The basic concept in cultivation is to start with some mushroom spores, which grow into mycelium and expand into a mass sufficient in volume and stored up energy to support the final phase of the mushroom reproductive cycle, which is the formation of fruiting bodies or mushrooms.
The key generic steps in mushroom production – a cycle that takes between one to three months from start to finish depending on species – are:
1. identifying and cleaning a dedicated room or building in which
temperature, moisture and sanitary conditions can be controlled to grow mushrooms in;
2. choosing a growing medium and storing the raw ingredients in a clean place under cover and protected from rain;
3.pasteurising or sterilizing the medium and bags in which, or tables
on which, mushrooms will be grown (to exclude other fungi that would compete for the same space - once the selected fungi has colonized the substrate it can fight off the competition);
4. seeding the beds with spawn (spores from mature mushrooms grown on sterile media);
5.maintaining optimal temperature, moisture, hygiene and other
conditions for mycelium growth and fruiting, which is the most
challenging step; adding water to the substrate to raise the moisture
content since it helps ensure efficient sterilization;
6.harvesting and eating, or processing, packaging and selling the
mushrooms;
7. cleaning the facility and beginning again.
