How to Grow Button Mushrooms
- 1). Choose a growing tray that is approximately 2 by 3 feet and at least 6 to 8 inches deep. Construct a simple tray from scrap wood if you do not have a suitable container. The exact size doesn't matter, but a 2-by-3 foot box works well and is easy to handle when not in use.
- 2). Fill the growing tray with well-rotted compost and water thoroughly. The compost should form a ball when squeezed in the fist, but should crumble easily when touched. The key is even moisture, not a soggy soil.
- 3). Mix 1 to 2 cups of dry spawn flakes into the compost. Loosen the mixture and heap it into loose piles right in the tray. Allow it set overnight. Press the compost and spawn mixture into the growing tray with a piece of wood or other flat object.
- 4). Maintain a temperature between 65 and 70 degrees F and mist twice daily with tepid water. Do not pour water onto the mixture as this will disrupt the growing process. Use a spray bottle to apply an even coat of water. Continue the process for 2 to 3 weeks until you see a white webbing begin to grow on the surface of the soil.
- 5). Apply a 1½-inch layer of moist peat moss over the white webbing. Be sure the peat moss is adequately moistened to promote mushroom growth. Cover the damp peat moss with several layers of newspapers and spray them down twice daily to keep the newspapers evenly moist. Allow to grow undisturbed for 10 days at 55 degrees F.
- 6). Remove the newspaper and continue to mist twice daily. Tiny white pinheads will emerge in a few days. Allow them to grow until they reach the size you desire. Picking mushrooms while they are young will provide a firm mushroom just right for snacking, but allowing them to grow to maturity when the gills will open will produce a more robust flavor.
- 7). Harvest mushrooms at the stage you prefer. New mushrooms will sprout every 10 to 14 days for anywhere from 3 to 6 months. To grow more mushrooms, simply repeat the process for starting mushrooms.
