Pizza Time

Think organic and mushrooms are a part of that category, right? For the vegetarian drive, or anyone who wishes to go the organic route, mushrooms make one great meal. That is why, it has always been profitable to grow mushrooms. Not only they are easy to grow but they grow on their own. You don’t even have to spend a lot of energy. Just literally see them grow- and your revenues would definitely move uphill. Unlike any other kinds of business, your start-up capital is not that great. Your resources can be even be seen all around you. If you ask a lot of people, growing mushrooms and cultivating them is one great business to venture in. There is greater demand for fresh mushrooms now than ever before. People prefer this than the canned ones. If ever you grow rare ones, it would even stack a higher price, even if these are the dried variety.

Here’s what you need to know:

Have you decided on growing mushrooms for business? If you already have, you need some expert advice on the why’s and the what’s of mushroom growing. Why don’t you read on to know more about the venture you are about to embark on.

New technologies have prompted better yield. So if you are a newbie in mushroom growing, the best way to grow them is to purchase a mushroom kit. In this kit, you will be provided with all that you need. You will be given the spawn. For those not in the know, spawns are like the seeds that you plant into the substrate or medium. All of these are included in the kit. What is the best part? With your substrate and spawns, you go a long way. It can last for years! Talk about the savings you end up with when all you have to do is wait and wait and wait! You may never even have to buy another kit again. Perhaps by the time your initial mushroom kit has lost its capability to produce viable mushrooms, you have the experience to delve further into mushroom growing.

Okay, here are some more common mushrooms that you can cultivate at home. You can choose to grow shiitake, oyster, morel, button and even morel mushrooms.

Now that you have decided on the variety of mushroom, you need to understand that there are two kinds of cultivation methods employed in mushroom growing. You can either use wood or soil. You also need to remember that the type of method used must be dependent on the type of mushroom if you want to see results the fastest.

Using wood means that the spawns are inserted into a log of wood so to propagate the mycelium. Think of the mycelium as the root of your mushrooms, the part that makes the mushrooms grow into what you eat. Also, included in the wood method is the straw method of cultivation, where you use straw as your substrate.

The other major method employs soil. But as many seasoned mushroom growers would tell you, mushrooms that prefer soil are harder to grow than the ones that prefer wood. The conditions that they need should be exact- and to simulate these conditions are harder to do. Porcini and chantarelles are examples of mushrooms that love soil. Better stick to the more common ones to ensure that you have better yield.

Mushroom Economics 101

Planting your own mushroom garden, cultivating and harvesting them is only half of the story. Selling them does not necessarily mean that you would get a great chuck of money. The secret is how to sell them. Selling them in grocery stores and you end up with little as compared to directly selling your ‘shrooms to customers. But then again, direct selling means you also have to do the marketing.

If you are going to market them yourself, you need to make the product more appealing. How would you do that? Should you market them as organic and all-natural? Should you tell customers that you have cultivated them indoors? Is there a personal touch to your mushroom growing? What did you do to select the best ones to sell? All these questions must be regarded as important if you want your products to stand out.

How would amanita know which mushrooms would be the most profitable? Think of the popularity and the supply. Go to your local supermarket and scour the veggie aisle. Check out what mushroom sells the most there. Also check out what types of mushrooms are sold in a certain time of the year. For example, Shiitake mushrooms are popular these days but due to the demand and supply, these mushrooms are sold cheap during spring and fall.

Some would tell you that planting different varieties gives greater profit. Later on, you can even sell dried ones, ones that come in powder form or develop your own kit to be sold to other enthusiasts.