Recommendations for breeding and growing mushrooms at home for beginners (+18 photo)

19.01.2024 Mushrooms

For fans of "silent hunting" a good option would be to turn their hobby into a profitable business and start growing different types of mushrooms, but not in the forest, but at home. This lesson does not require special efforts and large financial investments, but in the long term it can bring a good income or be a constant source of environmentally friendly products on the table.

Content

1 What mushrooms can be grown at home and the choice of place
2 Essential Mushroom Growing Guidelines for Beginners
- 2.1 Cultivation conditions
- 2.2 Methods of obtaining mycelium
3 Step-by-step mushroom breeding algorithm for beginners at home
4 Harvesting and storage rules
5 Reviews about the cultivation of mushrooms at home
6 Answers to widespread questions

What mushrooms can be grown at home and the choice of place

First of all, you should decide what species you would like to breed and as much as possible. At home, you can grow both wood and soil mushrooms:

shiitake;
oyster mushrooms;
honey mushrooms;
champignons;
rings
white
chanterelles.

Essential Mushroom Growing Guidelines for Beginners

At the initial stage of work with planting crops, you should determine your goals and the necessary costs for their achievement, as well as be patient and study at least a minimum of literature on the specifics of this enterprise.

Cultivation conditions

In order to create an artificial habitat for mushrooms, special conditions are needed in which fruiting bodies will ripen. For the success of the enterprise you will need a room with high humidity (at least 85%) and an average temperature of 15-25⁰. To maintain these parameters, you can use heaters, humidifiers or specialized equipment.

The mycelium can be grown on wooden stumps (logs) or in a grain substrate, based on the selected cultivar. Depending on the expected scale of the crop, you need to choose the size of the space for placing the mycelium: per 1 sq. The meter can install up to 5 special blocks.

The most popular options for obtaining such a block is a regular bag filled with the right composition, which can be purchased from farmers, specialty stores, and made by yourself.

Methods of obtaining mycelium

The quantity and quality of domestic fruits will directly depend on the composition of the substrate in which they grow.There are two ways to get mycelium for propagating fungi: grow it yourself or buy from the manufacturers of this product.

Growing mycelium at home can be quite difficult for beginners, because you need to control the process from sowing spores to their germination. This process takes some time and requires knowledge of the specifics of growth of different species. For the cultivation of mycelium, straw, husk of seeds is suitable.

For self-cultivation, you can bring a mycelium, dug in the forest, and plant it in a substrate. Alternatively, finely chop the hats of the collected or purchased mushrooms, add water, let stand, then mash the mass with your hands, squeeze it and discard. Water the substrate with the remaining water. The liquid contains spores, which should germinate.

The second method is simpler and many newcomers in this field prefer to buy a finished product. It is important to check the availability of all relevant documents for the company offering its substrate. Inspect the purchased product for mold, foreign objects, an unpleasant odor, having noticed any of these factors, immediately return it to the seller.

Step-by-step mushroom breeding algorithm for beginners at home

For beginners, it is important to follow the sequence of the following steps in order to grow your first crop and establish this process:

Choose and prepare in advance a place for breeding, taking into account the requirements of the moisture regime and temperature.
Prepare the mycelium (grow it yourself or buy it ready).
Sterilize the culture medium in which the mycelium will be placed.
Plant the prepared mycelium on a substrate.
Maintain the necessary temperature and humidity until germination.
The appearance of mycelium
After the emergence of sprouts, you should lower the temperature and allow the fruit to ripen.
The first small fruits will appear in three weeks, you can harvest or wait for it to fully ripen.

Further success of mushroom cultivation will directly depend on maintaining the conditions for their reproduction and maturation.

Harvesting and storage rules

Harvesting the first crop is based on the maturity of the hat. It is important not to use improvised means and not tear off the finished fruiting bodies with your hands, as it is highly likely to damage the roots, which in the future will not be able to give another crop. Mushrooms should be cut with a sharp knife to preserve their integrity and not disturb the mycelium. This rule does not apply to mushrooms, which should be twisted together with the leg, but very carefully.

In order for the fruiting bodies to be preserved in proper form, they must be cooled no later than 6 hours after the cut. Storage temperature should be 0-2 degrees, so a regular refrigerator is not suitable for such a purpose, if you plan further sale of the crop.

It is best to sell products within 6 days so that they do not lose their presentation and freshness. You can store mushrooms in paper bags or small boxes, depending on their quantity, any method will do.

Reviews about the cultivation of mushrooms at home

Since in recent years the idea of cultivating a mushroom house for sale has become quite popular, the following are the reviews of people who used it:

Larisa: “I decided to use instructional videos on the Internet and grow oyster mushrooms for myself, which I love very much. I bought mycelium and prepared a place on the windowsill, the process took a month and the result was only a few mushrooms. I abandoned this lesson. "

Oleg: “For three years I have been growing ceps for myself and for sale in the basement. Regular care and sterilization of the room itself due to mold is required, but the result is worth it.Not only can I cook my favorite dishes all year round, but I also have a constant source of income. Customers are my acquaintances, the product is in demand, I plan to expand the business. ”

Masha: “My husband and I have a small production of oyster mushrooms. They grow in special packages with husks of seeds suspended from the ceiling of an old house. In principle, there are no problems with them, the main thing is to maintain a microclimate in the room and harvest the crops on time. In the first collection, I was allergic to spore powder, but then everything went away and we continued to deal with this matter. The taste of home oyster mushrooms is much better than purchased. ”

If you want to get additional income or create your own business, you can use the idea of cultivating mushrooms, which does not require large expenses and brings first fruits within a month. Keep in mind that not all varieties can be easily grown at home and choose those that already have proven breeding technology in artificial conditions.

Answers to widespread questions

Is growing mushrooms in the house dangerous for health?

The cultivation of different varieties directly in the place of residence is unacceptable for people who are prone to allergic reactions, as well as suffering from respiratory diseases due to spores that are thrown out during the ripening period and can harm the body. It is absolutely safe to breed any kind of mushroom kingdom in separate rooms.

Can poisonous grow among edible mushrooms?

Provided that a quality mycelium was purchased, this will not happen, because for the appearance of a toxic species, its spores are needed. But if the mycelium was “homemade” from forest mushrooms, then this is possible if among them the “wrong” fruit was accidentally found.

How much can you store mushrooms grown under such conditions?

After harvesting, it should be immediately cooled and can be stored in this form for up to a week. You can also freeze mushrooms and then their shelf life will last up to a year.