Main steps
- Compost preparation: usually wheat or paddy straw with chicken manure, urea and gypsum, composted and then pasteurised.
- Spawning: mixing mushroom spawn (seed) into the compost; the spawn run takes about two weeks at around 23–25°C.
- Casing: covering the colonised compost with a thin layer of casing soil to trigger fruiting.
- Cropping: mushrooms appear in flushes over several weeks at cooler temperatures (about 14–18°C) with high humidity.
What you need
- A clean growing room with shelves or bags, ventilation and humidity control.
- Good-quality spawn from a reliable lab.
- Training: ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research (Solan), state agriculture universities and KVKs run courses.
Selling and support
Button mushrooms are perishable, so plan nearby buyers, cold storage or processing before you start. Mushroom units can be supported under horticulture schemes in many states; ask your district horticulture office.
Official source
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ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
Can button mushrooms be grown in summer?
Only with climate control; natural seasonal growing is done in cool months in plains and longer in hilly areas.
Where can I learn mushroom farming?
ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan, state agriculture universities and local KVKs offer training.
Is there a subsidy for mushroom units?
Many states support mushroom production under horticulture schemes; check with your district horticulture office.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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