How To Grow Mushrooms In Your Garden

If you want to add a unique and rewarding crop to your garden, learning how to grow mushrooms in your garden is a fantastic project. It’s simpler than you might think and brings a delicious, earthy harvest right to your backyard.

Mushrooms are different from your typical vegetables. They don’t need sunlight and actually prefer shady, moist spots. This makes them perfect for utilizing those underused areas under trees or on the north side of a shed. With a bit of preparation, you can be harvesting your own homegrown fungi in just a few months.

This guide covers the simplest, most reliable method for beginners: growing mushrooms outdoors on logs or in prepared beds. We’ll focus on “spawn,” which is the mushroom version of seeds or starter plants. You can buy spawn online or from specialty garden suppliers.

Why Grow Garden Mushrooms?

There are several great reasons to start a mushroom patch. First, the flavor of a freshly picked mushroom is incomparable to store-bought. You also get to grow interesting varieties you can’t find in shops.

Mushrooms are efficient. They grow on materials like wood chips or logs, turning waste into food. They also improve your garden’s health by breaking down organic matter and creating rich compost for other plants.

Choosing the Best Mushrooms for Beginners

Not all mushrooms are equal for outdoor cultivation. Some species are very fussy, while others are tough and adaptable. Here are the top choices for your first attempt:

Oyster Mushrooms: The easiest and fastest to grow. They fruit on straw, cardboard, or hardwood logs and come in beautiful colors like blue, pink, and yellow.
Shiitake Mushrooms: A classic gourmet choice. They are grown primarily on hardwood logs and produce reliably for several years.
Wine Cap (Garden Giant) Mushrooms: Perfect for garden beds. They thrive in a mix of wood chips and straw, often popping up in paths or around vegetable plants.

For your first time, we highly recommend starting with Oyster or Wine Cap mushrooms due to their forgiving nature.

Gathering Your Supplies

You don’t need much specialized equipment. Here’s your basic shopping and gathering list:

Mushroom Spawn: 1-2 pounds for a small bed or 5-10 logs.
Growing Medium: Fresh hardwood logs (oak, maple, alder), or pasteurized straw, or a pile of hardwood wood chips.
Tools: A drill (for logs), a mallet, wax (cheese wax or beeswax), and a paintbrush for sealing.
Location: A shaded, sheltered spot that stays moist.

Make sure your wood is fresh, cut from healthy trees within the last 1-2 months. The mushrooms need the log’s natural moisture and nutrients to thrive.

Method 1: Growing Mushrooms on Logs

This is the classic method for shiitake and oyster mushrooms. Logs can produce for 3-7 years, giving you a long-term harvest.

Step-by-Step Log Inoculation

Source Your Logs: Cut logs 3-4 feet long and 4-6 inches in diameter. Hardwoods like oak, maple, or beech are best.
Drill the Holes: Drill holes in a diamond pattern across the log. Space holes about 6 inches apart along the log and 2 inches apart around its circumference. Drill deep enough to match your spawn plugs.
Insert the Spawn: Place a plug of spawn into each hole. If you’re using sawdust spawn, a special tool can help inject it. Tap it in firmly with the mallet.
Seal with Wax: Melt your wax and use the paintbrush to dab a coat over each hole. This seals in the spawn and keeps out competing molds and insects.
Label and Place: Write the mushroom type and date on the log end. Stack them in a shady, moist spot off the ground. A north-facing location under bushes is ideal.

Caring for Your Mushroom Logs

Your main job is to keep the logs from drying out. In dry spells, water them with a hose or sprinkler once or twice a week. You want them to feel damp, not soggy.

Be patient. It takes 6-12 months for the mushroom mycelium to fully colonize the log. You’ll know it’s working when you see white, thread-like growth at the ends. Fruiting usually happens after a good rain or a temperature drop.

Method 2: Growing Mushrooms in a Garden Bed

This “wood chip garden” method is incredibly simple and great for Wine Cap mushrooms. You can create a dedicated bed or just layer chips around your perrenials.

