How to Culture Mushrooms

Water your compost and then squeeze any excess moisture out with your hands. It must be moist, not soaking wet. Line the tray with the compost and fill nearly to the top.

Take the mushroom spores and inject several times into the tray of compost. If you are using mushroom spawn flakes, take about one cup of the flakes, depending on the size of the tray and how many mushrooms you wish to grow, and mix it thoroughly with the compost. Again, it is best to do this with your hands.

Put the heavy object on top of the compost/spore mix and leave it to press down and set for a few hours, preferably overnight or longer.

Take the heavy object off and move the tray to a dark, warm place. Dampen with the watering can every day for two weeks. Remember not to soak the compost mix; it must be moist but not drenched. The ideal temperature to grow the mushrooms is around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once a white coating begins to appear on the surface of the compost, place a layer of peat moss over the top. This must be kept moist with the watering can. Use the newspaper to cover the moss to create a darker environment in which the mushrooms can spawn. Make sure to keep this moist also. After a week, remove the newspaper and keep the mushrooms moist. You will see them sprouting and they will be ready to pick in around 2 weeks.