Yes, you can.
Mushrooms have very few requirements to grow well, and a greenhouse is no exception.
What conditions are needed for a mushroom to grow?
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- Optimal air temperature between 12-15C (54-59F)
- High Relative Humidity (> 90%) – This means that there is water in the air. The more humid, the higher the humidity can be.
- Good ventilation – fresh air must be able to enter, and stale air leaves the growing area. Too much airflow will dry out your mushrooms too much, like drying them with a blowdryer/hairdryer. If you use this method, don’t aim into the mushroom caps, as it may contaminate them before they are dried thoroughly. Aim towards their stem instead to avoid contamination.
It does not have to be 100% perfect at all times. Mushrooms are very resilient and will try to grow any way they can within a specific range of conditions.
This means that your mushrooms will still grow in a greenhouse on the windowsill, but maybe not as fast as if you have optimal conditions all the time.
The key is consistency, especially with temperature and humidity!
Do mushrooms need light to grow?
Mushrooms do not need light to grow!
This is a common misconception. In fact, they grow best in the dark and even given away their stored food if there is too much light.
There have been countless experiments with the light on mushrooms, where one group was given light throughout its life cycle, and another group was kept in the dark until harvest.
The results are always the same: that the group exposed to light during its growth yielded fewer mushrooms while taking longer to mature (and letting out some of its own stored food into the air).
The only thing you could use mushroom growing lights for is swift maturation.
You can force your mushroom mycelium to fruit earlier by giving it 12 hrs of sunlight every day.
The use of light is not ideal because of the heat it generates and how much electricity this will consume if you decide to grow a significant amount.
This means that you can grow all sorts of mushrooms in a greenhouse with no (natural) lighting!
What is a suitable room temperature for growing mushrooms?
15-25°C (59-77°F) is optimal.
If the temperature goes below 12°C (<54°F) or above 30°C (>86°F), your mushroom mycelium will start to slow down its growth.
It may even stop completely depending on how low or high the temperature goes, but there is one exception…
Some exotic species such as Reishi or Maitake can be grown at lower temperatures if they are constant temperature and humidity.
If you want to grow mushrooms in the winter when it gets colder, be sure to have a way of heating your mushroom growing area up each day!
Do mushrooms need water?
Yes, mushrooms need water.
Mushrooms (like most living things) are made up of more than 80% water. The humidity in your growing area should be between 95-100% for the best growth results.
Suppose you grow indoors and use a humidifier or dehumidifier to achieve this level. In that case, you mustn’t overdo it!
This is why I have written another article about how to measure and maintain high humidity in your mushroom farm.
Do mushrooms need carbon dioxide?
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is produced by all life on earth: animals, plants, and fungi alike.
Without carbon dioxide, there would be no life at all! Carbon Dioxide is what gives us the ability to breathe!
The reason we are so dependent on it is that it creates a greenhouse effect.
The earth’s atmosphere has been made up of about 0.04% carbon dioxide, which heats up our planet enough for life as we know it to exist!
Mushrooms use carbon dioxide differently than animals and plants.
They actually release it as a waste product while they grow! This can lead to a buildup of gases like CO2, NH3, etc.. which will poison the mushrooms and kill them all.
That is why you should never completely seal off the room that your mushrooms are in. Instead, you need some sort of circulation system with fans going into the room or out of the window (depending on direction). Ventilation is the key to maintaining a healthy and productive growing environment!
Do mushrooms need nitrogen?
No, they don’t. Instead, mushrooms feed on the carbon in wood.
The process of turning dead wood into food is called “decomposition.”
Mushrooms break down the existing cell walls of wood by adding enzymes to them.
Once the cell walls have been broken down completely, all those nutrients are free for your fungi friends to use as they please!
This will give them access to all the nutrients that were bound up inside those cells.
We get most of our nutrients from plants by breaking down their stored resources and animals when we eat them…
That’s why mushrooms can be grown in virtually any organic material!
How long does it take to grow mushrooms?
It takes around 21-28 days to grow mushrooms from start to finish.
But It also depends on which species you are growing and how much time you put into growing them.
Since most exotic mushrooms can be grown at temperatures around 20°C (68°F) or lower, it is possible to grow many of these mushrooms year-round!
There are different fruiting periods that mushrooms go through.
For example, some species will only fruit once a year. In contrast, others may produce multiple flushes of fruitings throughout the year.
This is why such a large variety of fresh (and dried) edible mushroom varieties are available in grocery stores worldwide!
Are mushroom kits worth it?
If you are an experienced mushroom farmer, it is not vital to buy a kit.
But if you are a beginner or someone looking for an easy way out who wants to grow the most popular species of mushrooms, then kits can be great!
There are many different kinds of kits to choose from, and some will save you money in the long run. Read more about this in my article about buying kits:
How To Buy A Good Mushroom Kit.
What is the best mushroom growing kit?
There are many popular kits out there, and they all have their pros and cons.
The best mushroom growing kit will depend on your needs!
If you want to grow shiitake or oyster mushrooms, the PF Tek is a great choice.
If you’re going to grow edible forest mushrooms, try using an outdoor log-based kit in the summertime (as this will give your fungi friends a little more room to spread out).
How long do mushroom kits last?
Like I mentioned above, kits can last for a long time, or they could die within a couple of months.
It all depends on the temperature and humidity in your growing area!
In general, you want to have adequate temperatures between 18-27°C (64 – 81°F) with higher humidity levels around 90% or above.
A combination of these factors will allow you to grow any species of edible mushrooms that are available at your local grocery store!
Conclusion
It’s important to know what you’re getting into before investing in a mushroom kit.
There are many different varieties of kits available that will each have their own pros and cons, so it is best to read up on the specific type you want!
But if all else fails, we’ve got your back with an extensive list of our favorite options for growing mushrooms from home (see below).
We hope this article has helped answer any questions or concerns about how long does it take to grow mushrooms or whether they need nitrogen. Now get out there and start farming these fungi friends today!
