3. Misting & Humidity
Mushrooms need high humidity when they are growing. So, it's only at this 'fruiting' stage - from pinning to harvest- that you need to care for them. When it's incubating or dormant (between flushes) you do not need to care for it as long as you have it properly hydrated. At that stage all the water it needs is inside the bag. The easiest way you can keep the humidity high is by misting.
We recommend (at least until you have learned the ropes) putting it inside your shower cubicle (on a plastic stool or somesuch) after you have showered. Leave it fairly wet in there, and to make doubly certain, mist it several times of day as well. This will be the most humid part of the house.
Quick Tips
- Use a Misting bottle. You can buy one at the supermarket.
- Tap water is absolutely fine (Chlorine is not a problem for them).
- Misting/Humidity is more important than temperature once the mushrooms are growing
- Drafts, air conditioning/heat pumps etc will dry them out quickly, so be mindful where you put it.
- Humidity, at a minimum, needs to be above 85%. Temperature ideally between 16 and 20 degrees.
Advice
- Rule of thumb: if you have the mushrooms in a spot where you think damp laundry would dry easily, that is not a good spot!
- When not to mist: You do not need to mist it UNTIL the baby mushrooms start growing. The water it needs is already inside the bag... unless the substrate has dried out (see post-harvest care for more information).
- Be vigilant looking for baby mushroom growth: After you receive the bag, keep a close eye on it because it may start growing at any time. They grow quickly, so you'll need to mist (or put it in the shower cubicle) as soon as you see activity.
- The first 8 hours are very important: If it starts during the night and it's in a bad spot, or you fail to get to it in time: it may stall. The Pinks are very susceptible to this. This means they will not bother to grow and will wait till more favourable conditions. See post-harvest care for what to do if this happens, as you will need to clear the air holes.
- Learn your unique humidity needs: There is no easy or right answer as to how often to mist. This will be dependent on many variables unique to your environment. However a good rule of thumb, and until you are comfortable with how they are behaving (in other words, your ability in hearing what they are telling you), mist as often as you possibly can. 6 or 8 times a day may not be sufficient for the location you have put it. I have yet to hear from any of our customers who over misting ...but many have failed by underdoing it.
- Still uncertain?: err on the side of caution, at least until you have had your first flush and have 'learned the ropes. The best place in the house will be inside your shower cubicle. After you've showered put the mini-farm on a plastic stool inside, and close the door. Leave it wet in there, so don't squeegee out the drops. If you are going out for the day, briefly run the shower on them. Tepid water is best. If you have made them completely wet, make sure they have had time to dry a little before doing it again. Else you may notice they will go a little slimy.
- Build a himidicrib. Here's a link on how you can build a simple mini-greenhouse. https://mycobio.co.nz/build-a-humidi-crib/
Little factoid
- It's not so much the humidity that is the essential component. What is important is the condensation of the humidity onto the cap and its subsequent evaporation. By way of capillary action, the evaporation allows the mushroom to pull water from inside the bag into the mushrooms swelling the fruit body, so growing it.
- You may have noticed that mushrooms will generally grow after rain and only at certain times of the year. However, both the Oysters and Shiitake can be successfully grown all year round, if you can manage the humidity.