Starting a mushroom farm comes with a bunch of benefits (not only financial); however from 100 people starting out to grow mushrooms only few will actually succeed to implement what they learn. There are multiple reasons why this happens (below is a list of some of these reasons). Simply, if you want to learn you have to invest in it by taking a mushroom class or a workshop.
The only problem with taking a workshop is that doesn’t come with theory so you can learn why you need to do what you have to do at a workshop (exception is when you put a lot of questions to your instructor).
1. You don’t invest in yourself
2. You get bits of info by browsing the internet just because it’s FREE
3. You waste precious time, energy , materials and funds with trials
4. You don’t have access to quality info
5. You lack the general picture on what a successful mushroom growing business looks like
6. You don’t know how to cut production costs
7. You don’t know what the market wants
8. You don’t have a stable method
9. You don’t know how to increase your overall mushroom harvest
Starting a mushroom growing adventure is fun but can get overwhelming if you decide too soon to turn that into a business. There are few things to know if you consider doing that. The presentation below is discussing the following:
– Why people buy mushrooms
– Why people grow mushrooms
– The economics of growing mushrooms
– Mushroom grower mindset
– On how mushrooms are grown
– What are the main challenges that startup mushroom growers are facing in general
– Why starting with the ‘right foot’ is essential
– What to pick in terms of reliable info
All this info will give you a general picture on what means to grow mushrooms for profit and discusses not only advantages but also challenges.
Oyster mushroom grow- beginner advice
When I’ve started to grow mushrooms the internet wasn’t so packed with information on how to grow this particular mushroom. The information on this topic out there is fragmented and there are so many sources, it’s just crazy. I guess the most important thing is to find a reliable source from where you can inform yourself. For this you’ll need to be selective and make sure the info provided to you is the right one, but this will take time of course.
If you’re the type that doesn’t want to waste time on it best is to read a book, to talk to others (already dealing with this) or to pick a course that shows you all you need to know. So, before starting with oyster mushroom growing you’ll need to know few things like: what are the oyster mushroom kinds, what’s the difference between them, where to look for spawn, what means quality spawn and what’s bad spawn, what to look for when you purchase that, what strain you should pick, how to grow it or what to do to get a better yield.
At first I’ve started to read a book on how to grow this particular mushroom, then I went to a supermarket to get the address and phone no. of a local mushroom farm. Next I contacted the grower and bought spawn from him. This is how I first grew oyster mushrooms in 2005. You can do the same or here you can take my free course on how to grow oyster mushrooms or simply surf the internet for this info.
To grow oyster mushrooms is easy and even a 10 year old could do it. Most of the species and varieties are grown pretty much following the same procedure with some differences in temp or substrate requirements. Simply, explore and build your experience, also best is to check several sources to compare methodology.
In some cases things could go wrong, and many times the one who seeks to grow mushrooms gets discouraged because of failed attempts or poor yield. Questions may arise in this case: was it the spawn or a poor strain or bad environment, or newbie mistakes? Could be one reason or a bunch of mixed reasons. This calls for mentorship, someone that can show you how to start this whole thing. What strain to pick and getting better yields it’s a course that I’ve created exactly for those wanting to start with oyster mushroom growing, need advice and don’t have the time to inform themselves from other sources.
When I saw the mushrooms popping from my first grow attempt it was fantastic. Next, I started to grow that particular strain on a different substrate to see how is behaving -i was also taking notes and observe what the strain likes and dislikes. Then, I ventured in getting different types of oyster mushrooms (yellows, and pinks) and compared to the previous type -I was actually comparing different mushroom kinds but not necessarily different strains belonging to the same species -I’ve focused on that somewhat later.
Playing around with different strains it’s a must because yield is mostly strain dependent also discovering the right substrate, temp and other conditions for a particular strain is necessary if you want lots of mushrooms in your growroom.
The king oyster is a bit tricky because it comes with low yields if grown using the same grow method as for the common oyster, pinks or yellows. This type will require supplementation and unfortunately that will turn your whole substrate moldy if not properly disinfected.
Generally a low pressure steam disinfection unit is used by most startup growers to do that. This is a device that may be created from parts and it is usually a cheap version of an autoclave with a lower steam pressure (usually 5 to 7 psi; autoclaves get up to 15 psi or more). On how to build one of these check the Low-tech Small-scale Mushroom Farm Setup Training, and if you build one – just make sure it doesn’t blow up in your face or consult an engineer on how to build one.
I recommend you to play around with random strains and mushroom kinds, get info from lots of sources if you have time and build your own experience. This is the success formula that lifted me higher and got me to the next step which was on how to make spawn. I didn’t know how to grow shiitakes at this point but I was interested in making my own spawn so I can grow oysters and I was also aware that this could open a door to other kinds of mushrooms that I wanted to grow at that time.
One of the biggest challenge when growing mushrooms is to provide them with the conditions they need. Apparently many people have this problem. If you want to grow mushrooms for your own kitchen I suggest you to build a mushroom grow box -like what you see below.
Growing mushrooms without a way to offer them the proper microclimate they need for optimal fruitbody development is tricky. When you don’t provide them with proper climate conditions your mushrooms might fail to grow, if they pop the pinheads may dry out or the already developed fruitbodies may crack or provide you with a poor harvest. This low-tech small capacity mushrooms grow box will provide your mushrooms the right humidity, air exchange, light and temperature. You’ll be able to control all these climate factors and match them with the mushrooms that you want to grow. This grow chamber it’s a great addition for any fungus enthusiast wanting to grow mushrooms at home for their own kitchen.
The harvest that you can get from a box like this is variable and depends on its capacity, the mushrooms that you want to grow or the substrate that you’re using to grow them on to. However, the size of your grow chamber matters the most. A grow box like this may hold up to five 2.2kg (5 lb) ea and may offer you up to 5 kg (11 lb) of fresh oyster mushrooms in a grow cycle.
The grow box it’s easy to set up and it’s a fun project. The parts for it may be purchased from thrift or hardware stores. With low investment in this you’ll have a mini mushroom grow room and plenty of mushrooms for your kitchen.
The grow box may be set on automatic so it runs by itself. You will even forget about it and one morning wake up to a bunch of fresh mushrooms. The effort to maintain it is minimal (more likely once or twice a week for 5 minutes or so).
If you'll ever sign up for MC trainings..
- You'll be able to successfully grow mushrooms at home
- You'll understand the difference of what means to grow mushrooms with and without a grow chamber like this
- You'll understand that growing mushrooms doesn't require high technology
- You'll get a general picture of how you should set up a mushroom growroom (just in case that you consider to expand your mushroom grow project).