Creating a Mushroom Bed

Prepare the Area: Choose a shady spot. You can lay down cardboard to supress weeds, which will also break down and feed the mushrooms.
Layer the Chips and Spawn: Spread a 2-inch layer of fresh hardwood chips. Sprinkle a thin layer of spawn over it. Add another 2-inch layer of chips, then more spawn. Repeat until the bed is 6-8 inches deep, finishing with a layer of wood chips.
Water Thoroughly: Soak the bed completely after building it. The goal is to have the consistency of a wrung-out sponge.
Mulch and Wait: A thin layer of straw on top can help retain moisture. Then, let nature take its course.

Maintenance is easy. Just water the bed during dry periods to keep it moist. You should see mushrooms appear in the spring or fall, often after a rainy period.

Harvesting Your Homegrown Mushrooms

When you see mushrooms forming, they can grow suprisingly fast. Check your logs or beds daily when conditions are right.

Harvest oyster mushrooms when the edges of the caps are still slightly curled under. For shiitakes, pick them when the cap is mostly opened but not yet flat. For Wine Caps, harvest them when the cap is still rounded.

Use a sharp knife to cut the stem at the base, or for clusters, twist gently at the base. Harvesting them promptly encourages more to grow. Always be 100% certain of your mushroom’s identity before eating. If you ordered spawn from a reputable source and followed these steps, you’ll have the correct variety.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

No Mushrooms Appearing: The most common cause is dryness. Ensure your logs or bed stay consistently moist. It also just might need more time—some logs take over a year.
Mold on Logs/Bed: Some green mold is normal, but excessive fuzz could mean the spawn was outcompeted. Using fresh wood and proper sealing minimizes this.
Very Small Mushrooms: This often indicates not enough water or nutrients. For logs, they may be exhausted after several years of production.
Insects: Slugs and bugs like mushrooms too. Check them regularly and pick pests off by hand. A small barrier of diatomaceous earth can help deter slugs.

Don’t get discouraged by a failed log or bed. Mushroom cultivation is part art and part science, and even experts have batches that don’t fruit. Just try again with adjusted conditions.

Enjoying and Storing Your Harvest

Fresh mushrooms are best used right away. They can be sauteed, roasted, added to soups, or used in any of your favorite recipes. The flavor is much more intense than store-bought.

If you have a large harvest, they preserve beautifully. You can dry them by stringing them up or using a dehydrator. Dried mushrooms store for months and regain their flavor when soaked. You can also saute them in butter and freeze for later use.

Growing your own food is deeply satisfying, and mushrooms offer a unique twist on that joy. They quietly do their work in the shade, then surprise you with a bountiful, strange, and tasty harvest.

FAQ: Simple Home Mushroom Cultivation

What is the easiest mushroom to grow in a garden?

Oyster mushrooms or Wine Cap (Stropharia) mushrooms are the easiest for beginners. They are aggressive growers and less fussy about conditions than other types.

Can I grow mushrooms from store-bought stems?

It’s possible but not very reliable for outdoor beds. Commercial mushrooms are often grown in sterile, controlled conditions with strains selected for indoor farming. Using proper spawn gives you a much higher chance of success.

How long does it take to get mushrooms?

It depends on the method. A wood chip bed may produce in 3-6 months. Logs typically take 6-12 months to colonize before their first fruiting. Once established, they’ll fruit for seasons to come.

Do garden mushrooms need fertilizer?

No. Mushrooms get all their nutrients from the wood or straw they’re grown on. Adding fertilizer can actually harm them by promoting competitor molds.

Can I grow mushrooms in the same bed as vegetables?

Yes, especially with the wood chip method. Wine Cap mushrooms often do very well in vegetable garden paths or around the base of plants like zucchini. They help retain soil moisture and break down the chips into compost.

Is it safe to grow mushrooms outside?

Yes, as long as you start with known spawn from a supplier. This ensures you’re growing an edible species. Never eat a wild mushroom you find unless you are an expert at identification, even if it’s growing in your inoculated bed—other wild spores can land there.