Getting Started
How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms at Home: Step-by-Step for Beginners
Grow oyster mushrooms at home on straw or a ready-made block: what you need, pasteurizing, spawning, colonization, fruiting and harvest, with realistic timelines.
Grow gourmet mushrooms at home
Practical guides for growing mushrooms at home. Substrates, spawn, fruiting and fixing problems, explained without the fluff.
Most-read guides
Mushroom Species
The Easiest Mushrooms to Grow at Home (Beginner Ranking)
The easiest gourmet mushrooms for beginners: oyster, lion's mane, wine cap and shiitake compared by difficulty, substrate, speed and how you grow them.
Free tool
Open Substrate CalculatorHow much water and spawn do you need?
Enter your dry substrate and target moisture and get the water to add and the amount of spawn for your batch.
Latest guides
Mushroom Species
The Easiest Mushrooms to Grow at Home (Beginner Ranking)
The easiest gourmet mushrooms for beginners: oyster, lion's mane, wine cap and shiitake compared by difficulty, substrate, speed and how you grow them.
Substrate & Spawn
How to Pasteurize Straw for Mushrooms: Hot Water, Lime and Other Methods
How to pasteurize straw for growing mushrooms at home: hot water at 160–170 °F, hydrated lime bath, peroxide and cold fermentation, plus how wet the straw should be.
Troubleshooting
Green Mold (Trichoderma) in Mushroom Grows: How to Spot and Prevent It
Green mold in your mushroom grow? How to recognize Trichoderma, what causes it, whether you can save the batch, and how to prevent it next time.
Fruiting Conditions
Mushroom Fruiting Conditions: Humidity, Fresh Air, Light and Temperature
What mushrooms need to fruit: humidity of 85–95%, fresh air exchange, indirect light and the right temperature, plus what long stems, dry caps and no pins mean.