How to grow oyster mushrooms
Find out how to grow oyster mushrooms, in our series of videos with Monty Don.
Growing mushrooms is easy. In this series of practical video clips from Gardeners' World, Monty Don experiments with growing oyster mushrooms. Follow him through the process, as he scatters mushroom spawn onto damp straw, places it into plastic sacks, then stores them in a warm sheltered spot for six weeks to encourage the fungus to grow.
How to grow oyster mushrooms
Buy a pack of oyster mushroom spawn, along with some straw. Soak the straw in water overnight to make sure it's thoroughly damp, discarding excess water. Mix the mushroom spawn with the damp straw and then pack into a polythene bag such as a bin liner. Seal and leave for six weeks in a damp, sheltered spot between 20-25ºC, such as near your compost heap. As the straw breaks down, the mushrooms spawn will grow into it, colonising the straw.
After six weeks the oyster mushroom spores will have colonised the straw in the plastic bag. Move the bags into a light, warm and moist environment, such as your greenhouse. Cut slits in the bag so the oyster mushrooms can grow through them.
After two weeks, check the bag to see if oyster mushrooms have developed. The straw should continue to produce mushrooms for several weeks.
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