Using mushrooms to respond to the challenges of our current world. From waste recovery to the production of superfoods, their potential seems endless...
The Mycosphere's mission is to develop mushroom cultivation and make it accessible to all.
Mushroom cultivation accessible to all
Where to start ?Ready to get started?
There are plenty of edible mushrooms you can grow at home, but it really depends on where you want to grow them!
For beginners, we recommend Oyster Mushroom (indoors or outdoors), Strophaire (outdoor beds) and Shiitake (outdoor logs).
All are reliable and will increase the likelihood of a successful attempt!
If you've never grown mushrooms before, we recommend starting with a ready-to-grow kit or bundle that doesn't require any special equipment.
Once you are comfortable, look into mycelia on grains or log dowels . As you become more comfortable, you can upgrade your equipment.
But it shouldn't require a big investment to get started.
Mushrooms prefer indirect sunlight, plenty of humidity and temperatures between 10 and 20-25°C.
Some species are more heat tolerant (like Pink Oyster Mushrooms), while others are more tolerant of changes in humidity.
But generally speaking, it is best to create relatively cool, humid and shady conditions.
Indoors, you can grow mushrooms in your basement, your garage, your kitchen, your laundry room ( with a bundle ready to grow , in jars, in bags , in column bags . Most mushrooms will have need a little light to grow.
Outdoors, you can grow mushrooms on logs , stumps, straw or wood chips.
Check out our mushroom growing guides to learn more.
The mycelium on pegs is used to inoculate logs. Liquid mycelium is used to inoculate sterilized grains, which then becomes mycelium on grains , which is then used to inoculate a substrate based on straw or sawdust to produce mushrooms. Mycelium on sawdust is used to inoculate logs or flowerbeds outdoors.
On a small scale, you can use a small spray bottle and 1 or 2 sprays per day should be enough. It actually depends on the natural humidity of the place.
On a medium or large scale, we advise you to use a mister.
Mushrooms like moisture, but should not be soaked constantly.
Spray with a fine mist until water droplets appear, then monitor them for signs of moisture loss.
Yes. The walls of mushrooms are made of chitin, which we cannot digest. Cooking partially degrades this chitin, which then makes the mushrooms more digestible and also makes their various nutritional and medicinal components more assimilable.
Certain mushrooms like shiitake can cause allergic reactions if they are not cooked enough.
If this is your first time eating a particular species, it is best to start with a small amount to check for allergies, even when cooked.
You can check out our recipes if you want some inspiration.
It is best to harvest mushrooms before they are ripe, that is, before they sporulate. After this stage, they are generally more fibrous and keep for a much shorter time.
This is learned and it varies for each species of course. You will generally see that the growth of the hats will begin to slow down. The color of the hats will begin to lighten.
For oyster mushrooms, the edges of the caps will start to brown slightly and rise up. So don't wait any longer to harvest.