow. If left without a box, the light would be enough to induce fruiting all over the grow block and the mushrooms would eventually push against the bag creating underdeveloped primordia and wasted energy.
​
*Tip: Once you harvest your mushrooms, place in direct sunlight for a few minutes to increase the vitamin D content!
As you see in the instructions, you will cut a hole in your grow bag to start. This allows fresh oxygen to reach your mycelium. Keep this environmental factor in mind as your mushrooms mature. The more oxygen your mushrooms receive, the larger your caps and the smaller your stems will be. This provides the best culinary texture when you are enjoying your mushrooms. (Unless your growing trumpets, coming soon!) When/if you make a humidity dome for your mushrooms, make sure that it sits 4-6 inches above the mushrooms at all times and make sure there are plenty of holes to allow as much oxygen to the mushrooms as possible.
This is the most important environmental factor to control. Mushrooms are made up of at least 80% moisture. Without an abundance of humidity your mushrooms may not grow, stall out, or dry out. A humidity dome as specified in the Tips For Success helps but is not completely necessary as long as you make sure to spray your block consistently each day, and throughout the day. This is why some of the most successful grows are done in a bathroom or in the kitchen near the dishwasher where there is the most humidity in your home.
You may consider using a humidifier in place of the spray bottle but here are a few things to consider:
~You need to pay special attention to make sure the humidifier is always clean so as to prevent contamination to your grow block.
~ You want the humidifier to create humidity but not directly on the mushrooms. Water droplets that stay to long on maturing mushrooms can cause soft spots. Try to place the humidifier close, but not too close.
