White Button Mushroom Cultivation
The White Button Mushroom (Agaricus Bisporus) is one of the most cultivated mushrooms in the world. It is grown in a mix of compost and manure, both indoors and outdoors. It is often harvested when the cap reaches 5 cm in diameter, right before it opens up to show its gills. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, frozen, dehydrated, or marinated in oil or vinegar for further use.
The block of mycelium can be kept in the fridge or in cool temperatures (5-15oC) for up to a month. The substrate must be mostly colonized (covered in white mycelium) before being used. For outdoor cultivation, a humid, shaded and wind-free place is most appropriate.
Here are the methods we recommend for indoor and outdoor cultivation:
Outdoor cultivation
Cover an area of the soil or the base of a large trench with cardboard or newspaper. Spread approximately 1m2 of well aerated compost and disperse the mycelium equally inside the compost. Cover with newspaper and moisten regularly. After a few weeks, the mycelium will have spread throughout the compost. Cover with 2,5 to 5 cm of garden soil. Keep watering regularly. Harvest when mushrooms reach 5 cm in diameter.
Indoor cultivation
Mix equal parts of slightly moist compost, manure, and vermiculite into a plastic bin and mix in the mycelium. Close the bin and leave at room temperature (15 to 25o C) for a few weeks, watering occasionally with a mister to keep moist. When the white mycelium appears on the surface, add a layer of 2 cm of potting soil or vermiculite, and leave the bin slightly open on the top. Mist lightly once a day or regularly. Harvest when mushrooms reach 5 cm in diameter.
The White Button Mushroom is one of the few edible mushroom species that can grow in complete absence of light. However, some indirect light is recommended.
Follow the link for a PDF of the pictorial instructions
