A mushroom is the fruiting body of a fungus with a shaft and a cap above the ground.
They are widely used as food as a rich source of proteins, vitamins, calcium, sodium, potassium, and linolenic acid.
Hence, these are safe and recommended for people with diabetes and heart problems.
Besides, their high fibrous content makes them suitable for relief from constipation and acidity.
So, growing mushrooms organically at home for food is beneficial for the entire household.
Varieties of mushrooms
There are around 50,000 mushroom species; of them, only 10,000 are edible ones.
However, only few types are recommended for cultivation, like
- Oyster mushroom
- Button mushroom
- Milky mushroom
- Shiitake mushroom
- Enoki mushroom
- King Oyster mushroom
- Lion’s Mane mushroom
- Maitake mushroom
- Morel mushroom
- Chanterelle mushroom
Steps to grow mushrooms indoors
One can grow mushrooms at home using either
- Mushroom Growing Kits (Beginner Friendly) [or]
- Traditional method (More steps and time-taking)
Below we will see both methods one after another
Using Mushroom Growing Kits
This kit includes pre-colonized substrate, so you can skip steps like sterilization, layering, mixing, and incubation.
So, simpler steps to grow with a kit include
- Choose a kit (Oyster, Shiitake, Button, etc.)
- Open or cut the bag as per directions
- Place in a room with indirect light and airflow.
- Mist daily to maintain humidity
- Mushroom Fruit develops in 7–14 days
- Harvest and optionally get a second or third flush.
This gives beginners a faster and less messy alternative.
| Mushroom Type | Kit Name | Grow Time | Key Appeal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oyster | North Spore Organic Pink Oyster Grow Kit | 10 days | Fast, beginner‑friendly, and great flavor |
| Lion’s Mane | North Spore Lion’s Mane Spray & Grow Kit | 2–3 weeks | Brain‑health support, gourmet texture |
| Shiitake | Back to the Roots Shiitake Mushroom Kit | Weeks to months | Long‑term yield, classic meaty flavor |
By the traditional method
Mushroom cultivation by traditional method at home requires
- Mushroom spawns
- Straw
- Plastic bags
Spawn
- Spawn is a vegetative mycelial network of a mushroom developed after the germination of fungal spores.
- It contains mycelia along with a supporting medium, which provides nutrition to the fungus for growth and development.
Precautions:
- Purchase the good-quality spawn of the required type from reliable resources like mushroom growing points, training centers, etc.
- Well-dried, fresh straw should be used for mushroom cultivation at home.
- Don’t use a wet, rotted straw. Avoid bringing straw from unhygienic places.
- Select polythene bags of proper size, which are relatively thin enough to bear the weight of media in them.
- Don’t use polythene bags, that are very thin, as they might get torn during cultivation
Procedure:
- Mostly oyster and white button mushrooms are suitable for cultivation at home.
Sterilization:
- Sterilization of nutrient media for mushrooms is essential for robust growth. This can be done by boiling on the stove in the kitchen.
- However, many mushroom kits come with sterilized media and will rarely require effort.
- If not, collect the dried straw and shred it into small pieces and boil it in the water for 10 minutes.
- Stop boiling after 10 minutes. Then squeeze the straws to remove excess water.
Benefits of sterilization:
- Boiling helps free the media of harmful microbes.
- It also softens the lignin and cellulose bonds in the straw that facilitate the growth of mushrooms and ensures better packing in polythene bags.
Drying of the media
- Then spread the straw in a location with proper aeration to ensure drying overnight.
Filling the media into a polythene bag:
- Place the straw in the polythene bags by pressing firmly with hands up to a layer of 2 inches, place a layer of spawn, and place a 2-inch layer of straw over the spawn.
- Repeat these layers of straw, spawn, and straw up to 8-10 inches in height. Then there will be around 4–5 layers of spawn.
- Clean your hands properly before filling the media into the bags to avoid further contamination.
Packing:
- After completion of this operation, twist the mouth part of the polyethylene bag and tie it with the help of strings.
Note:
- Before closing the bag, remove all the air inside the polythene bag, and do not make the straw very compact; pressing should be done gently.
- Then after closing, make small holes with the help of a pen, etc., in the polythene bag from where mushroom growths will come out. Around 7–10 holes will be enough.
Incubate in a dark, humid place (~7–10 days)
- Mostly mushrooms grow well in cool, dark, and moist places.
- Hence, place the bag in a dark place.
- By seven days, the spores start sprouting, and this can be observed as a whitish-colored growth inside the bag.
Move to fruiting conditions (light, airflow) after full colonization (~10 days)
- After ten days, the whole span gets germinated.
- Then relocate the mushrooms from a dark place into a relatively lighter region of the house.
- Make holes every 3–4 inches apart on the bag to facilitate the emergence of mushrooms from those pores.
Watering:
- Water the mushrooms with the help of a hand sprayer or watering can frequently to maintain sufficient moisture. La
- Lack of moisture can hinder mushroom growth. But also avoid excessive watering.
- After 25 days one can observe excellent growth of mushrooms sprouting out from the holes.
- These can be harvested and immediately used in the kitchen.
Harvesting:
- After 25–30 days, the mushroom can be harvested by either twisting at the base of the mushroom or cutting at the base with a sharp knife.
- Just ensure that there is no damage to the growing mushrooms during the process.
Storage:
- Using fresh mushrooms for cooking is advised. However, they can be stored in a refrigerator for a few days.
A comparison of both methods
| Feature | Kit Method | Traditional Method |
|---|---|---|
| Substrate preparation | None—Skip to fruiting | Sterilize straw, mix spawn |
| Incubation time | Higher—requires sterile handling | Ready made [precolonized (no prep)] |
| Time to harvest | 7–14 days | ~25–30 days |
| Contamination risk | Low | Higher – requires sterile handling |
| Best for | Beginners & indoor growers | DIY enthusiasts and larger yields |
| Choice of mushrooms | Only few types have kits | All types can be grown |