How to Revive Stalled Mushroom Growth

How to Revive Stalled Mushroom Growth

Generally speaking, mushroom growth stalls aren't a major concern. Mushrooms are resilient, and if you're happy with relatively small fruits, then it isn't a concern at all. However, if you're a normal human being and are concerned that your shrooms aren't getting everything they need, then acknowledge that slow or stalled mushroom growth is a sign that something needs to change, because growing conditions clearly aren't optimal.

Four steps to revive stalled mushroom growth

  1. Check the growing conditions for your mushrooms. In particular, make note of the temperature and humidity levels. Are your temperatures in range? (Typically this is somewhere between 50-70°F, but the kind of mushroom you're growing matters.) Is your humidity high enough? Humidity should be between 80-95%. You may want to have a hygrometer in place as close to the mushrooms as possible without risking contamination, and check on it at multiple points throughout the day to eliminate the possibility of missing fluctuations.

  2. Is the location getting adequate airflow? You want to make sure that your mushrooms are getting clean, fresh air. If you're in a modern, airtight home, this might be solved as simply as opening a window, or adding a fan to circulate the air in the room. Don't point the fan directly at your mushrooms, but pointing it directly away from the mushrooms is a good strategy for preventing contamination.

  3. Check your soil moisture, and PH. I use this soil PH Meter to check substrate conditions, and if you have multiple batches growing at a time, you can move it from one to the other for spot checks. Just make sure to clean it before you move it, and try not to damage your mycelial 'roots' when using it. \

    Consider also the nutritional makeup of the substrate. If you've reused this substrate from a previous batch, consider adding some nutrients to the soil. These are billed as root enhancers (and they do that) but they also enrich the soil significantly. Another, more adventurous option is perhaps a fertilizing compost starter.

  4. Speaking of moisture, what's your misting schedule? A great rule of thumb is twice a day, once in the morning, and again at bed time, but in the summer months, or in drier climates, I have zero compunctions adding a third light misting to the schedule.

Posted on 2023-02-17 by bmelton