Grow guides & mushroom know-how
Plain-English guides from the MushRealm bench: grain spawn, CV substrate, spawn to bulk, fruiting, cooking, foraging and the mistakes to skip. Written for gourmet growers in the UK.
Most useful first
How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms at Home on CV Substrate
Grow oyster mushrooms at home on coir and vermiculite: colonise grain, spawn at 1:2, fruit from the bag and pull a second flush, with real temps and timings.
8 min readRead →Growing tutorialsSpawn to Bulk Guide: Ratios, Timing and Clean Mixing
Spawn to bulk made simple: 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 grain spawn to substrate ratios compared, when grain is ready, a clean mixing method and a day by day timeline.
7 min readRead →SubstratesWhat Is CV Substrate? Coco Coir and Vermiculite Explained
CV substrate is coco coir and vermiculite, pasteurised and hydrated. Learn why it works, which gourmet mushrooms grow on it, and when to buy it ready-made.
7 min readRead →Grain spawnWhat Is Grain Spawn? A Plain Guide for Mushroom Growers
What is grain spawn? How mushroom grain spawn is made, why growers use grain, and whether to buy sterilised grain or make your own, in plain steps.
8 min readRead →Gourmet mushroomsEasiest Mushrooms to Grow at Home: 8 Species Ranked
The easiest mushrooms to grow at home, ranked: 8 gourmet species compared by substrate, temperature, days to first harvest and difficulty. Oysters first.
8 min readRead →ForagingMushroom Foraging for Beginners: How to Start Safely
Mushroom foraging for beginners: the safety rules, the kit to bring, how to pick sustainably and how to learn a few wild edibles properly with local experts.
8 min readRead →Growing tutorials
Step-by-step walkthroughs from inoculation to harvest.
Shotgun Fruiting Chamber: DIY Build and Martha Tent Setup
Build a shotgun fruiting chamber step by step or scale up to a martha tent: materials list, hole spacing, perlite, humidity control and fresh air.
6 min readRead →Growing tutorialsSecond Flush Mushrooms: How to Rest, Soak and Fruit Again
Get second flush mushrooms from CV: when to rest the block, how to rehydrate substrate with a dunk or soak, how many flushes to expect and when to retire it.
5 min readRead →Growing tutorialsHow to Grow Oyster Mushrooms at Home on CV Substrate
Grow oyster mushrooms at home on coir and vermiculite: colonise grain, spawn at 1:2, fruit from the bag and pull a second flush, with real temps and timings.
8 min readRead →Growing tutorialsHow to Inoculate Grain Spawn Bags: Clean Step by Step
How to inoculate grain spawn bags through the self-healing injection port: clean prep, how much live mycelium to add, incubation, break and shake, red flags.
7 min readRead →Growing tutorialsMushroom Fruiting Conditions: Humidity, Fresh Air and Light
Mushroom fruiting conditions made clear: humidity for mushrooms, fresh air exchange, light and temperature for 6 gourmet species, plus how to spot CO2 issues.
6 min readRead →Growing tutorialsSpawn to Bulk Guide: Ratios, Timing and Clean Mixing
Spawn to bulk made simple: 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 grain spawn to substrate ratios compared, when grain is ready, a clean mixing method and a day by day timeline.
7 min readRead →Grain spawn
Everything about the grain the mycelium runs through first.
Best Grain for Mushroom Spawn: 7 Grains Compared Honestly
The best grain for mushroom spawn depends on where you live. Oats, milo, rye, wheat, millet, popcorn and brown rice compared on burst risk, cost and more.
8 min readRead →Grain spawnGrain Bags vs Jars for Mushroom Spawn: Honest Comparison
Grain bags vs jars for mushroom grain spawn: cost, prep time, contamination risk, shaking, capacity, reuse and storage compared side by side, honestly.
8 min readRead →Grain spawnGrain Spawn Bags Explained: Filter Patch and Injection Port
Sterilised grain bags with an injection port explained: what the 0.2 micron filter patch does, how to store the bags, how long they keep and how to inoculate.
