Production block guide

If you would like to take your home mushroom growing to the next level, you have the opportunity with our normal and XL growing blocks!

To get the most out of them, it's worth familiarizing yourself with the environmental factors that influence mushroom cultivation, as well as the individual needs of each variety.

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Environmental factors

For most fungal species, all that is needed to initiate fruiting body formation is a change in the environment.
Fresh air, humidity, light and temperature are the factors that trigger the growth of fruiting bodies from a fully colonized substrate.

Fresh air

Like humans, mushroom mycelium exhales carbon dioxide and takes in oxygen. If it doesn't get enough oxygen, it suffocates.

During colonization, the CO₂ concentration around the mycelium is very high, and as the mycelium reaches the surface of the substrate, it senses a sudden drop in CO₂.
This signals to him that it is time to develop mushrooms.

It is therefore essential that there is enough fresh air in the growing environment so that the mycelium can sense higher oxygen and lower CO₂ levels, which triggers fruiting body formation.

Humidity

The fruiting bodies of mushrooms are largely made up of water, so the mycelium waits for rain or humid weather before producing mushrooms.
Therefore, a substrate with adequate moisture content and a humid environment are essential for good quality and high-yield crops.

Even a short dry period can cause mushrooms to „abort,” meaning they stop growing and dry up.

The development of fruiting bodies generally requires less humidity than the formation of primordia (also known as pins or baby mushrooms). Once the primordia have appeared, it is worth reducing the humidity by 5–10%.

Light

Fungi do not use light as an energy source like plants, but they do need some light to grow properly.

The mycelium uses light to sense that it has reached the surface of the substrate and that the environment is suitable for mushroom growth — just as falling CO₂ levels signal the time for fruiting bodies to form.

Many people believe that mushrooms grow well in the dark.
In fact, in complete darkness, they may never even start to grow, and if they do, the mushrooms will be elongated, misshapen, and dull in color.

Mushrooms often grow in darker places because those places are more humid, not because they don't need light.

Natural light from a nearby window is usually sufficient, but it is important that direct sunlight does not reach the block, as it will dry out very quickly.

If necessary, artificial light (LED) can also be used. In this case, it is worth using a timer to provide 12 hours of lighting per day.

Temperature

Under natural conditions, many mushrooms begin to produce in response to the change of season: the cold signals to them that the end of the season is approaching and they need to produce soon.

Therefore, most species grow better at slightly cooler temperatures, although this may vary from species to species.

When growing indoors, the ambient temperature is a very important factor.

The growth range of most mushrooms is between 15–27 °C, with a few exceptions.

It is worth choosing a species whose growing temperature is close to what you can provide at home.

Interactions of environmental factors

Environmental factors are interconnected, so it's always worth thinking systematically. If you change one parameter, you usually affect at least one other.

At higher temperatures The fungi's metabolism speeds up, which leads to more CO₂ production. This requires more air exchange, which in turn reduces humidity - so humidity must be constantly monitored and replaced if necessary.

At lower temperatures Growth is slower, less CO₂ is produced, so less ventilation is required. However, colder air can hold less moisture, so it is important to monitor humidity, rather than automatically intervene.