Growing parameters for cultivated gourmet and medicinal mushrooms — colonization and fruiting temperatures, humidity, substrate, timing to harvest and biological efficiency. Figures are typical literature ranges; confirm them for your own strain and setup.
Level Beginner Intermediate Advanced
Type Culinary Medicinal
Substrate Straw Sawdust Supplemented
Fruits Cool ≤18°C Warm ≥21°C
Pleurotus ostreatus
Culinary Beginner
Fruits 13–18 °C Humidity 85–95% Colonization 10–14 d BE 52–76%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 22–24 °C Fruiting temp 13–18 °C (to 24) Incubation RH ~70% Fruiting RH 85–95% Fresh air High Light Bright indirect
Timing & substrate
Colonization ~10–14 days Pinning 3–5 days Maturation 4–7 days Flush interval 12–16 days Substrate Pasteurised straw Options Pasteurised straw, Sawdust
Yield
Biological efficiency range 52–76% Flushes 3 Notes Mist 2–3 times per day during fruiting.
Practical
Best methods Grow bags, Straw beds, Monotub Watch for Green Mold (Trichoderma), Cobweb Mold (Dactylium), Bacterial Blotch (Pseudomonas), Long Stems, Small Caps (high CO2), Aborted Pins
Data literature-range
Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus
Culinary Beginner
Fruits 13–18 °C Humidity 85–95% Colonization 10–14 d BE 52–76%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 22–24 °C Fruiting temp 13–18 °C Incubation RH ~70% Fruiting RH 85–95% Fresh air High Light Bright indirect
Timing & substrate
Colonization ~10–14 days Pinning 3–5 days Maturation 4–7 days Flush interval 12–16 days Substrate Pasteurised straw Options Pasteurised straw, Sawdust
Yield
Biological efficiency range 52–76% Flushes 3
Practical
Best methods Grow bags, Straw beds, Monotub Watch for Green Mold (Trichoderma), Cobweb Mold (Dactylium), Bacterial Blotch (Pseudomonas), Long Stems, Small Caps (high CO2), Aborted Pins
Data literature-range
Lentinula edodes
Culinary Intermediate Cold shock
Fruits 13–21 °C Humidity 85–90% Colonization 50–70 d BE 75–125%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 20–24 °C Fruiting temp 13–21 °C Incubation RH 85–90% Fruiting RH 85–90% Fresh air Medium Light Low indirect Cold shock 4 °C for 24 h, or a 10–15 °C drop, to trigger fruiting
Timing & substrate
Colonization 50–70 days Pinning 5–8 days Maturation 7–10 days Flush interval 14–21 days First flush ~60 days on sawdust; 9–12 months on logs. Substrate Hardwood sawdust Options Hardwood sawdust, Logs
Yield
Biological efficiency ~63% · range 75–125% Flushes 2–3, roughly every 2 weeks
Practical
Best methods Sawdust blocks, Outdoor bed Watch for Green Mold (Trichoderma), Black Mold (Aspergillus / Rhizopus), Colonization Stall, Mycelial Overlay / Stroma
Data literature-range
Hericium erinaceus
Culinary Medicinal Intermediate
Fruits 16–21 °C Humidity 85–95% Colonization 12–18 d BE 50–100%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 21–24 °C Fruiting temp 16–21 °C Incubation RH 85–95% Fruiting RH 85–95% Fresh air Medium Light Low indirect
Timing & substrate
Colonization 12–18 days Pinning 5–7 days Maturation 7–10 days Flush interval 12–16 days First flush ~1 month after inoculation. Substrate Supplemented hardwood sawdust Options Supplemented hardwood sawdust
Yield
Biological efficiency range 50–100% Flushes 3 Notes Fragile; handle gently.
Practical
Best methods Grow bags, Sawdust blocks, Grow kit Watch for Green Mold (Trichoderma), Cobweb Mold (Dactylium), Dry / Blob Growth (low humidity), Aborted Pins
Data literature-range
Pleurotus eryngii
Culinary Intermediate
Fruits 15–18 °C Humidity 80–95% Colonization 12–18 d BE 40–77%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 20–22 °C Fruiting temp 15–18 °C Incubation RH 85–95% Fruiting RH 80–95% Fresh air Medium Light Low indirect
Timing & substrate
Colonization 12–18 days Pinning 5–8 days Maturation 7–10 days Flush interval 16–21 days Substrate Hardwood sawdust Options Hardwood sawdust
Yield
Biological efficiency range 40–77% Flushes 2 Notes Hardwood sawdust outperforms straw on texture and shelf life.
