Straw TEK: Simple Bulk Growing Guide for High Yields

⬇️ Prefer to listen instead? ⬇️

---

• 🌾 Oyster mushrooms grow well on lignocellulosic materials like straw because they spread fast.
• 🍄 About 25% of all mushrooms grown worldwide are oyster mushrooms.
• 🧪 Pasteurizing straw with hot water or lime soak greatly lowers the chance of dirt getting in.
• 🚀 Good conditions can lead to picking mushrooms that weigh up to 100% of the straw's wet weight per flush.
• 🌱 Used straw after picking can be composted. This helps soil health and is good for the environment.

---

Why Would You Want to Grow Mushrooms on Straw?

Straw is easy to get and cheap. It is also a very good material for growing mushrooms, especially for fast-growing types like oyster mushrooms. Here's why many home growers and businesses pick straw methods:

• Easy to Get and Cheap: Straw is a byproduct of crops like wheat, barley, and rye. It is easy to find at garden centers, feed stores, and local farms. Often, it costs little or nothing.

• Good Structure: Straw has a lot of carbon. It forms a loose, fibrous material that holds water well and lets air move through. This makes it perfect for fungi like oyster mushrooms to grow through.

• Good for the Environment: Growing mushrooms on straw uses farm waste well. It uses fewer man-made chemicals. And it gives the material another use before it becomes compost.

• Can Be Used in Many Ways: You can use straw in many ways to grow at home. This includes plastic grow bags, indoor bins, or outdoor raised beds. It is easy to handle. And it works well with mushroom kits for beginners.

• Ready for Compost: After you pick mushrooms many times, the used straw breaks down fast in compost bins. This makes garden soil better. And it helps the environment.

If you are trying to grow mushrooms indoors for the first time, or making your city farm bigger, straw is an easy-to-use material. You can use it for small or large projects.

What Kind of Mushrooms Grow Best in Straw?

Not all mushrooms grow well on straw. But some types are especially good for this growing material. Here are the best choices:

Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.)

The oyster mushroom is the best option for growing on straw. Its mycelium grows fast, and you get many mushrooms. This makes it a common choice for people growing at home and for businesses. These mushrooms are also one of the types grown most around the world. They make up about 25% of all mushroom production[^2].

Popular oyster varieties include:

• Blue Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus): They handle cold well. They are good for winter grows and have bright blue-grey caps.
• Pink Oyster (Pleurotus djamor): A type from warm places. It has bright pink colors and grows quickly. But it does not last as long after picking.
• Golden/Yellow Oyster (Pleurotus citrinopileatus): These are fragile and pretty to look at. They grow best in warm, wet places.
• King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii): This type prefers sawdust. But it can grow on straw with many added nutrients.

Wine Cap Mushrooms (Stropharia rugosoannulata)

Wine caps are also called garden giants. They are great for outdoor beds with layers of straw. They grow large mushrooms that taste like earth in warmer seasons.

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Lion's Mane usually grows on sawdust with added nutrients. But it can grow on straw with added nutrients too. Still, beginners might do better with types that grow on straw more easily.

The easiest and most sure choice for straw is certainly oyster mushrooms. This is because they can grow in many places. And they show strong growth on organic waste[^3].

Tools & Supplies You'll Need for Mushroom Growing on Straw

Whether you grow indoors or outdoors, you will need some important materials and tools to grow good mushrooms:

• Straw: Use wheat, rye, or barley straw cut into small pieces. Do not use hay, because it holds too much water and can get dirty easily.
• Grain Spawn: These are grains (like oats, millet, or rye berries) that already have oyster mushroom mycelium growing on them.
• Grow Containers: Pick from clear plastic bags (with or without filters), 5-gallon buckets (with holes drilled), storage totes, or raised garden beds.
• Pasteurization Equipment: You will need a large pot, cooler, or plastic tote to pasteurize straw with hot water or lime.
• Hygiene Tools: Sanitizer, gloves, clean knives, and spray bottles to keep things clean.
• Environmental Tools: A hygrometer and thermometer to check the moisture and heat.
• Lighting: Mushrooms do not need very strong light. But indirect sunlight or a small LED light helps make them grow mushrooms.

