Can I Grow Mushrooms In My Garden With Other Plants

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Fresh portobello mushrooms are easier to grow than you may think. To make the process as simple as possible, purchase a growing kit. Otherwise, assemble a planting bed and plant portobello spores in it. Whether you choose to grow the mushrooms indoors or outdoors, keep the soil damp and at the appropriate temperature. Soon, you will have tasty mushrooms to add to a hamburger or chop up into a salad.

1
Build a tray frame out of scrap wood. Pick up some scrap wood from a lumberyard or purchase boards from a home improvement store. The frame should be about 8 in (20 cm) deep and at least 6 in (15 cm) long. Nail the wood together to form the bed.^[1]
- Instead of assembling a tray, purchase a mushroom-growing kit from a gardening store or online. It includes all the components you need for growing mushrooms.
2
Fill the bed with manure-based compost. Purchase a bag of compost from a gardening center, then pour it into the bed until it is 6 in (15 cm) deep. Avoid filling up the tray so you have space to mix the soil and add peat moss later.^[2]
- The manure mixed in is dried, so it shouldn't stink up your house. However, you may try other organic compost products in place of manure-based compost.
3
Cover the bed with black plastic when growing portobellos outdoors. To sterilize the soil, lay a piece of cardboard over the compost. Cover the cardboard with a single layer of black plastic sheeting, which you can find at a general store or home improvement store. Make sure it's tight inside the bed and won't get blown away by the wind.^[3]
- If you chose to grow your portobellos indoors, sterilizing the soil likely won't be necessary. You can still do it if you wish to ensure that your mushrooms grow big and healthy.
4

Leave the bed in the sunlight for 2 weeks when growing outdoors. Leave the plastic in place and let the bed sit out in the sun. The sunlight will pass through the plastic and cardboard, clearing the compost of harmful bacteria that can damage the mushrooms.^[4]

1

Place the bed in a dark room to grow portobellos indoors. Put the tray in a dark corner of a shed, closet, basement, or another suitable area. The dark room should be kept between 50 to 70 °F (10 to 21 °C). Because you're working indoors, the temperature most likely won't need to be adjusted.
2
Move the bed to a climate-controlled area for outdoors growing. For the mushrooms to grow, the temperature needs to be no higher than 70 °F (21 °C) in the daytime and no lower than 50 °F (10 °C) at night. If the temperature goes beyond this, you may need to move the bed to a safer location, such as in shade or indoors.^[5]
- A dark area, such as in the shade of a tree, also helps, but it's most important to get the temperature right.
- You can monitor the soil by placing a soil thermometer in the bed.
- Mushrooms do well in water, so rain falling on your planting bed is okay.
3
Mix the mushroom spores into the compost. Mushroom spores can be purchased online and may also be found at some gardening stores. Once you have them, put on a pair of rubber gloves. Sprinkle the spores onto the compost, then gently mix them in about 1 in (2.5 cm). Press down on the compost when you're finished.^[6]
- First, remove the plastic and cardboard if you used it to sterilize the soil.
4

Cover the compost with peat moss and newspaper. Get some peat moss from a garden center or home improvement store. Spread a 1 in (2.5 cm) layer over the compost. Then spread a single layer of newspaper over the peat moss.^[7]
5
Mist the newspaper daily to keep it moist. Use a spray bottle at least once a day to keep the newspaper wet. If it looks dry, spray it to keep up the humidity level in the bed. Mushrooms thrive in damp environments, so it's unlikely that you'll supply too much water by misting.
- If you're growing outdoors, increase misting to twice a day to ensure the bed doesn't dry out.

1
Remove the newspaper in 2 weeks if the mushrooms are growing. After the 2 weeks are up, lift up the newspaper. Look for tiny, white heads coming out of the peat moss. If they're there, leave the newspaper off.^[8]
- You may see white streaks in the soil, which means the mushrooms are taking root. Leave the newspaper in place and continue misting for another week.
2

Continue misting the mushrooms as they grow. Mist the peat moss every day so water continues to drip into the bed. After about 10 days, the mushrooms will be fully-grown, although you can harvest the mushrooms sooner if you wish.
3
Dig out the portobellos when the caps have fully unfurled. Portobellos reach their peak when the mushroom caps are about 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in) in diameter. Dig them out of the compost by hand, then clean them off with a damp paper towel and store them in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator.^[9]
- Harvesting the mushrooms early means you'll be eating brown criminis instead of portobellos. Wait until the edges of the caps are flat instead of curled.
4

Repeat moistening the compost until new mushrooms form. Keep your tray with compost intact for now. Continue moistening the compost daily, then add a new layer of newspaper once white streaks form again. By following the same steps, you will usually get 2 or 3 batches of mushrooms out of 1 tray.^[10]

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Question

How do you get spores from mushrooms?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer

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The process works the best with gilled mushrooms. To create a spore print, cut off the stalk of a fresh mushroom and lay the gill side down in a glass container and cover. Allow 6-12 hours for spores to be released and collect them from the glass.
Question

Can you grow portobello mushrooms at home?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer

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Yes, actually mushrooms grow the best inside. Obtain mushroom spores and a growing tray. Fill the tray with compost materials and sprinkle approx 2 cups of spores on the top. Keep the tray moist and in the dark.
Question

What are the best mushrooms to grow?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer
Question

Do I need to lower the temperature to about 16.5 degrees Celsius to get the portobellos to fruit?

Susan Butler

Community Answer

Mushrooms don't have chlorophyll, which means they don't get any nutrients and energy from the sun. You have to keep them at the right temperature of 18-21 degrees Celsius to get them to fruit.

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Portobello mushrooms are actually fully-grown brown crimini mushrooms. Wait for the caps to completely unfurl before picking them.
Indoor growing can be done year-round because you can control the temperature of your home. For outdoor growing, monitor the weather in your area.

Things You'll Need

Shady, temperature-controlled growing area
Wood or another growing container
Nails
Manure-based compost
Peat moss
Newspaper
Spray bottle
Cardboard
Black plastic sheet

About This Article

Article SummaryX

You can grow portobello mushrooms indoors or outdoors, and it should only take you a few weeks. To get started, you'll need a wooden box to grow the mushrooms in. Fill the box with a layer of manure-based compost, and cover it with a piece of cardboard and a layer of black plastic sheeting. Leave the box outdoors for 2 weeks so the sunlight can kill any bacteria. Then, move it into the shade or indoors where the temperature will stay below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix your spores into the compost, and cover it with peat moss and a layer of newspaper. Mist the newspaper with water once or twice a day, and in a couple of weeks you should start to see the mushroom heads peeking out of the soil. For more tips from our Gardening co-author, including how to harvest your Portobello mushrooms, read on!

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