Q&A for How to Grow Mushrooms Indoors

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  • Question
    Where can I buy mushroom spores?
    Community Answer
    There are many reputable sellers online, but it's worth doing your homework and knowing who you're buying from. Don't just go with a random seller you haven't investigated. You’ll want to know that if they are wild culturing (which usually produces the best mushrooms), and confirm that they have the laboratory facilities to test what they've got. You also want to know that they have a reputation for plugs, spawn or spores that reliably fruit.
  • Question
    Assuming I use Method #1, how long will the mushrooms continue to grow for further harvests? What additional steps would need to be taken to keep them coming back?
    Community Answer
    Mushrooms will continue to grow from the medium for 2-4 months, depending on how large the area is. As long as the medium has the required nutrients, they will keep growing. Then, make a new batch and start all over.
  • Question
    Can mushrooms be grown in ice cube trays or is something deeper needed?
    Community Answer
    The larger you can make the block, the better. That way it doesn't dry out as easily and has more energy to make mushrooms. You can buy bags of spawn and inoculate bulk substrate, but you need a way to sterilize or pasteurize substrate, so it depends what you plan to grow and what kind of yields and how involved you want to be in the process. You can also buy premade blocks and just open them and let it grow, or buy a mushroom from the store and start from scratch working from agar to a culture to spawn to bulk.
  • Question
    Does the compost need to be sterilized while growing white button mushrooms?
    Community Answer
    It's best to sterilize the growing substrate regardless of what mushroom you grow.
  • Question
    Which one is the best seed?
    Community Answer
    Mushrooms grow from spores, not seeds. They would need plenty of moisture and rich soil or decaying matter.
  • Question
    How are spores collected?
    Doctor Toothpaste
    Community Answer
    Spores are collected from soil near trees, or animals and plants. When an animal passes a spore of a mushroom to a tree's soil, the tree can grow that kind of mushroom. Humans collect spores by taking the soil itself.
  • Question
    Can I use ground coffee for the first method instead of straw?
    Community Answer
    It should work, since most mushrooms are not picky. Make sure you give it enough room.
  • Question
    Can I grow mushrooms from my backyard just to see them grow?
    Community Answer
    If you use the right kind of substrate and the temperature is right, you sure can.
  • Question
    I do not have access to hard woods for outdoors growing but I will be taking down two apple trees in the near future. Would this apple wood be viable for mushroom growing?
    Community Answer
    Apple wood is viable for mushroom growing. Hardwood trees are mostly deciduous (lose their leaves in the winter). Most fruit trees, including the apple tree, are hardwood trees.
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