If you are completely new to mushroom growing, I recommend that you skim through a copy of Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms by Paul Stamets. Many libraries have the 2nd Edition, or you can order the expanded 3rd Edition through my link to Amazon.com (click on the title). Paul's book will give you a good overview of growing mushrooms of all kinds. It has plenty of pictures, and there are descriptions of most of the mushroom species that can be reliably cultivated. It is also a valuable reference volume, and I use it regularly. (Paul's earlier book with J.S. Chilton, The Mushroom Cultivator, is also a good overview, focusing more on Agaricus and other compost-grown species.) Don't be put off by all the talk about contamination and sterile procedure, though--that's where the peroxide method comes in!

As Paul's books explain, the process of growing mushrooms can be divided roughly into four steps:

1) Acquiring and maintaining a culture of mushroom tissue (called mycelium) of the mushroom strain you want. (A tissue culture is somewhat like a cutting of a plant. Starting with a tissue culture assures that you have a mushroom strain genetically identical to the one you want. Some growers start with spores, which are more like seeds. Spores may or may not give you a mushroom strain with the fruiting properties of the parent. Since spores cannot be grown in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, I always work with a tissue culture of mycelium. Tissue cultures--also called agar cultures or test tube cultures--of various species of mushroom can be purchased from commercial suppliers or they can be started from fresh mushrooms).

2) Using a bit of the tissue culture to begin some spawn (a kind of mushroom starter), which is usually grown on a small quantity of sterilized grain or sawdust.

3) Using the spawn to introduce mushroom mycelium into an organic material (substrate) chosen to support the formation of mushrooms.

4) Getting the actual mushrooms to form and grow once the substrate has been completely colonized by mushroom mycelium.

This document is Copyright: ©1999 by Randall R. Wayne, Ph.D. All commercial rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used for sale in any form or by any means without permission of the author.