In addition to the edible mushrooms collected in nature, cultivated mushrooms are becoming increasingly popular. Probably the best known is the cultivated mushroom, which was first mentioned in France around 1650 and is now cultivated worldwide in some large crops. The range of cultivated mushrooms has been drastically expanded in recent years, so that around 20 different species can now be grown.

Oyster mushrooms are suitable for growing mushrooms at home

Even the ancient Romans cultivated mushrooms

Even the ancient Romans and Greeks tried their hand at mushroom cultivation. A simple method often led to the goal: ripe mushroom fruiting bodies were placed on clean cut surfaces of a suitable type of wood for sporing and then left to their own devices. The first commercial mushroom cultures arose in France at the beginning of the 20th century. Today it is hard to imagine the menu without this mushroom. Mutabilis and oyster mushrooms have also been selectively bred for around 100 years. Garden centers and seed shops now offer various types of mushrooms in ready cultures or mushroom spawns.

What mushrooms can be grown today?

However, only so-called saprobiotic mushroom species can be cultivated. These are species that feed on decaying matter, such as decaying wood. However, attempts to cultivate particularly popular edible mushrooms such as porcini, chanterelles and morels have so far been unsuccessful. These species can only live in close association with certain plants (mycorrhiza) and produce fruiting bodies. Mainly the following mushrooms can be grown today:

mushroom species Latin name Available cultures Suitable substrate / species of wood
Cultivated Mushroom Agaricus bisporus Ready culture / breeding box straw
Shii take Lentinula edodes Ready culture, grain spawn, inoculation dowel Oak, common beech, hornbeam, birch, alder, cherry
oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus Ready culture, grain spawn, inoculation dowel Red beech, birch, ash, alder, poplar, willow, fruit trees
Lime Mushroom Pleurotus cornucopiae Ready culture, grain spawn, inoculation dowel Red beech, ash, alder, poplar, willow, maple
King Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus eryngii ready culture and grain spawn straw
brown cap Stropharia rugosoannulata ready culture and grain spawn straw
Mu-Err (Judas Ear) Auricularia auriculajudae ready culture and grain spawn elderwood
pom pom Hericium erinaceum Ready culture, grain spawn, inoculation dowel Oak, red beech, walnut, apple tree
Shaggy Tintling Coprinus comatus ready culture and grain spawn straw

Create mushroom cultures yourself

Mushroom spawn are approximately 1 liter, approximately 500 gram units of sterile medium (usually straw) fully intergrown with the white mushroom mycelium. Wooden inoculation dowels, which are also intergrown with the respective mycelium, are also offered. Since these mushroom spawns are quickly attacked by mold when it is warm, they should be spread out as soon as possible and not stored.

tips

A particularly quick harvest is made possible by ready-made culture sets, in which the substrate is supplied at the same time.

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Vegetable garden