How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms Indoors

My Personal Introduction to Mushroom Cultivation Indoors

Last spring, I enrolled in a gardening workshop where the unusual world of cultivating mushrooms was unveiled to me. Little did I know, growing mushrooms indoors was not only possible but also an exciting winter activity. After the workshop, armed with a bag filled with moist sawdust and oyster mushroom spores, I embarked on my first mushroom-growing journey.

I placed the bag on my kitchen counter away from direct sunlight, expecting mushrooms to emerge through the holes in the plastic bag within 6-8 weeks. Unfortunately, my initial enthusiasm waned as the bag appeared unchanged 4-6 weeks later. Despite its moldy appearance, I instructed my daughter not to discard it when I went out of town.

Upon my return, the bag still seemed unaltered, so I relocated it to the garage with plans to dispose of it later. However, during a subsequent garage cleaning session, an unexpected discovery startled me. As I lifted the bag to throw it out, a mass of whitish grey flew past my line of vision. I dropped the bag and screamed. I thought I had discovered a mouse! What I really was seeing was a beautiful cluster of oyster mushrooms protruding out of the bag.

Understanding the Mushroom Life Cycle

In the gardening workshop, I gained insights into the life cycle of mushrooms. Unlike conventional vegetables, mushrooms, as fungi, follow a unique growth pattern. The mushroom itself is the fruit of the plant, requiring a substrate (growing material) and spawns (live mushroom cultures) for cultivation.

For indoor growing, I’ll focus on two key substrate materials: shredded sawdust in bags and healthy logs. Spawns are mixed with sawdust or added to logs through drilled holes. The introduction of moisture initiates the growth of mycelium, a root-like structure that feeds on the substrate. The duration of this process varies based on material, moisture level, and temperature.

Creating a conducive environment involves placing the substrate in a mostly dark, room-temperature space, ensuring it stays moist. The closed bag with a few holes or the tented logs (misted as needed) serve as effective moisture-retaining methods. To stimulate growth, logs are soaked in water for 24 hours, then either shocked in cold water or refrigerated overnight to simulate natural outdoor conditions.

As mycelium exhausts available space, it transitions to the fruiting stage. Initial mushroom growth is termed pinning, with oyster mushrooms forming clusters. Other varieties of mushrooms only produce single mushroom fruit. Harvesting involves cutting the mushroom growths with a knife at the surface.

Embarking on a New Indoor Mushroom Growing Journey

This winter, I’m embarking on a new mushroom growing adventure using an oyster mushroom-inoculated log received as a holiday gift from Uncommon Goods. Inoculated in October 2023, I anticipate harvesting mushrooms in April 2024. Follow my progress on Facebook and Instagram!