8 min readRead →Grain spawnGrain Spawn Contamination: How to Spot It and What to Do
Grain spawn contamination explained: green mould, bacterial wet spots, other moulds and the normal things that look scary, with a table of signs and fixes.
9 min readRead →Grain spawnHow Long Does Grain Spawn Take to Colonise? Times by Species
How long does grain spawn take to colonise? Typical times by species and temperature, when to break and shake, and how to tell a bag is fully colonised.
8 min readRead →Grain spawnOats vs Milo Grain Spawn: Which Should You Use?
Oats vs milo grain spawn: why sterilised milo (sorghum) and whole oats both work, how they differ in the bag, and what really matters for each species.
7 min readRead →Grain spawnOats vs Rye Grain Spawn: Which Grain Is Better?
Rye grain spawn vs whole oats for mushroom spawn: kernel size, water uptake, bursting, colonisation speed and cost compared fairly, and where milo fits in.
7 min readRead →Grain spawnWhat Is Grain Spawn? A Plain Guide for Mushroom Growers
What is grain spawn? How mushroom grain spawn is made, why growers use grain, and whether to buy sterilised grain or make your own, in plain steps.
8 min readRead →Substrates
CV, field capacity, pasteurisation and the bulk your mushrooms fruit from.
Coco Coir Vermiculite Substrate Ratio: The CV Recipe
The coco coir vermiculite substrate ratio most growers start from, by volume and weight, with a scaling table, bucket pasteurisation steps and moisture fixes.
7 min readRead →SubstratesCoco Coir, Vermiculite and Gypsum: CV vs CVG Substrate
Coco coir vermiculite gypsum (CVG) vs plain CV: what gypsum adds, the debate over whether it helps, when growers use it, and when you can leave it out.
6 min readRead →SubstratesCV vs Masters Mix: Which Mushroom Substrate Do You Need?
Masters mix vs CV substrate: what masters mix is, which mushrooms want it (lion's mane, king oyster, shiitake) and why CV is the easier bulk for oysters.
8 min readRead →SubstratesField Capacity in Mushroom Substrate: The Squeeze Test
What field capacity means for mushroom substrate, how to do the squeeze test, how to fix a batch that is too wet or too dry, and why it matters for pinning.
7 min readRead →SubstratesWhich Mushroom Substrate Should I Buy? A Buyer's Guide
Which mushroom substrate should you buy? Match it to your species, pick sterile or pasteurised, size your order and know exactly what to check on the bag.
8 min readRead →SubstratesMushroom Substrate: 7 Types and Which Mushrooms Grow on Each
Mushroom substrate types compared: straw, hardwood sawdust, masters mix, CV, compost, coffee grounds and logs, with the species, prep and difficulty of each.
8 min readRead →SubstratesPasteurised vs Sterilised Mushroom Substrate: Which to Use
Pasteurised mushroom substrate vs sterilised: temperatures and times, which substrates need which and why, the main methods, and why grain is never boiled.
7 min readRead →SubstratesGreen Mould on Mushroom Substrate: Contamination Guide
Green mould on mushroom substrate, cobweb mould, pin moulds, bacteria and flies: how to tell each one from healthy mycelium, and exactly what to do next.
9 min readRead →SubstratesWhat Is CV Substrate? Coco Coir and Vermiculite Explained
CV substrate is coco coir and vermiculite, pasteurised and hydrated. Learn why it works, which gourmet mushrooms grow on it, and when to buy it ready-made.
7 min readRead →Gourmet mushrooms
Species to grow, how to cook them and how to keep them fresh.
Easiest Mushrooms to Grow at Home: 8 Species Ranked
The easiest mushrooms to grow at home, ranked: 8 gourmet species compared by substrate, temperature, days to first harvest and difficulty. Oysters first.
8 min readRead →Gourmet mushroomsHow to Cook Oyster Mushrooms: Method and 5 Easy Recipes
How to cook oyster mushrooms so they turn golden, not soggy: easy prep, the dry sauté method, five simple recipes and the flavours that pair best with them.