Practical
Best methods Grow bags, Sawdust blocks, Climate chamber Watch for Green Mold (Trichoderma), Bacterial Blotch (Pseudomonas), Long Stems, Small Caps (high CO2), Aborted Pins
Data literature-range
Ganoderma lucidum
Medicinal Intermediate
Fruits 21–27 °C Humidity 90–95% Colonization 14–21 d BE 30–60%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 24–30 °C Fruiting temp 21–27 °C Incubation RH 90–95% Fruiting RH 90–95% Fresh air Low Light Low indirect
Timing & substrate
Colonization 14–21 days Pinning 10–18 days Maturation 40–60 days Substrate Supplemented hardwood sawdust Options Supplemented hardwood sawdust
Yield
Biological efficiency range 30–60% Flushes 1 Notes Slow, decorative and medicinal.
Practical
Best methods Sawdust blocks, Climate chamber Watch for Green Mold (Trichoderma), Black Mold (Aspergillus / Rhizopus), Mycelial Overlay / Stroma
Data literature-range
Flammulina filiformis
Culinary Intermediate
Fruits 8–16 °C Humidity 85–95%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 18–25 °C Fruiting temp 8–16 °C (to 20) Fruiting RH 85–95% Light None
Timing & substrate
First flush About 42 days from inoculation to harvest in the best-performing bottle treatment of a 2024 trial. Substrate Supplemented hardwood sawdust Options Hardwood sawdust with wheat or rice bran, Cottonseed hulls and corncobs with rice bran, Wheat or paddy straw
Yield
Biological efficiency ~123.5% Notes Harvest when the stems are about 5–10 cm long.
Practical
Best methods Bottle culture in a cool room, Bag culture in a cool room
Data literature-range
Agaricus bisporus
Culinary Advanced
Fruits 18–20 °C BE 47–100%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 21–25 °C Fruiting temp 18–20 °C Incubation RH 96–100%
Timing & substrate
First flush In one research-unit crop cycle: 7 days of case run, a 3-day cool-down, 5 more days, then harvesting flushes at 18 °C. Substrate Composted wheat straw (phase II compost) with a peat-based casing layer Options Composted wheat straw, Composted oat straw, Non-composted substrates (experimental)
Yield
Biological efficiency range 47–100% Notes Harvested mostly as closed cups over two to three flushes.
Practical
Best methods Tray or shelf growing on composted substrate in a climate-controlled room Watch for Cobweb Mold (Dactylium)
Data literature-range
Pleurotus pulmonarius
Culinary Beginner
Colonization 10.5 d BE 42–100%
Full parameters
Climate
Timing & substrate
Colonization 10.5 days Substrate Straw (wheat straw in the cited trials) Options Straw, Wood chips, Sawdust, Cardboard, Coffee grounds
Yield
Biological efficiency range 42–100%
Practical
Best methods Bags or buckets of straw, Sawdust blocks
Data literature-range
Pleurotus djamor
Culinary Beginner
Growing temp ~25–30 °C BE 67–77%
Full parameters
Climate
Growing temp ~25–30 °C
Timing & substrate
Substrate Straw or sawdust Options Barley straw, Wheat straw, Paddy straw, Sawdust, Tea leaves
Yield
Biological efficiency range 67–77%
Practical
Best methods Bags of straw or sawdust in a warm room
Data literature-range
Pleurotus citrinopileatus
Culinary Beginner
Growing temp 24–34 °C BE 78–93%
Full parameters
Climate
Growing temp 24–34 °C
Timing & substrate
Substrate Straw or sawdust Options Paddy straw, Wheat straw, Oak sawdust, Grape and olive pomace (alternative)
Yield
Biological efficiency range 78–93%
Practical
Best methods Bags of straw or sawdust
Data literature-range
Stropharia rugosoannulata
Culinary Beginner
Fruits 10–20 °C Humidity 85–95%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 26 °C Fruiting temp 10–20 °C Fruiting RH 85–95%
Timing & substrate
Substrate Straw and wood chips Options Wood chips, Crop straw, Tree litter, Livestock and poultry manure mixes
Yield
Practical
Best methods Outdoor beds on straw, wood chips or other agricultural and forestry residues
Data literature-range
Grifola frondosa
Culinary Intermediate
Fruits 19–21 °C Humidity 93–97%
Full parameters
Climate
Colonization temp 23–26 °C Fruiting temp 19–21 °C Fruiting RH 93–97%
Timing & substrate
Substrate Sawdust or corn cob with wheat bran Options Sawdust, Corn cobs, Soybean straw, Rice straw, Wheat bran
Yield
Practical
Best methods Autoclaved supplemented-substrate bags
Data literature-range
No species match those filters.
