Mushrooms are fascinating. They grow under completely different conditions than plants and can be delicate. As such, it’s important to know exactly what you’re doing and what to avoid when growing them. A huge part of the growth process is known as “fruiting.” This is when the cap and stem first poke out of the ground because certain conditions have triggered it.
Growing mushrooms requires a light touch, and the fruiting process is one of the most important aspects of the growth process. Read on to learn what mushroom fruiting is and how it’s triggered.
What Is Mushroom Fruiting?
If we’re going to talk about mushroom fruiting, we have first to define the “fruit” of a mushroom. The fruit of a mushroom is the part that grows out of the ground, specifically the cap and stem. The fruiting process is when those parts of the mushroom begin to grow to fruition. When trying to trigger this process, it’s important to have all the right conditions, including humidity, proper lighting, and substrate in your mushroom grow kit. So, how do you trigger the process? Read on to find out.
What Triggers Fruiting?
Unlike flowers and other plants, fruiting is not directly triggered by sunlight. In the wild, the mycelium—the large, networked mushroom body that grows underground—searches for a good place to grow. Rather than relying on photosynthesis to promote growth, lighting, and appropriate air conditions with low CO2, you can “hint” at the proper place for your mushrooms to grow. As you can see, mushroom growth depends on a number of factors.
Use a fruiting chamber to ensure that your mushrooms can grow in the proper conditions at home. You’ll want your mushrooms to grow in a low humidity area with a moderate amount of light—but not direct sunlight. The proper amount of moisture and humidity is important in ensuring your mushrooms fruit properly. It might even help to get an artificial lighting fixture. You can program lights to turn on or off automatically every twelve hours, making it easy to maintain.
Now that we know what mushroom fruiting is and how it’s triggered, it’s important to learn what not to do when you’re growing mushrooms. There are many things you should avoid during the growth process, and we’ll go over a few here.
What Disrupts the Fruiting Process?
Given how delicate the mushroom growing process can be, it’s important to give them the best opportunity for growth. You can set your mushrooms up for success by implementing the best principles to help them grow. Unfortunately, there are many ways to thwart this process. This includes putting your mushrooms in direct sunlight that lasts all day. You don’t want to put your mushrooms next to a window from morning to sunset.
In addition, mushrooms in dry environments can’t grow because they lack moisture. Make sure you have a sprayer handy to keep them moist. Contamination occurs when your environment isn’t sterile.
In short, the fruiting process is delicate, but once you know what you’re doing, it’s not the hardest thing to manage. It’s a process you’ll get a feel for, but mastery is right around the corner once you do. Use this guide, and you’ll be well on your way to properly growing your mushrooms!