DIY: Mushroom Greenhouse
- 1). Provide the spores with a stable mushroom substrate. Ideal materials include wood shavings, compost, wood chips or peat moss. Place the substrate in a flower box. Procure a suitably moist log for growing mushrooms like shiitake, which grow only on logs.
- 2). Set up a good watering system, like a drip system, or use a hand sprayer to keep your mushrooms moist at all times. You can set up a simple drip system by placing a container of water above the mushrooms with a piece of string or wool going from the container into the mushroom pot.
- 3). Place the spores onto the growing medium. Ensure that the substrate is kept moist for the next 2 weeks. Place a clear plastic container over the flower box to create your own mushroom greenhouse and keep moisture and temperatures constant.
- 4). Keep the temperature constant. The mushrooms need a temperature of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use heaters in the winter to keep the temperature constant.
- 5). Provide natural sunlight for those mushrooms that enjoy light. For those varieties that prefer the dark, use a tarp to cover your mushroom pots, or place the mushrooms in a cupboard. Colonies should appear in the second week.
- 6). Retain the substrate after harvesting mushrooms, as there may be several flushes before the substrate runs out of nutrients.
