How to Grow White Mushrooms

Find a cool, dark place to grow your mushrooms. Clear out an area in a closet or cupboard. Select a location that is out of natural sunlight and is protected from temperature extremes. Make sure this is an easily accessible area, where you will be able tend to your homegrown mushrooms.

Purchase your mushroom mycelium. This is the mushrooms’ equivalent of plant seeds. These are actually spores that form on the underside of the mushroom. Check your local garden center for button mushroom mycelium, or order it from seed catalogs.

Obtain sterile compost from your landscape center or garden store. Do not use dirty compost from your own compost pile. Spread a couple of inches of the sterile compost over the bottom of a large, shallow pan. Mist water over the compost until wet.

Sprinkle your mycelium over the top of your wet compost. Make a few light passes over the prepared compost to avoid uneven coverage. Use a magnifying glass to help you see the tiny spores. Spray a little more water over the top of the mushroom spores with a water bottle. Loosely cover with a layer of brown packaging paper. Keep soil slightly moist with your water bottle to promote growth. Sprinkle a small amount of rich, clay soil over the top of your mushrooms after they begin growing. Provide this casing layer to encourage fruiting.

Harvest your white mushrooms before the cap opens. Gently pluck mushrooms from the compost without disturbing the nearby, immature mushrooms during harvesting. Thoroughly wash the compost from the mushroom and slice off the bottom root section. Remove any soft, brown spots with a soft, wet washcloth.