Q&A for How to Grow White Button Mushrooms

You can propagate the Mycelium on wet shredded cardboard in a container with holes at the bottom. Seed it with the area around each mushroom root and keep it moist and dark for 1-2 months until you see the white growth on the pieces of cardboard. Use the cardboard bits to start a new tray of mushrooms.

Rabbit manure is an excellent alternative because it is considered "cold" manure, meaning you don't need to compost it before use. It provides similar benefits to horse manure for gardening.

Button mushrooms prefer a slightly acidic to neutral pH range, typically between 6.0 and 7.0. This pH range helps them thrive during growth and fruiting, ensuring healthy development and optimal yields.

Using coffee grounds to grow mushrooms is not recommended. Potting soil is a better alternative.

It depends on the type of mushroom, but it's usually best to use mushroom spawn or spores instead.

Mushrooms have delicious flavors that vary from rich and decadent to subtle, delicate, and fresh, depending on the type of mushroom.

You don't need any special equipment, just a simple glass jar. The setup is relatively low-cost and it's surprisingly easy to grow mushrooms this way. Using a reusable glass jar makes the process more environmentally friendly, and you can watch the whole process while it develops.

Heat-sterilizing compost is not recommended for home gardens, because it can harm beneficial microbes. It's better to use good-quality, aged compost, and blend your own seed-starting mix.

During mycelium growth, most mushrooms need relatively high temperatures (25–28°C, rarely higher than 30°C or 78°F). An electric heat pad or heating cable helps maintain the right temperature.

Use an oven or autoclave to raise the temperature above 120°C for an extended period.

Compost generally does not need to be sterilized because the natural microbial activity heats it up, transforming organic matter into nutrient-rich humus. This process improves soil structure, fertility, and water retention. However, if the compost is made incorrectly and doesn't heat sufficiently, it might not kill all pathogens, and sterilization might be necessary, though this is rare.

The optimal temperature range for growing white button mushrooms is 10 to 26 degrees Celsius with a humidity level between 40% and 60%.

You can reuse the same compost for years, but it's best to use it for mulching or as a soil conditioner if plants show any signs of disease. Seed composts are fine and contain very few nutrients.

No. Some woods, like oak and hard maple, are better for growing mushrooms because they're dense and provide lots of nutrition.

Yes, you can grow button mushrooms even if you don't have access to spores locally. You might consider purchasing spores online, which are typically available in syringes or spore prints. Use a sterilized substrate mix of compost, straw, and gypsum, and use growing trays or bags with proper ventilation. Maintain high humidity (around 90%) and a consistent temperature between 55° and 75°F (13° and 24°C). Also, make sure your environment and equipment are clean and sterilized.

Garden stores, hardware stores, and online retailers. They usually cost between $20 and $50.

Use straw or other moist material at the bottom and add mushroom end pieces. Regrowing mushrooms can be a tricky process.

If you purchase prepared horse manure from a nursery, it is usually composted and ready to use, reducing the need for pasteurization. Properly composted manure typically doesn't have harmful pathogens or weed seeds, so pasteurization isn't necessary unless you're uncertain about the preparation.

Place a bowl of baking soda in the room near the mushrooms. Baking soda absorbs odors and can help neutralize the smell.

It's typically a good idea to cover mycelium with potting soil or compost soil once you start to see spindly mushrooms growing, which is usually a sign that the mycelium has developed a strong network. After about two weeks, this is an appropriate time to gently cover the mycelium to support the mushrooms' growth. Be sure the soil is loose and well-aerated to promote healthy mushroom development.

Mint is a better option mixed with neem leaves. If you want no stinky smell in your house, take five or six leaves of mint and neem and make a spray by grinding these leaves and extract into liquid through muslin cloth. You get a good spray.

Yes. (Use hardwood sawdust.)

For a do-it-yourself heating pad, take an old sock and fill it with uncooked white rice. Tie the open end of the sock and now you can heat it in the microwave to be warm and cozy!

Put the seeds in an eggshell and give it water once a day when small. The plant will grow up, then put it into a vase.

It's possible to regrow mushrooms if you have the stems, but it can be difficult. Take the stems and place them either in moist soil or in a mixture of equal parts manure and compost. After a few days, the stems will either start to sprout new growth, or they'll simply rot. If they do grow, within a few weeks you may have small sprouts of mushrooms.

White button mushrooms naturally grow in fertile and damp soil, which is why they were first cultivated in fields with horse manure. You can grow them at home by making a mixture of equal parts compost and manure and filling a tray with it. Then, add spores over the surface and wait for the mycelium to form, which is a network of filaments that the mushrooms sprout from. After a few weeks, you'll see tiny white button mushrooms growing.

In order to grow mature white button mushrooms, you have to first cultivate mycelium, which will take about 3-4 weeks to start sprouting tiny mushrooms. Then, it'll take about another 1-2 weeks for the mushrooms to grow large enough for you to harvest them. Once the mycelium starts sprouting mushrooms, if the conditions are right, you can continue to harvest mushrooms for up to 6 months.