How to grow mushrooms at home
Mushroom is a fungus, hence it is not categorized as fruits, vegetables, non-veg, grains or dairy products. Although many of its types are edible, it is informally classified as a white vegetable. Despite not being a vegetable, fruit or grain, mushroom is a treasure trove of nutrients and the trend of eating it has increased in India too. Mushroom vegetable and its soup also have excellent creamy texture. Oyster and button mushroom are the two most popular varieties, which are eaten all over the world including India. Mushrooms grow comfortably in normal warm weather and do not require much space to grow, so even if you do not have a big garden, you can still grow and enjoy them at home.
To grow mushroom at home, you do not need many things and its seeds are also easily available online which are not very expensive. Apart from this, all the things used in growing it are also very cheap, that is, you can grow nutrient rich mushrooms at home and eat them fresh at low cost. Whereas in the market, mushrooms are quite expensive per packet and are also stored for a long time. So let us know step by step how you can grow mushrooms at home and how many nutrients it contains.
Mushrooms have many benefits
According to the information given in PubMed, mushrooms are a storehouse of nutrients. Apart from vitamins and minerals, bioactive compounds are also found in it. It has anti-inflammatory properties, due to which it prevents swelling. Apart from this, mushroom is also helpful in controlling cholesterol and managing blood sugar. Apart from this, it is beneficial for your health in many ways.
First know the nutrients of mushroom
According to the National Library of Medicine, more than 2 thousand varieties of mushrooms can be eaten. Mushrooms not only provide nutrients found in common food products, but also provide nutrients found in non-veg and grains such as niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), riboflavin (vitamin B2), selenium, copper, calcium, vitamin D, dietary fiber, potassium. However, there may be slight differences in nutrients in each variety. Popular among the people are white button mushroom (most eaten), shiitake, crimini and portabella, straw, oyster, enoki, chanterelles, morel, which are easily available in the market. However, fresh mushrooms are rarely available, so growing them is the best way.
Choose the right place to grow mushrooms
It is best to grow mushrooms in such places which are completely isolated, that is, where you do not visit much. For this, places like shed, garage, dark basement or any dark place in the room, cold frame of the garden are best for mushrooms. If you are growing mushrooms outside, you can grow them on beds, compost heaps or wooden logs, but this requires a little more effort.
Preparation for growing mushrooms
To grow mushrooms for the first time, you can order a growing kit. You do not have to worry too much in this, because you get all the necessary things in it. At present there are many other methods of growing mushrooms. You will need a bag or container to grow mushrooms at home. Apart from this, take wheat or paddy straw, wheat bran and gypsum (for compost). Apart from this, it is better if fresh coffee grounds are available, which you can buy from any coffee café, because it is required in slightly larger quantities. You will have to collect mushroom seeds (spawn) which are easily available online. For this, you should check which variety of mushroom is to be grown and order spawn accordingly.
how to grow mushrooms
First of all, soak the straw in water overnight so that the moisture in it gets absorbed properly. Mushroom is a fungus, hence this step is necessary.
Remove extra water from the straw in the morning. If you have taken 100 liters of water, you can add 7 grams of Carbendazim in it, which kills the bacteria of the straw.
Spread the straw on a flat surface and dry it for some time so that it has only 70 percent moisture. Now add wheat bran or gypsum to it.
After this, mix the spawn of oyster or white button mushroom (whichever seeds you have bought) in the straw. Now it is ready to go in the bag or container.
If you are growing mushrooms in a container, make small holes all around it beforehand, because when the seeds germinate, they will grow outward through them.
If you are growing mushrooms in a bag, then fill the prepared mixture of straw and spawn in the bag and tie it with a cloth on top and close it. After this, make 10 to 15 holes all around the bag.
How to Harvest Mushrooms
Keep the prepared bags in a closed place at a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees so that it remains moist. Keep checking these bags daily. When germination occurs, moisten it with a spray. Mushrooms grow very fast. Baby mushrooms will start appearing in 15 days and you can harvest the mushrooms in at least 25 days. For this, take a sharp knife and then cut it cleanly.
How to store mushrooms
If you have grown a lot of mushrooms and you cannot use them at once, then they should not be stored in a closed container at all, because they contain a lot of moisture and can get spoiled. The best way is to store the mushroom in a paper bag or keep it on an open shelf in the refrigerator. In this way, in simple steps, you can start growing mushrooms at home, harvesting and storing them in a few days.