While vegetables will slow down, or stop growing during winter, many mushroom varieties will continue to perform. For first-time mushroom growers, grow kits are perfect for growing mushrooms in winter as they are:
However there is some care that will be required, so here are some tips to help you grow mushrooms year round.
Because these mushrooms can cope with large temperature fluctuations, the Grey Oyster mushroom is a great performer over winter. We generally say, if you are comfortable they will be comfortable.
Note: The strain that we use is very good and continues to perform for us even at low temperatures of 8 degrees.
Ideal temperature:
The Shiitake responds very well to cold temperatures. It’s okay to go down to freezing (and below freezing during incubation). An increase in temperature to 10 degrees should be enough to initiate pinning.
Ideal temperature:
The Enoki is often referred to as the winter Mushroom and starting to become popular to grow at home in NZ. An excellent variety to grow in winter means they may struggle during mid-summer.
Ideal temperature
These can be grown but need additional care. They can tolerate temperatures above 15 celsius. Due to their warmer heat requirements, if the warmth is supplied using a heat source that dries the air, then maintaining humidity will become an issue.
The problem: With central heating and heat pumps running, the house may become very dry. So, managing humidity will be a priority. Inadequate humidity will lead to pinsets stalling. In some situations it may cause the substrate to dry out. You can tell if this is a problem by weighing the bag. If you notice weight loss and have not harvested any mushrooms, that loss will be due to evaporation of water from the substrate.
The fix: The easiest way to deal with this, is to choose a location far from the heat source. Preferably a spot that you can also keep humid. Note: You should only need to do this during the growth stage of the mushrooms.
See this guide to managing Humidity for mushrooms.
The problem: A wide temperature fluctuation is often required to trigger mushrooms to grow. In winter, it may seem counterintuitive that a sufficient temperature variation may be a problem. However, central heating keeps a constant temperature creating small temperature variations inside the home. This can cause the grow kit to have a prolonged dormancy. This dormancy is not necessarily a problem for the mushroom kit itself, it just means you will have to wait longer between harvests.
The fix: Put it outside for about 3+ days, then bring it back inside for warmth. This should be enough to trigger it. Bring it back inside and into a humid environment if you see it pinning.
While the bag is dormant, it needs to be kept warm. A temperature that you would find comfortable is about right. They are generally happy between 15 and 24 celsius but will tolerate a few degrees above or below that. This may mean it needs two different locations depending on the growing stage.
While it is dormant: it should be okay somewhere like on a kitchen bench. A place where you can keep an eye on it in case it starts to pin.
Growing stage: as soon as it starts to pin you will need to quickly put it somewhere away from sources of dry air. We recommend putting it in the bathroom.
Tip: It’s more important to maintain high humidity than high heat. Once growing, the Grey Oyster will continue as long as it’s above 10 degrees.
See our guide to learn about the best locations to grow mushrooms.
There are also many varieties of NZ Mushrooms that grow well in winter. Many of these are triggered by the cooler temperature and high rainfall. The two listed below are very distinctive, so unlikely that you would misidentify. See the read more section below for some links.
Try looking for these on old tree stumps. In NZ they will often be growing on old deciduous trees (including fruit trees). You may find these in older parks or play areas where an old Oak tree had been cut down a decade or so ago.
These will spring up after heavy rain. You may find wood ear growing on native NZ tree species such as Lemonwood. They are often on a dead branch of an otherwise healthy tree.
Mushrooms: The Perfect, Indoor, Fast-Growing Winter Crop
Some articles about foraging edible mushrooms in winter.