Growing

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) are the easiest. They eat almost anything (straw, coffee grounds, cardboard), fruit fast (4–6 weeks), and survive beginner mistakes.

Lion's mane and king oyster come next — slightly more demanding but rewarding. Save shiitake and reishi for later: longer cycles, pickier substrate.

Inoculation: putting spawn into substrate. The countdown starts here.

Colonization: mycelium eats outward through the substrate. Looks like white fuzz. Takes 1–4 weeks depending on species.

Fruiting: triggered by cold shock, light, fresh air, and humidity. Pins appear, then primordia, then mushrooms.

Harvest: pick before the caps fully flatten and start dropping spores. The block usually flushes 2–4 times before it's exhausted.

Mould spores are everywhere — in your air, on your hands, on the spawn bag. They reproduce in hours; your mushroom mycelium grows in days. If you give a contaminant a head start, you've lost.

Beat it with three things: sterile substrate (pressure cooker, not just boiling), clean technique (still air box or flow hood, gloves, alcohol), and healthy spawn (don't stretch one bag too thin).

Colonization wants warm and dark — typically 75–80°F (24–27°C). Fruiting wants cooler — 60–70°F (15–21°C) for most species.

Humidity at fruiting needs to be 85–95%. Too dry and pins abort. Too wet without airflow and you grow bacteria, not mushrooms.

FAE (fresh air exchange) is the variable beginners forget. CO₂ buildup makes long stems and tiny caps. Open the lid daily, or run a small fan.

Pick when the caps just begin to flatten but haven't curled up. Twist gently at the base; don't cut, which can encourage rot.

Log everything. Substrate weight, temperature range, fruiting cycle days, total yield per block. Patterns appear over 3–5 grows. That's how you stop guessing.