The more I find on the subject of mushrooms the more I think that growing them in a
hydroponic system is not going to work well. Also less expensive because there is no electricity used to run pumps or
lights, as well as no
nutrient solution to mix and change weekly or bi-monthly.
From what I understand there are two types of mushrooms, compost based food supply, and wood based food supply. As the fungus grows, it takes over its food supply. Not something I can see it doing in a liquid. Actually the only reason I can see for the hydro setup is to keep it moist, that's easy enough to do without using a
pump unless it's a very large setup, or going on vacation. The inoculation period takes weeks (this is the mycelium), this also contains the food source. This is usually sits inside sealed jars to inoculate (grow, multiply and take over the food source). But once put in the trays they only take days to grow into mushrooms and harvest, this is the part where it would need to be kept moist. Better air circulation and moisture here equals bigger mushrooms.
I haven't exactly finished the text documents but I think I learned much more from the videos, especially the 4 part series. Here is a list of the videos I found, if you look to the right of these pages there is a list of more videos to click on.
Set of videos
part 1
YouTube - Let's Grow Mushrooms! pf tek part 1
part 2
YouTube - Let's Grow Mushrooms! pf tek part 2
part 3
YouTube - Let's Grow mushrooms! pf tek part 3
part 4
YouTube - Let's Grow Mushrooms! pf tek part 4
Miscellaneous videos
How to Grow Mushrooms | Garden Guides
How to Prepare growing medium for Mushrooms | Garden Guides
YouTube - Grow Mushrooms from Spores
YouTube - Casing mushroom kit
YouTube - Growing Mushrooms
YouTube - Taking a Spore Print
YouTube - How To Grow Mushrooms
YouTube - Growing and Marketing Shiitake Mushrooms on natural logs
I wasn't able to attach the rtf. files and I don't like the way it looks in plain text, and pdf. files will be too big. so I will just post a few things in this post.
Steps in growing Mushrooms
In order to grow mushrooms, you will need to know the basic process, conditions for growing, environmental conditions and several other factors. The general process of growing mushrooms is as follows:
The first thing to do is to procure spores or spawns of the mushroom you want to grow. spores or spawns are also known as agar cultures or test tube cultures. You can either make it yourself or purchase it from a supplier.
Step two… Prepare some sawdust or sterilized grain and inject the spores into the sterilized grain so that mushroom spawns can form. Spawns can also be purchased from suppliers.
Step Three… Depending on what type of mushrooms you are wanting to grow will most likely determine what materials you will need. Various strains of mushrooms grow better in soil while others prefer woody materials like straw, wood chips and even tree stumps and logs.
Step Four… use the spawns to activate the growth of mycelium, the fibrous network of mushrooms. For mushrooms that grow in soil, it is best to use compost to feed the mushrooms because they need to gather
nutrients from a source because they can’t make their own food since they have no chlorophyll.
Step Five… you will need to layer the compost with material that does not have a lot of nutrients, like peat moss. The purpose of this is to encourage the growth of the mushrooms or fruiting bodies. The top layer will retain moisture while preventing the growth of other bacteria and/or unwanted microorganisms, therefore the reason why you want to use something that has little to no nutrients to avoid the growth of other organisms.
Finally, all you do is wait until the first flush appears then you can harvest and enjoy your edible mushrooms. Usually that happens within a few weeks and every additional flush occurs within 10 or so days. In the meantime you should be aware of keeping the compost bed moist and within the optimal growing temperature. You can get about 3-5 flushes before you will need to buy a new kit. This applies mainly to soil based mushrooms. A mushroom log can last much longer.
The strain of mushrooms you choose to grow will most likely determine which steps you must go through and which you can skip. For beginners and novices it would be best to experiment with a mushroom grow kit to avoid some of the earlier steps which require more work and attention.
List of Edible Mushrooms
Blewitt
Best eaten cooked to avoid indigestion, wild blewitts work well in soups and stuffings. The mushroom sports a lovely purplish hue and often grows under fir trees.
Chanterelle
Normally collected in the while, chanterelles are famed for their superb meaty texture and slightly peppery taste. The orange-tinged mushrooms contain significant amounts of Vitamin C and beta carotene.
Enokitake (Enoki)
These long, skinny white mushrooms grow in jars in low-temperature cultivation rooms, although they also grow outdoors on hardwood stumps. Its mild flavor often complements soups and stir fries.
Hen of the Woods (Maitake)
Also known as Maitake, Hen of the Woods proliferates heavily in the forest, usually at the base of trees and stumps. These large mushrooms have both medicinal and culinary value, and can be cultivated on hardwoods or buried logs. Its massive size lends itself well to stuffing with other food, but cooks also like to slice it and use it in stir fries.
Lion's Mane
This mushroom grows on both hardwood logs and sawdust, with its flavor often being compared to lobster. It develops cascading white spines, and tastes best when harvested young.
Morel
Morel-hunting in the woods is a classic early spring activity. While morels present less predictable growing results than other cultivated mushrooms, the preparation for them---a large bonfire to produce the required ash bed---can be exciting. Gourmands count the morel as one of the finest mushrooms, often pairing it with cream, butter and fowl dishes.
Oyster
"Growing throughout the world, this ubiquitous mushroom species has adaptive abilities that are nothing short of amazing," notes Stamets of the smallish, white species. The mushroom thrives in a number of growing conditions, and is considered one of the easiest to grow. They can be eaten raw or cooked.
Porcini
Mushroom producers almost always sell porcinis dried; consumers then reconstitute the wrinkled brown bundles in water before cooking. Considered a wild delicacy, porcinis mostly grow in evergreen forests, although they have been found in deciduous woods as well.
Portobello/Button/Crimini Mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms rival shiitakes as the new popular "meaty" mushroom. Portobellos' size and shape lends themselves to stuffing and baking. What many people may not realize is that portobellos (sometimes known as portobellas) are simply the familiar button (the youngest, whitest, version), or crimini (slightly older and darker) mushroom, allowed to grow to maturity. Mushroom growers supply several kinds of Portobellos, and criminis grow well in various mediums.
Shiitake
Grocers stock wildly popular shiitakes both fresh and dried. They grow well on oak and other hardwood logs. Whether sautéed in olive oil or added to soups, shiitakes often substitute well for meat.
Miscellaneous
Other mushrooms worth studying and perhaps growing and cooking include the coral, turkey tail, Brazilian blazei, reishi and nameko mushrooms. The staggeringly expensive truffle eludes the talents of even the most knowledgeable grower and must be found through the help of the famous "truffle pigs."