How I Became A Mushroom Grower

Mushroom Cultivation: Where It All Started

Some of my earliest memories are of hanging out with my mum in our garden. Together, we would plant seeds and watch the baby plants poke their heads above the soil—and I knew that life was good.

After moving to a city, I forgot about the real magic that takes place when food grows from the soil. I took my vegetables for granted, and life was busy. Who has space for growing food in a city, anyway?

In my 20s, I discovered microgreens at a farmers’ market. I was impressed that the ‘superfood’ baby salad leaves had been grown hydroponically on shelving units in an indoor ‘vertical farm.’ I fell in love with these tiny – and expensive – plants and set about growing them myself.

Before long, I had set up a business, rented a basement unit in central Bristol in the UK, and cycled around the city delivering microgreens to local restaurants. Urban farming had my heart – but I knew microgreens wouldn’t feed the world. And the mushrooms were calling me.

Why Grow Mushrooms?

Mushrooms have existed for over a billion years—long before plants and animals existed. They’re getting a lot of attention now—among foodies, health seekers, and ecologists alike—and this is good news. We need their help.

Fungi have been used as foods, medicines and spiritual tools for thousands of years. They can boost immunity, improve cognitive function and help heal our bodies and minds. They are also super-digestors that can clear up oil spills and harmful chemicals like pesticides. With millions of species still yet to be discovered, who knows what other magic there is in the Kingdom of Fungi?

Also, they’re delicious. And you can grow a lot of them in a tiny space.

Now, I teach other people to grow mushrooms at home, and I’ll tell you more about how to do it in future copies of Garden Culture Magazine. First, let’s look at how mushrooms are commonly cultivated indoors.

How to Grow Mushrooms at Home

Most mushrooms can be grown relatively easily at home with little equipment. Different species have varying appetites and specific preferences, but generally, most mushrooms are cultivated using the three stages below.

Making Mushroom “Seeds”

Mushrooms don’t have real seeds – but grow from mycelium – so this needs to be cultivated in a highly nutritious environment to act as ‘seeds’ for planting. A common way to do this is to inject spores into sterile grain – and store them in a warm, dark place for a few weeks until the grain turns white. At this stage, spores germinate and ‘colonise’ – so that each grain becomes filled with energised mycelium.  

Then your ‘seeds’ are ready for stage 2…

Planting and Nurturing “Seeds” in “Soil”

When your grain is white, you can break it up and mix it with a ‘substrate’ (mushroom ‘soil’), which differs depending on the variety of mushrooms being grown. Examples of different ‘soils’ are straw, hardwood pellets (or actual logs), coconut coir, vermiculite and manure. The soil/seed mix is poured into a container like a lunchbox, tub or bag and left for a few more weeks until it has all turned into a white block.

Then, you’re ready for the exciting bit…

Growing – or “Fruiting” – Mushrooms!

Now is the moment to take your container out of its ‘underground’ phase and encourage it to push out some mushrooms! At this stage, you will effectively simulate Autumn/Fall by introducing light, slightly reducing the temperature, and increasing the humidity and fresh air inside your container. You can use ambient daylight (or LEDs), ‘waft’ fresh air into your containers, and humidify with a water mister.

Now, all that’s left is to harvest, preserve and enjoy. You can put your container back into fruiting conditions as they often produce multiple flushes of mushrooms.

Stay tuned for more specific guides from Alex in future issues of Garden Culture Magazine.

Alex has developed a step-by-step course that is available now on UDEMY.