subject: Growing Mushrooms at Home for Fun or Profit [print this page] Mushrooms may be grown outdoors,indoors,in sheds,in cellars,or in properly designed Mushroom housings,for the most part all year long,and outdoors in beds during summer in some places. The basic recipe for growing Mushrooms indoors is,exellent ventilation,ecceptional cleanliness,temperature of 50 to 65 degrees,80 percent humidity.Never below 40 or above 70 degrees F.at any time.Total darkness is not nessasary,but it is desirable.The Proper housing or Mushroom house is dark is very well insulated as to help keep even, non fluctuating temperatures.Is well ventilated.I have heat for the very cold periods.A level ground with a walkway in the center works verywellforme. Mushroom compost may be made from organics,such as decomposed straw.There are chemicals available to cause rapid decomposition,just follow their recomended procedures.A good Mushroom bed can be made from horse manure.Personally I prefer horse manure. The Beds can be made flat or rows, I prefer flat beds, they just seem to be better in my opinion.The beds should be 8 to 10 inches deep in summer months and 10 to 14 inches deep in winter The beds can also be made on shelves about 8 inches deep. For spawning we insert pieces of spawn,about walnut size,1inch deep and10inches apart in the prepared bed.Then cover the bed with straw. In 7 to 10 days the bed must be soiled with preferably a sandy soil.It should be sterilized and free from fertilizers.Whatever the source it is then mixed with peat.Equal parts soil,and moist peat.It is applied 1 inch thick for indoor beds. 2 inches for outdoor beds,then cover with straw 4 to10 inches thick,then covered with burlap. At first it is advisable to keep the beds fairly dry.The aim in moisture control is to moisten the soil and not wet the manure.The beds need watering every week,or 7 to 10 days.Water with a salt solution,2 teaspoons per gallon of water You should expect your first Mushroomsin6 to 8 weeks.
