Methods of Commercial Mushroom Cultivation

In this book, we emphasize the importance of first articulating your mission, goals, and strategies, in order to best define how you want to interact with mushrooms and at what scale. We then walk through the entire cultivation process, offering insights into many of the key considerations for success. Many readers may be familiar with plant-based production systems, and there are several ways they are similar to systems for mushroom production. Yet, keep in mind that fungi are NOT plants. They have different needs, challenges, and growing patterns. TABLE OF CONTENTS Mission, Goals, and Strategies Seven Stages of Cultivation Strain selection Substrate preparation Inoculation Incubation Initiation Fruiting Harvest Cultivating Indoors vs. Outdoors Four Methods of Commercial Cultivation Shiitake on Logs Oysters on straw Specialty mushrooms on supplemented blocks inside Specialty mushrooms on supplemented blocks outside