Cultivating mushrooms is an exciting way to challenge yourself and test your patience and perseverance. That said, you need all the proper supplies to start. You also need to know how to use these supplies and which are ideal for your needs. For example, you need to determine which growing lights to get. Thankfully, we have several tips for choosing the right mushroom growing lights. Read on for more.
Play With Color
Let’s talk about bulbs. When looking for mycology supplies, especially your grow lights, it’s important to choose the right ones for your needs. White LED lights are standard for grow lights, and there is some evidence that it improves mushroom growth. Blue UV Lights, specifically the ones with a wavelength of 330-400 nm, are a powerful stimulant for mushroom growth. Blacklight is purple, and it also has a wavelength of 365 nm. Some mushrooms might become more stimulated than others by certain colors, so play with your lighting and see what works!
Make Sure the Light Is Evenly Dispersed
You’ll also want to make sure your setup is up to par. We often place our mushrooms in areas that aren’t properly lit. Instead, ensure you get grow lamps that disperse light evenly throughout the room. That way, all the mushrooms in your grow room get even light—and the best chance for light simulation. Because of this, you might want to consider a larger and wider grow lamp to cover more of your mushroom’s fruiting body.
Understand Your Lighting Cycle
Get a grow lamp that turns on and off automatically at 12-hour intervals. This mimics sunlight, in which you have about 12 hours of sun and 12 hours of darkness. Getting a grow lamp with an automatic feature means you won’t need to babysit your grow kit and adjust the lighting, especially in the middle of the night when you’re trying to sleep.
Choose the Right Voltage for Your Mushrooms
We mentioned earlier that mushrooms prefer wavelengths of about 330 to 400 wavelengths. When growing mushrooms, the ideal lighting temperature will be 5,000 to 7,000 Kelvin. Smaller, compact fluorescent lights work well here, while you should forgo standard incandescent light bulbs. The latter outputs soft, re-spectrum light, which isn’t ideal for growing. You’ll want a lamp with the above wattage for your mushrooms to grow properly.
Know Which Mushrooms Work Well With Grow Lights
Not every mushroom works well with light. Many edible mushrooms, including pink oyster, conventional oyster, and shiitake, are perfect. However, some other mushrooms are better off in indirect light. Because of this, if you aren’t sure which mushroom is best for your grow lamp, get a smaller one first to test it on one yield and see how it fares. This is a great tip for choosing the right mushroom-growing lights.
If you’re looking to grow your mushrooms, you don’t just need a light; you need a mushroom grow kit. Luckily for you, we have several here at Midwest Organics. You’re sure to find what you need!