Mushrooms are one of the easiest crops to grow in a hydroponic system, even though they do not have roots. Technically speaking, mushrooms are not plants. They are fungi. Mushrooms serve as a great addition to many dishes, including pasta, pizza, burgers, and many others. So, growing mushrooms is an excellent way to add to your cooking essentials.

This article will cover the benefits of growing mushrooms hydroponically, the type of mushrooms you can ideally grow in a hydroponic setup, what you need before beginning, and a step-by-step process for how to grow them.

Let’s get started!

Benefits of Growing Hydroponic Mushrooms

There are a number of benefits of growing mushrooms in a hydroponic setup. Firstly, mushrooms, like all other fungi, do not require light to grow. Plants require light for photosynthesis to produce their food. Mushrooms do not require this and can feed on organic debris in the surroundings.

You can set up your grow space without worrying about adequate natural light. You also will not have to worry about purchasing expensive grow lights either. Growing mushrooms hydroponically will allow you to increase your yield significantly. And yes, the flavor of the mushrooms will also be a lot better than you get otherwise.

Mushrooms Ideal for Growing in a Hydroponic Setup

There are a number of mushroom types that thrive in a hydroponic setup. These include cinnamon cap, nameko, maitake, enokitake, button, lion’s mane, shiitake, and oyster.

Which hydroponic system is ideal for growing mushrooms?

The ideal hydroponic system for growing mushrooms is simple. You’ll need a water reservoir, a flood table and stand, a water pump to maintain the flow of water, and an air pump for pumping oxygen to the mushrooms. Additional things include tubing and a timer to fix the draining and flooding intervals. The following are some good options for this:

• Botanicare 4' X 8' Ebb and Flow Hydroponic Flood Table Kit
• Active Aqua 2' x 4' Ebb and Flow Hydroponic Flood Table Kit
• Active Aqua 4' x 4' Ebb and Flow Hydroponic Flood Table Kit

If you want to know more about the kind of hydroponic systems you can buy, check out our guide to growing strawberries hydroponically.

What more do I need for growing mushrooms hydroponically?

You’ll need to buy a hydroponic nutrient solution to feed your mushrooms. As we have discussed earlier, mushrooms do not require much light to thrive. A T5 grow light will be more than enough for the job.

Alternatively, you can place your setup near a window that provides access to ample sunlight as well.

You’ll also need hydroponic grow media. We strongly recommend that you use coco coir or Rockwool for growing mushrooms.

The Process of Growing Up Hydroponic Mushrooms

Now that we have all the equipment that we need let's get started on the process of growing some mushrooms!

Get the right nutrients and grow media

Firstly, you need a substrate, which is essentially a layer upon which the mushrooms will grow. Once you have the substrate in place, the mycelium will start growing all over the substrate. We will explain what mycelium is in the next point.

The mycelium will need nutrition in order to be able to do this. Basic nutritional requirements for mushrooms are protein, nitrogen, starch, lignin, fat, and sugar. You can find all of these in either a liquid nutrient solution or compost.

Grow Mycelium 

There are two options for growing mushrooms hydroponically. You can either use a mushroom kit or mushroom bag to grow your mycelium. Mycelium is the fungal base that your mushrooms will grow from. Take a fresh mushroom, place that on a petri dish and let the mycelium start growing.

Your environment should be clean before you do this. Mushrooms take approximately four weeks to grow. After this, place these mushrooms in a packet of sterilized grain and let them colonize it. The colonization should take a few weeks more. After that, you'll have two options. You can harvest the mushrooms upon maturity, or you can place the spores in the hydroponic system.

Ideal growing environment

There are two phases in growing mushrooms. These are germination and active growth. During germination, the temperature should be 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and during active growth, it should be 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Your tank should be 70-90% humid at all times.

Grow Lights

Mushrooms grow well in darkness. However, while growing the mycelium, you should ensure that it gets 5-6 hours of light every day.

Harvest

Your mushrooms will be ready for harvesting in 4-5 days. If you want to grow additional mushrooms, all you need to do is leave the block idle for a week and start the process again. You can use the block as many times as you like until a harvest is no longer possible.

If you were growing mushrooms using mycelium, they could be harvested as soon as they begin growing on the grain.

Hydroponic Mushroom Kits

Growing mushrooms through a hydroponic starter kit is a far easier prospect compared to growing them from scratch.

The kit is essentially a cube of compressed sawdust, about a foot in length. This block can then be inoculated with mushroom seeds. The block does not have to be prefabricated. You can make one yourself using sawdust or a seed block.

Place that block in cold water for some hours till saturation. Then take that block to a room/space without any light. The temperature should be 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold water is highly conducive to growing mushrooms. You can harvest your freshly grown mushrooms within 4-5 days through this method.

Final Thoughts on Growing Hydroponic Mushrooms

Good luck, and this guide will help you get started with growing mushroom. Read our guide on growing strawberries hydroponically! Growing mushrooms is very different from growing plants, primarily because they are fungi, not plants. But it's quite easy, and once you get it, you can grow them any time of the year with the help of GroIndoor.com. Happy planting!