What
are mushrooms exactly?
Mushrooms
are amazing organisms and much unlike other plants out there.
Mushroom are actually not even considered a “plants” due to the
fact that they do not receive the bulk of their nutrition from the
sun. The mushrooms we see and pick are actually the fruit of
a fungus organism. Fungi organisms grow mushrooms to allow them
reproduce, much like with fruits on fruit trees. There are thousands
of mushroom species, with around 250 of them being edible for human
consumption.
As
mushrooms are only the fruit of the fungi, where is the trunk and
branches? That’s the mycelium, which lies close the surface of the
ground and looks like a beautiful white web:
The
mycelium do the real work, collecting food to grow their mushroom
children. When the mushrooms grow up enough, they produce spores
(seeds) to ensure that the fungus will reproduce. These spores are
released into the air and are carried off to another location, where
mycelium will once again grow and produce new mushroom fruit.
What do they eat?
Mushrooms
love standing out from other organism in many ways, including when it
comes to feeding. Unlike their plant cousins, many mushroom
varieties, including the edible varieties that you’d like to
grow, require little to no sunlight. Whereas plants get the bulk of
their nutrition from the sun, mushrooms use their direct growth
medium as food. Mycelium secrete substances which decompose this
medium allowing the mycelium to absorb nutrients. This is why
mushrooms play such an important role in dead organic matter
decomposition in forests. Different species of mushrooms thrive best
in different mediums; shitake mushrooms, for example, grow best on
logs; oyster mushrooms can grow on sawdust, coffee grounds and
shredded paper.
What do they need to thrive?
An
important requirement for proper mushroom growth is plenty of
moisture. Mushrooms are up to 92% water and thus require consistent
misting and watering to ensure that the medium on which they grow is
sufficiently moist.
Most
species will not do well in full sun and in very warm areas, so
basements and shaded gardens are best for most mushrooms.
Other
than these requirements, many popular mushroom species are
low-maintenance crops which can be easily grown at home indoors or
outdoors. To learn about the specific requirements of different types
of mushrooms, follow the links in this website.