8 min readRead →Gourmet mushroomsHow to Store Mushrooms: Fridge, Drying and Freezing Guide
How to store mushrooms so they last: the paper bag method, shelf life by species, drying temperatures, freezing cooked mushrooms and signs they have gone off.
7 min readRead →Gourmet mushroomsLion's Mane Mushroom: How to Grow It and How to Cook It
How to grow lion's mane at home, from grain spawn to supplemented sawdust, when to harvest before the spines yellow, and how to cook it like crab.
9 min readRead →Gourmet mushroomsOyster Mushroom Varieties: 7 Types Compared for Growers
Oyster mushroom varieties compared: blue, pearl, pink, golden, king, phoenix and elm oyster by temperature, flavour, texture, shelf life and best substrate.
8 min readRead →Gourmet mushroomsHow to Grow Shiitake: Logs vs Sawdust Blocks Guide
How to grow shiitake at home on oak logs or supplemented sawdust blocks: inoculation, spawn run times, browning, soaking and cold shock to trigger fruiting.
10 min readRead →Foraging
Wild edible mushrooms, seasons, safety and the rules where you live.
Chanterelle Identification: Ridges, Lookalikes and Cooking
Chanterelle identification step by step: false gills vs true gills, flesh, smell and habitat, how to spot a false chanterelle or webcap, and how to cook them.
6 min readRead →ForagingChicken of the Woods: How to Identify, Pick and Cook It
Chicken of the woods: how to identify it, why you must never eat it from yew, how to pick it young, and how to cook it thoroughly and try it safely.
6 min readRead →ForagingPoisonous Mushrooms That Look Edible: Deadly Lookalikes
Poisonous mushrooms that look edible: death cap lookalikes, destroying angels, deadly webcaps, the funeral bell and more, plus what to do if someone eats one.
7 min readRead →ForagingUK Mushroom Foraging Calendar: What to Find and When
A UK mushroom foraging calendar: which wild edibles appear in spring, summer, autumn and winter, where they grow, and the deadly lookalikes to know first.
7 min readRead →ForagingMushroom Foraging for Beginners: How to Start Safely
Mushroom foraging for beginners: the safety rules, the kit to bring, how to pick sustainably and how to learn a few wild edibles properly with local experts.
8 min readRead →ForagingIs It Legal to Forage Mushrooms in the UK? The Rules
Is it legal to forage mushrooms in the UK? The Theft Act, landowner permission, byelaws, SSSIs, protected species like lion's mane and how Scotland differs.
6 min readRead →Basics
Equipment, clean technique, yields, terms and the mistakes to avoid.
Sterile Technique for Mushroom Growing: No Lab Needed
Sterile technique for mushroom growing at home: room prep, 70% alcohol, gloves, how to build and use a still air box, and the working order that stops mould.
8 min readRead →Basics13 Common Mushroom Growing Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Why are my mushrooms not growing? The 13 most common mushroom growing mistakes, from soggy substrate to poor fresh air, with the symptom and fix for each one.
9 min readRead →BasicsMushroom Grow Kit vs All-in-One Bag: 3 Routes Compared
Mushroom grow kit vs all-in-one bag vs separate grain and substrate: cost per harvest, control, contamination risk, yield and species choice compared.
8 min readRead →BasicsMushroom Growing Equipment Checklist: What You Really Need
A tiered mushroom growing equipment checklist: the bare minimum for a first bag, the upgrades worth buying next, and the advanced gear you can skip for now.
7 min readRead →BasicsMushroom Growing Glossary: 50 Terms Explained A to Z
Mushroom growing terms explained in plain English, from colonisation and FAE to field capacity, flushes and biological efficiency. 50 key terms, A to Z.
7 min readRead →BasicsBiological Efficiency: How Much Do Mushrooms Yield?
Biological efficiency explained: how to calculate mushroom yield, typical BE for oysters and shiitake, what one bag can produce, and how to raise your yield.
8 min readRead →BasicsSpent Mushroom Substrate Uses: What to Do With Old Blocks
Spent mushroom substrate uses that work: compost, mulch, soil amendment, worm bins and outdoor beds for a bonus flush, plus what to do with mouldy old blocks.
7 min readRead →