Growing mushrooms can be a lot of fun. Mushrooms are not a plant nor an animal, it is a fruiting body of a fungus. So, it is always interesting to observe the growth process of a mushroom. They are a great addition to your kitchen. You can make a fruitful and rewarding hobby out of growing mushrooms.
If you are an impatient person, you will find taking care of mushrooms quite entertaining. They can literally appear overnight.
Of course, growing a full mushroom takes a little bit more time, but mushrooms are known for their quick growth. In this article we will discuss how fast do mushrooms grow and what can you do to support this process.
Mushroom is produced by a fungal organism that is called mycelium. This organism has the ability to reproduce and that is basically how we get mushrooms.
How fast mushrooms grow depends on different factors. There are diverse types of mushrooms and they have different speeds of growth.
The general period of mushroom growth varies from 3 weeks to 2 months. In this time period, you can get fully grown mushrooms. To give you more information about mushroom growth speed, let’s discuss the most popular mushroom types:
How fast do Oyster Mushrooms grow?
Oyster mushrooms are easy to grow and take care of. Oyster mushrooms go through the following steps:
- Inoculation
- Incubation
- Fruiting
During the first step, the spawn is mixed with the substrate. In the incubation period spawns grow mycelium and colonize the substrate. This stage takes approximately 10-14 days. The last step is the full mushroom growth which can take 5-7 days. After the oyster mushrooms are fully grown you can harvest them
How fast do Button Mushrooms grow?
White button mushrooms are very user-friendly and delicious. With button mushrooms, you will have to be more patient, because they do not grow as quickly as oyster mushrooms.
Growing white button mushrooms starts with “planting”. “Planting” is a process when you cover mycelium with potting soil. You will notice tiny white mushrooms after 3-4 weeks. Do not worry, the wait is totally worth it because you will be getting mushrooms for up to 6 months.
How fast do Portobello Mushrooms grow?
Portobello mushrooms are quick to grow and very delicious. This type of mushroom needs to be moist for quick and efficient growth. After you start growing portobello mushrooms, we advise you to mist it twice a day for 2 to 3 weeks.
After this period, you will notice little sprouts of portobello mushrooms. Just let it grow as big as you would like them to be and harvest.
How fast do Cremini Mushrooms grow?
Cremini mushrooms are grown from spawn. After you mix the spawn with compost it will take several weeks to develop and grow mycelium. After this initial stage is completed, everything goes very quickly. Cremini mushrooms only take 8-10 days to appear in the soil.
Once you notice tiny mushrooms very fast-growing process starts. You can really observe growing cremini mushrooms. This type can double in size every 24 hours.
That’s why it is fascinating to grow cremini mushrooms and the process is very rewarding. After mushrooms appear you will need at the most 5 days to harvest fully-grown mushrooms.
Can mushrooms grow overnight?
Unfortunately, no, mushrooms cannot grow fully overnight, but some of the mushrooms are able to appear in 24 hours. By appearing we mean small tiny mushrooms that can be easily noticed but using them would be a waste because they have so much potential.
In the right condition, mushrooms can appear overnight. The rainfall and humid environment help mycelia to reproduce and grow quickly. With the right substrates and general environment, mushrooms can pop up in a night.
We advise you not to have these high expectations, especially if you are just starting growing mushrooms. Mushrooms usually appear overnight in the forest after rain or in the lab where everything is created for quick mushroom growth.
When growing mushrooms at home, you should give them more time and patience. Usually, we can get fully grown mushrooms around 1-2 months.
How can I speed up mushroom growth?
Here are some tips and tricks to speed up the growing process of a mushroom:
1. Start with a mushroom starter kit
A mushroom growth kit is a perfect decision if you are just getting into growing mushrooms. It is a quick and efficient solution that requires low energy and not that much knowledge. With a kit, you can choose a mushroom, observe the growth process and get familiar with this amazing thing.
2. Keep a sterile environment
Especially, if you are using a petri dish, it is very important to keep the environment and everything you use sterile. This will not only speed up the growth process but will protect your future mushrooms from damages. If you are making grain spawn, you should keep it sterile. Grain needs to be sterile before you add the mushroom culture, otherwise, other processes might interfere with mushroom growth
3. Choose humid environment
Fungi thrive in a humid environment and growing mushrooms in a humid place will eventually speed up the growing process.
4. Keep in mind the temperature
If you want your mushrooms to grow quickly, place them at a good temperature. The perfect temperature for mushrooms is 58-60 degrees Fahrenheit (14-15 Celsius)
5. Grow mushrooms in the basement
The basement is the perfect place for growing mushrooms at home. The temperature is always low and the environment is humid. Basement creates a good atmosphere, where mushrooms can grow quite fast
6. Choose a good substrate
Substrate is a surface where you grow mushrooms. If you are using a mushroom growth kit, then the substrate will come with one. If not, you can use many items as a substrate such as logs, manure, coffee grounds, and cardboard.
Can mushrooms regrow?
Mushrooms can regrow. Many people use pieces of mushrooms as a way to propagate them. Oyster mushrooms are especially good at regeneration and regrowth. The nature of fungus dictates mushroom growth habits.
Given the right conditions, the fungus will continue to grow and mushrooms will come again and again. There is one very important thing to consider, the right conditions may not be for a very long time. Sometimes mushrooms regrow after a year or even more.
What happens if mushrooms get dry?
As we mentioned, keeping mushrooms in a humid environment is essential to them. During the growing period, it is highly recommended to water mushrooms frequently and keep them moist. If mushrooms get too dry, they will abort. The same goes for mycelium.
Before mushrooms start growing, you should keep mycelium itself moist. If mycelium dries out then you will not be able to grow mushrooms. Most of the mushroom is water and lack of humidity means that mushrooms won’t grow.
When should I harvest mushrooms?
There is no single rule for determining the timing of mushroom harvest. This depends highly on conditions and the type of mushrooms you are growing.
If you are using a mushroom starter kit, then the instructions will tell you when to expect the harvest. Usually, you will be able to tell when the timing is right. We recommend you to start harvest once the caps turn convex to concave.
There are two main ways to harvest the mushrooms and the debate about which one is better still goes on. The first method is by twisting and pulling mushrooms from mycelium. The second one needs a knife to cut the mushrooms.
At home, you can use either of these methods. Mushrooms as fungi are very flexible and versatile therefore, you cannot damage them by harvesting in the wrong manner. Cutting has just one advantage: you will be able to cut the mushroom in the base and give it a chance to regrow.
