Mushroom Growing

The secret of how to grow any mushroom species is to provide the right growing conditions. The process of growing mushrooms varies significantly depending on the species, method, and whether you are growing indoors or outdoors. However, all grows have a few basic requirements, particularly: 

  • Moisture
  • Fresh air
  • Light

Failure to provide enough moisture, air, or light will impair the mushrooms’ growth. However, there are numerous other factors to consider.

This article will focus on what can go wrong when growing mushrooms. We classified some of them for you here.

  1. Contamination

Fungi thrive in warm and moist environments. Unfortunately, these conditions are also ideal for contaminants like bacteria and mold. These unwanted microorganisms compete with the fungus for nutrients and inhibit its growth. They also make any mushrooms that do manage to form unusable.

Contamination is a significant threat, especially in the early stages of mycelium growth before the fungus has developed an immune system. However, it is essential to be vigilant at all stages of growth and immediately deal with any contaminants.

  1. Not Enough Moisture

As we have mentioned, moisture is one of the most critical environmental considerations when growing mushrooms. Without enough humidity, the mycelium will dry out and die. Furthermore, mushrooms have a high water content. If they do not have enough moisture as they grow, they can become dry and brittle with cracked caps.

  1. Not Enough Fresh Air

Fresh air exchange is essential for healthy mushroom formation. If there is too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen, your mushrooms may be stunted with small or deformed caps.

  1. Not Enough Light

Mushrooms do not require light to produce energy in the same way as plants do. However, they do need some ambient light to develop properly. Mushrooms grown in poorly lit areas tend to have long, spindly stems. They may also lean in one direction as they search for light.

  1. Faulty Spawn

Sometimes grow can be fail simply because of faulty spawn. Possible issues include spawn that is already contaminated or takes too long to arrive and dies.

Spawn can also spoil if you don’t use it quickly enough.

  1. Lack of Knowledge

You don’t need to be a professional mycologist to grow mushrooms. In fact, it is a wonderful way to learn about them. However, a complete lack of understanding could lead to errors and the failure of your crop.

Of course there is more problems and for any problem there is a solution.

One final tip is to label everything and carefully log every stage of your project. That way, if something does go wrong, you should be able to pinpoint your mistake and avoid making it again in the future.