For mushroom lovers, the idea of growing these fabulous fungi at home can be exciting and intimidating. Shiitake mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are two great types for the beginning home mushroom grower to try. Shiitake mushrooms, while often found in stores, are much cheaper to grow at home. Oyster mushrooms are less common in stores because of their delicate, hard-to-ship nature.
Purchasing a mushroom cultivation kit is the easiest way to start growing your own mushrooms at home. If you’ve never grown mushrooms before, oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) or shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) are great options because they taste great and are easy to grow.
How you grow your mushrooms will depend on the kit you buy. But don’t worry; they should come with instructions to help you get started.
Growing mushrooms at home has become an increasingly popular hobby for gardeners, homesteaders, and anyone looking to easily add nutritious variety to their diet. Luckily, it’s quite simple to get started cultivating mushrooms, even for beginners with limited space.
When deciding which mushrooms to grow at home, it’s best to start with varieties that are relatively easy to cultivate successfully. The right mushrooms will fruit abundantly with minimal effort on your part.
Here are 5 of the easiest mushroom varieties that can be grown right at home:
1. Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are hands-down the best choice for beginners looking to grow mushrooms at home. They are exceptionally easy to cultivate, extremely productive and will grow on a wide variety of substrates.
There are many different types of oyster mushrooms, including pearl, pink, blue, golden, and king oyster, that come in beautiful colors and shapes. Most oyster mushroom varieties share similar cultivation needs.
Why Oyster Mushrooms are Easy
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Grow rapidly on various substrates like straw, coffee grounds, and wood chips
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Tolerant of a wide temperature range between 60-86°F.
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Produce heavy yields compared to effort required.
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Resilient against contaminants and competing molds.
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Can be grown in small spaces, both indoors and outdoors.
For beginners, growing oyster mushrooms on straw is one of the simplest methods. Pastuerized straw is first inoculated with oyster mushroom spawn, then packed into breathable grow bags. Within 2 weeks, mushrooms will begin forming!
2. White Button Mushrooms
Grocery store varieties like the classic white button mushroom are also an excellent choice for first-time growers. They are one of the easiest mushrooms to cultivate at home since they were bred to produce under controlled, predictable conditions.
Why Button Mushrooms are Easy:
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Simple to grow in composted manure either outdoors or indoors.
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Tolerate a range of cool temperatures from 50-60°F.
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Produce nice yields and sizeable mushrooms.
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Grow kits and pre-inoculated substrates make it easy.
White button mushrooms form large clusters of mushrooms on composted manure. While they take 10-16 weeks to produce from start to finish, actual hands-on time is minimal. Just keep the growing medium consistently moist.
3. Shiitake Mushrooms
Originally from Asia, Shiitake mushrooms have become popular globally both for their rich, smoky flavor and purported health benefits. They also happen to be one of the easiest mushrooms for beginners to grow successfully at home.
Why Shiitakes are Easy:
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Grow well outdoors on inoculated logs, requiring little maintenance.
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Also thrive on various supplemented sawdusts when grown indoors.
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Tolerate a wide temperature range between 45-75°F.
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Provide good yields over an extended harvest period.
Shiitakes can be grown indoors on substrates or outdoors on logs. Logs inoculated with Shiitake spawn often produce tasty mushrooms for years with very little work required after the initial setup.
4. Chestnut Mushrooms
Sometimes known as brown mushrooms or crimini, chestnut mushrooms have a deeper flavor and are meatier than button mushrooms. They have a comparable level of ease when it comes to home growing.
Why Chestnuts are Easy:
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Grow well on composted manure.
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Produce nice yields and sized mushrooms.
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Tolerate temperatures between 55-65°F.
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Growing process is very similar to white buttons.
Chestnut mushrooms look very much like buttons just with darker caps. They are grown following the same simple process of inoculating composted manure. Given cool temperatures and proper moisture, they will reward growers with abundantharvests.
5. Pink Oyster Mushrooms
While all oyster mushroom varieties make excellent beginner mushrooms, pink oysters deserve special distinction. Their vigorous growth, appealing color, and amazing yields make cultivating them a delight for novice growers.
Why Pink Oysters are Easy:
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Grow rapidly at wide range of temperatures 60-75°F.
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Tolerate drought and excess moisture well.
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Produce incredible dense clusters and yields.
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Bright pink color makes them fun to grow.
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Little experience needed to grow on straw indoors or outdoors.
Pink oyster mushrooms bursting out of inoculated straw is an incredible thing to witness. These mushrooms are both bountiful and beautiful.
Choosing the Best Method for Beginners
Beyond deciding which mushrooms to grow, beginners should also consider what growing method best matches their goals and setup. Here are some of the easiest mushroom growing methods for beginners to get started with:
Growing Kits
Mushroom grow kits contain pre-inoculated substrate in a box or bag designed specifically for growing mushrooms at home. They provide an almost foolproof method. Just open the box, mist occasionally, and harvest mushrooms.
Grow kits are ideal for:
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Complete beginners looking for guaranteed results.
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Those without access to bulk substrate materials.
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Growing gourmet mushrooms like oyster that aren’t sold in stores.
