It’s easy to upgrade a customary greenhouse into a hobby-mushroom-grow-set. The main principle always stays the same, no matter how much space you cultivate, only the machinery used to regulate the climatic conditions gets more complex, the more space you occupy.

Recommended equipment:
Greenhouse
Digital temperature control
Electric heat pad or heating cable
Humidity/CO2 Apparel Set
Perlit
Spray bottle
Disinfectant


Main principle

Throughout their different stages of development fungi need a variety of environmental conditions. During mycelium growth most mushrooms need relatively high temperatures (27 – 29°C), during fruiting they need high humidity.

The electric heat pad or the heating cable is used, to provide the right temperature. To set the sutiable temperature for each mushroom species, the electric heat pad or cable will be triggered by the digital temperature control. The humidity will be the result of humidity or CO2 pump, which is also supplying oxygen, and the wet perlit on the floor of the greenhouse.


Use as Incubator

Inoculated substrates have to be kept in clean place, under suitable conditions, during mycelium growth. Installing the grow-set for mycelium growing stage:

Clean and dark spaces are ideal for setting up your grow-set (you may as well cover the greenhouse with opaque material). If the set is stored in a cupboard make sure it gets enough oxygen. Open the cupboard at least once a day.

Place the heating pad under the greenhouse. If possible put some heat isolating material beneath the pad. If you are using a heating cable make sure it is lying snake-wise on the floor of the greenhouse, try to spread it symmetrical over the floor.

Place the sensor for the temperature control system on the floor of the greenhouse. Plug the heat-pad or cable into the temperature control and plug the control into a socket.

Take one of the pumps silicon tubes and connect one end to the hole of the greenhouses lid and the other to the pump. Keep the pump running at all times, as it helps the ventilation during the „spawn run“ phase. The knob above the connection point regulates the amount of air. If you are using a tube-micro filter, cut the pipe open and install it in the middle section.

Adjust the system to the necessary conditions for mycelium growth of your fungi genus. Try to keep the greenhouse as dark as possible during this phase (except for your daily control).


Use as fruiting chamber

As soon as the whole substrate is grown through with mycelium, the environmental conditions have to be changed to initiate the fruiting phase. The basic structure of the greenhouse stays the same as in the growth phase, the Humidity/CO2 pump as well as perlit will also be needed.

Moisten the perlit in a sieve or a plastic bag and spread it symmetrically on the floor of the hothouse. The perlit has to stay wet during the whole fruiting phase. Evaporated water can be refilled using a spray bottle. Substrate grown through with mycelium – blank or in opened bags - can be place directly on the perlit.

Installing the humidifier: First connect both of the silicone tubes to the hole in the lid of plastic box, one of them stuck about 1cm through the hole, the other about 4-5cm. The tube, stuck 4-5cm through the hole, has to be connected to the ceramic diffuser. If you use an additional micro-filter connect it to the same tube as the ceramic diffuser.

Fill the plastic box with fresh tap water till ¾ of the volume are full and close the lid. Important: The ceramic diffuser has to be completely under water, the second tube must hang in the air above the water level.

The last step is to connect the tube, attached to the ceramic diffuser, to the air pump and stick the second pipe into the greenhouse. The button above the pumps connection regulates the amount of air, enabling us to control ventilation and humidity inside the hothouse. Change the water every 2-3 weeks. Adjust the system to the necessary conditions for mycelium growth of your fungi genus.

Adjust the system to the necessary conditions for fruiting of your fungi genus.