You may see fungus growing almost everywhere.
Perhaps you are walking through some forests and they sprout in old tree roots, broken branches, and elsewhere. Or you may be walking through or near fields that appear to be full of one type of mushroom or another.
Then there are the urban environments. When found in or around damp basements and similar locations, it is not unusual to see multiple mushroom outcrops. So, with this background in mind, you might be drawn to think of mushroom growing as easy. Well, it is not that simple.
Nature can be a bit wicked at times, and what makes it easy for herself can prove insurmountable for you. Certainly, in some respects, that may be true for mushroom cultivation.
To begin with, if you plan to start growing mushrooms, you will need to decide if you are doing it as a hobbyist and if you are using your product exclusively for your own use. Your approach then could be significantly different than if you are considering doing it commercially, in which case a whole different set of issues apply, including those involving the sordid finance business.
For the hobbyist, one of the easiest ways to start mushroom growing is to purchase a pre-prepared kit. These come in various shapes and sizes and with various types of mushrooms included. The starting point is usually a ready-to-use culture medium packet. That will come with mushroom seeds or spores that you will spore syringe mushroom spread or otherwise distribute in the prepared medium. Then you will usually find instructions regarding what to do about things like watering, humidity, temperature, and light exposure. The instructions are usually relatively straightforward, and in the vast majority of cases, you will get guaranteed results.
If you’ve never tried freshly grown and harvested mushrooms before and think they typically come in cans, frozen packages, or dried, you’re in for a great culinary surprise!
If you are considering a small business or commercial production that involves mushrooms, be a bit cautious and do your research.
The success you so easily achieved with a mushroom grow kit will not be based on an approach that is feasible to produce them on a commercial scale. If you plan to go out and buy a lot of kits and sell your wares, well, chances are you’re going to go out of business pretty quickly. You will have to produce your own growing medium, and that is a slick and not at all easy job carried out on extended timescales. You will also need to do it on a commercial scale, so you will need a lot of space.
Then there is the matter of working with fungal spores and spawning. Space does not allow for a full discussion of this, but you will have to familiarize yourself with some chemistry and biology, as well as some related scientific techniques.
Of course, it is perfectly possible and people have started very successful mushroom growing businesses from scratch. Just remember that it all starts with an extensive factual investigation, including market research. If you are only growing them for your own consumption, you won’t have to worry about any of this and you can get involved in growing mushrooms in kits to garnish your own dishes.