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People with limited space (many kits can fruit in the box they come in!).
Inoculating Pasteurized Bulk Substrates
With a bit more initial work, bulk substrates like straw, sawdust, or wood chips can be inoculated with mushroom spawn at home. This allows growing larger quantities compared to kits.
Pasteurized bulk substrates are great for:
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Beginners who want to scale up beyond small kits.
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Growing mushrooms like oyster, Shiitake, and button that perform well on straw, sawdust, or wood chips.
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People able to source bulk substrate materials locally.
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Homesteaders and gardeners with more growing space available.
Outdoor Mushroom Beds & Logs
For beginners with access to yard or garden space, outdoor mushroom beds and logs offer passive ways to grow tasty mushrooms. Simply prepare the bed or log, inoculate with spawn, and let nature take its course.
Outdoor growing excels for:
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Shiitake and oyster mushrooms.
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Homeowners with shady, moist outdoor areas.
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Those looking for an easy set-it-and-forget-it method.
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People wanting to avoid energy costs of indoor cultivation.
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Homesteaders and permaculture enthusiasts.
Providing the Right Growing Conditions
While the mushrooms listed here are selected for being beginner-friendly, their basic growing requirements must still be met for successful harvests season after season. Here are some key factors to provide:
Ideal Temperature Range: Maintain temperatures in theideal range for the variety grown. This may require indoor growing areas or weather protection outdoors depending on climate.
Adequate Humidity: Mushrooms thrive in damp, humid conditions. Mist substrates daily and maintain humidity.
Fresh Air Exchange: Mushrooms need airflow to grow properly. Allow space for air exchange when growing indoors.
Moisture: Substrates should be kept evenly moist, not soaked or dry. Water logs and beds as needed.
Indirect Lighting: While not essential, ambient indoor light or shaded outdoor light encourages mushroom growth.
When the simple needs of mushrooms are provided, beginners can experience the satisfaction of growing pounds of delicious mushrooms at home using the easy varieties and methods outlined here!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main differences between growing indoor vs. outdoor?
Outdoor growing requires less hands-on time but depends on suitable outdoor conditions. Indoor growing allows precise control over temperature, humidity, and other factors but involves some routine maintenance.
How much space do I need to grow mushrooms at home?
Many mushrooms like oyster can be grown in a few square feet up to areas the size of a small bedroom when scaling up. Shiitakes and other mushrooms can be grown outdoors in garden beds or on logs.
Is it possible to grow mushrooms year-round at home?
With an indoor growing area that maintains ideal temperatures and humidity levels, most varieties can produce year-round. Outdoor logs and beds will produce seasonally depending on weather.
What should I do if I notice mold or other contaminants?
Remove and discard any visibly contaminated materials away from your grow area. Improve air flow, reduce humidity, and sanitize the growing area if you experience persistent contamination issues.
How long after inoculating substrates do mushrooms begin to grow?
Mycelium colonization times vary from 1-4 weeks before “pinning” and mushroom growth occurs. Some varieties then mature in another 1-3 weeks and are ready for harvest.
Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor
Growing oyster, button, Shiitake, chestnut, and pink oyster mushrooms using simplified beginner-friendly methods lets anyone easily cultivate these beneficial fungi at home. Not only will you be rewarded with harvests of flavorful, nutritious mushrooms, but you’ll also
A little about mushrooms
The parts of the mushrooms that we eat are actually the fruiting (reproductive) bodies of fungi. Growing mushrooms is quite different from growing plants. Because they can’t do photosynthesis and make their own food like plants can, mushrooms need a substrate, which is something they can grow on. Logs, straw, or other cellulose sources are some examples. The mushrooms take nutrients from the substrate as it decomposes. Growing mushrooms indoors is generally preferred since it will provide you more continuous and predictable fruiting.
Oyster mushrooms are delicate, with a flavor that is milder than Shiitakes. You aren’t likely to see these in stores simply because they don’t ship well. Some strains of oyster mushrooms are tan, some are cream, some are gray, some are pink, and some are yellow.
Most oyster mushroom growing kits come with a thick layer of sticky white mycelium that has taken over a tower of straw inside a plastic bag with holes in it. Mycelium is the thread-like, non-reproductive part of mushrooms that starts new plants. After being soaked, mushrooms will get a skin. In about a month, they should be ready to be picked.
Shiitake mushrooms have a full, smoky flavor and a dense texture that holds up well for cooking. They’re easily found in stores, but you can likely grow them much more inexpensively at home. Growing Shiitakes at home is rewarding. Once you’re going, they can give you random flushes. It might take a little while to get going. Choosing your substrate is a very important part of growing Shiitake mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms can grow on hardwood logs for three to five years after mushroom spawn is added to the wood.
As soon as you learn how to grow mushrooms, you can buy spawn that will grow on other things, like sawdust or even shredded paper. You could even try chanterelle (Chantharellus cibarius), “yellow” morel (Morchella esculenta), and field mushrooms (Agaricus campestris), which are all different and might be harder to cook.
For more information on growing your own mushrooms, contact your local County Extension Office.
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