Optional items include:

• Humidity tents or small greenhouses for growing mushrooms indoors.
• Zombie Mushrooms starter kits, which bring together good quality grain spawn and clean grow bags for easy growing.

How To Prepare and Chop Straw for Use

To help mushroom roots spread well, chop your straw into 1–3 inch (~2–7 cm) pieces. This makes more surface area. And it helps pack the growing material more tightly. This stops dirt from getting in by making fewer air pockets.

Methods for Chopping Straw:

• Lawnmower Method: Spread straw on a tarp. Then run a lawnmower over it many times.
• String Trimmer in Barrel: Put straw in a large barrel. Run a weed trimmer inside for 5–10 minutes.
• Shears or Machete: Cut small amounts by hand using gardening shears. This is good for indoor projects.

After chopping:

• Shake or rinse to get rid of dust and small bits.
• Soak briefly in cold water to make it wet before pasteurization if using hot methods.

Pieces that are all about the same size help the roots spread evenly. And they help you pack it down better in your grow container.

Sterilizing or Pasteurizing Straw: Step-by-Step Methods

Sterilization gets rid of bad germs that fight with your mushroom mycelium. For straw, pasteurization is usually enough. And it takes less work than full sterilization.

1. Hot Water Pasteurization:

• Heat water to 60–70°C (140–160°F). Use a large pot or cooler.
• Put straw completely under the water for 60–90 minutes. Use a weight to keep it under.
• Drain all the water by putting the straw on a mesh or colander for 1–2 hours.

2. Lime Pasteurization:

• Use hydrated lime (not garden lime). Use about 0.2–0.3% of the water's weight.
• For example: 100 grams of lime for 30–40 liters of water.
• Soak straw in this mix for 12–24 hours.
• Drain all the water. A high pH helps stop bacteria from growing without needing heat.

3. Cold Fermentation (Outdoor Method):

• Put chopped straw under cool water (~10–20°C or 50–68°F).
• Cover and weigh it down to stop oxygen from getting in.
• Let it ferment for 5–7 days. Good bacteria will take over and stop bad ones from growing.
• Drain and rinse it very well.

Pick your method based on how much you are doing, where you set it up, and what you have. Hot pasteurization is faster. Lime soaking works well for indoor growers. Cold fermentation is easy but takes longer.

Inoculating the Straw with Mushroom Spawn

Once the straw is cool and drained, it's time to add the mushroom spawn:

1. Use Clean Hands/Gloves: This keeps your growing material clean.
2. Use 5–10% Spawn Rate: For example, use 1 kg of spawn for every 10–20 kg of wet straw.
3. Mix Well: Sprinkle and mix grain spawn all through the straw.
4. Pack in Containers: Pack the mix tightly into bags, buckets, or bins. Do not leave large air pockets.
5. Seal or Close Containers: Use filter patch bags or drill air holes. Oxygen is still needed for the roots to grow.

Working fast but clean is important. The sooner the spawn grows through the straw, the less chance of dirt getting in.

Incubation Phase: Encouraging Strong Mycelium Growth

The incubation phase is when mycelium grows through the growing material. This happens in a dark, warm, and wet place.

• Best Temperature: 20–24°C (68–75°F)
• Light: Incubation needs dark.
• Time: Mycelium usually fully grows through the straw in 10–14 days.
• Check Containers: Look for even white growth. Patchy growth or discolored areas might mean dirt got in.

Pro Tips:

• Do not open containers at this time.
• Do not stack bags or bins too tightly. Air moving around stops them from getting too hot.

