Imagine intentionally growing edible mushrooms growing in your garage...or under your water tank! This presentation, from the National Urban Gardening Conference in January 2013, is a step-by-step guide to growing your own mushrooms. Harvest and enjoy.

1. Growing Oyster Mushrooms in Your Home
A Photo Guide

2. This guide is based on the live demonstration
conducted by Mr. Sekar at the 3rd National Conference
on Urban Gardening held in Chennai, on 25 th January,
2013.

3. Growing conditions
Oyster mushrooms need an ideal temperature of 25 –
28C. In Chennai, the weather is usually 35C outside and
30C in the shade.
When kept in a cool dark spot, the ideal temperature for
mushroom cultivation can be reached.

4. To start growing mushrooms you need to buy the spores from
someone who grows them. The spores shown below have been
grown on a corn cob by the grower. Spores have to be purchased
from reliable growers. We don’t talk about growing your own
spores in this guide.
One “bottle” of spore can be used for 2 sacks. The spores on the
right have been broken into 8 pieces.

5. Step 1: Preparing the straw
You will need sterilized straw. Sterilized straw will ensure all other
fungi spores are killed.
To sterilize straw, boil it in water for half an hour. Squeeze water
out of the straw. The straw has to be 60% moist i.e. when you
squeeze the straw, no water should be wrung out. The straw is
ready to use.

6. Step 2: Preparing the bag
Start packing the straw into the plastic bag of approximate
dimensions 12*24 inches. Fill in two inches of straw. Crumble
one chunk of the the spore on top of the straw along the edges.
Spores grow out from the sides of the bag, so it is important to
distribute the spores along the edges. Spores in the middle will
not germinate.

7. Step 3: Layering
Pack in four inches of straw. Repeat the process three more times.
After the last layer of spore, pack in two inches of straw.

8. Step 4: Closing
Twist the open end and tie the bag tightly.

9. Step 5: Making air holes
Make 12 – 20 holes using a sharp stick all over the bag. This will
promote air circulation. The mushrooms will grow out through
these holes.

10. Step 6: Germination
Your mushroom bag is now
ready. Set in a cool dark
place to promote mycelium
growth.
You can also get the cool
dark effect by hanging a wet
jute sack around the grow
bag. Make sure that the sack
is at least one foot away from
the plastic bag. Spray the
sack every 5 days to keep it
moist.
Mushrooms will start
sprouting in 18 days.

11. Your grow bag should look like this
in cross section
Straw
spore
Straw
Jute sack
1 foot
2"
4"
spore
Straw
1 foot
4"
spore
Straw
4"
spore
Straw
2"
Jute sack

12. This is what the mushrooms will
look like growing out of a bag.

13. Happy mushroom growing!

14. Questions, clarifications, more information contact
Mr. Sekar
+919940338374
Mr. Sekar also sells spores and can make the
mushroom bag for you to grow and harvest.

15. A reStore Gardens presentation
reStore Adyar Centre
No. 27/ 10, 2nd Main Rd.,
Kasturba Nagar, Adyar,
Chennai - 600020
India
Email: info@restoregardens.org