Fruiting Phase: From Mycelium to Mushrooms

After the roots have fully grown through, it is time to start the mushrooms growing:

• Give Light: Give 6–12 hours of daylight or 6500K white LED light each day.
• Lots of Moisture: Keep 85–95% RH by using misting bottles or humidifiers.
• Fresh Air: Open bags or containers a little to let CO₂ out.
• Cut Slits or Open Containers: Make places for mushrooms to grow by slicing the bag or uncovering the top.

Within 5–10 days, pins (baby mushrooms) will appear. Mist daily and check the conditions with a hygrometer. Do not put the growing material in direct drafts or a dry place. This can dry it out.

Growing Mushrooms Outside in Straw (Outdoor Beds)

Growing mushrooms outside can be used in many ways. It grows a lot. And it is good for easy to care for setups:

1. Where to Put It: Use shaded spots (under trees or shade cloth).
2. Build the Bed: Use cardboard or wood as a base. Layer straw and spawn one after the other.
3. Cover It: Top with straw, leaves, or burlap to keep water in. Add a tarp to keep it wet until the roots have fully grown through.
4. Watering: Mist or water the bed often. Check how dry it is with your finger. It should be wet but not soaked. This is best.

Wine Caps and oyster mushrooms both grow well from spring through fall. This depends on the type and the weather.

Can You Use Plug Spawn for Straw?

Plug spawn is hardwood dowels with mycelium growing on them. It is made for logs, not straw. For best results with straw:

• 🟩 Use grain spawn for spreading evenly and for the roots to grow fast.
• 🟫 Sawdust spawn can also work, but it needs more mixing.

Straw does not let plug spawn grow directly. So use spawn that grows faster.

Here is a common timeline:

Phase	Duration
Pasteurizing straw	1 day
Inoculation	1 day
Incubation	10–14 days
Fruiting	5–10 days
Total Time to Harvest	~3 weeks

Under best conditions, you can get 50–100% of the straw’s wet weight per flush[^1]. And you might get 2–3 flushes from the same growing material.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting for Growing Mushrooms on Straw

Here is how to fix common problems:

• Dirt: Moldy patches? This might be from bad pasteurization. Use higher heat or a cleaner place to work.
• Slow Mycelium Growth: Maybe dry growing material or bad spawn. Make sure straw is wet, not soaked.
• Thin Mushrooms: Not enough light or air. Give more air and light.
• Soaked Growing Material: Use less water when mushrooms are growing. Straw should feel like a wrung-out sponge.

Being clean and consistent is very important for growing mushrooms well.

Tips for Successful Mushroom Growing on Straw

• 🧻 Use straw that is well-pasteurized, not too wet material.
• 🍄 Choose fast-growing oyster mushroom spawn, especially if you are a beginner.
• 💧 Check the moisture often. Dryness makes them stop growing.
• 🔃 Mist many times each day. And make sure air moves well.
• 🧽 Clean surfaces. Use clean tools for every new batch.

Want something easy to do? Zombie Mushrooms grow kits give you clean growing materials and chosen spawn. This is good for easy growing.

Final Thoughts: Is Growing Mushrooms on Straw Easy?

Yes. With the right materials, clean habits, and controlling the environment, you can grow oyster mushrooms well at home in just a few weeks. This is an easy and cheap way to start growing mushrooms. It is also a hobby that feels good and helps the environment. Ready to start? Look at trusted grow kits and 100% grain spawn with roots already growing at Zombie Mushrooms to begin growing mushrooms.

---

References

1. Pecchia, J., & Stone, V. (2018). Cultivation of Oyster Mushrooms. Penn State Extension. Retrieved from https://extension.psu.edu/cultivation-of-oyster-mushrooms
2. Royse, D. J., Baars, J., & Tan, Q. (2017). Current Overview of Mushroom Production in the World. In Agricultural Technology and Sustainable Development, Springer.
3. Sanchez, C. (2010). Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus and other edible mushrooms on lignocellulosic wastes: A review. Bioresource Technology, 101(3), 5701–5721.