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Learn How to Grow Brown Beech Mushrooms with 2 Effective Methods

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Hypsizygus tessellates, also commonly known as Buna shimeji or beech mushrooms, are a species of edible mushrooms. Brown beech mushrooms originate from East Asia.

It is also locally cultivated in the temperate regions in North America, Europe, and Australia and is sold in many supermarkets worldwide. If you want to learn how to grow brown beech mushrooms, keep following the article.

These mushrooms have gained popularity in gourmet cuisine for their decadent nutty flavor and taste, similar to oyster mushrooms. With numerous health benefits and various cooking uses, they are widely cultivated worldwide.

These mushrooms have gills or water spots on their caps and are grown on Beech trees in nature, hence, their name, brown beech mushrooms. Keep following our instructions to learn two methods on how to grow brown beech mushrooms at home.

How to Grow Brown Beech Mushrooms
buna shimeji -via Flickr

Method 1: How to Grow Brown Beech Mushrooms

Shimeji mushrooms or beech mushrooms are quite easy to grow, and they grow all year round. However, their original variety, considered a delicacy in Japan, is a little high maintenance. In this article, we will cover both the simple method and the professional method to grow brown beech mushrooms.

Materials Required

  • A beech tree or any hardwood tree, like hazelnut, oak, or willow, if you are opting for growing them in the wild on tree logs.
  • Substrate (growing medium)
  • Pots or containers
  • Dried beech mushrooms
  • Plastic wrap
  • Aluminium foil
  • Water

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Take a suitable-sized container to grow your brown beech mushrooms. You can also use an aquarium or a terrarium for the cultivation process.
  2. Once the container is chosen, it is time to prepare the substrate. You can either prepare your substrate, act as the growing medium or buy it online.
  3. Use dead leaves and plants, sawdust, and similar things to create the substrate. Before adding it into the container, be sure to cook the substrate to kill all insects and spores.
  4. Take your substrate and start filling in your container. Fill the container until it is three-quarters full. Use a blunt end stick or a broomstick to shove the substrate firmly. The substrate should be very firm and tightly packed.
  5. Add a thin layer of about 0.5 to 1 cm of dried brown beech mushrooms over the substrate layer, and then cover it again with a 1 cm thick substrate layer on top.
  6. Spray water on the substrate to make it gently moist.
  7. Now cover the top of the container with a plastic wrap. It will help retain the moisture and heat inside the container, essential for germination.
  8. Put a layer of aluminium foil over the plastic wrap and wrap it tightly over the edges of the container.
  9. Now cut a piece of cardboard and tape it over the aluminium foil.
  10. Place your mushroom container in a dark, humid spot. Maintain a warm temperature of about 25 to 28 degrees Celsius. Maintain these conditions for 4 to 12 weeks until you see tiny white dots called mycelia growing on the substrate.
  11. Remove the cardboard and plastic cover to water the substrate top 2 to 3 times every week.
  12. Place an aquarium with bright light or a simple lamp two to three feet away from the mushrooms to provide them with enough light to grow. After some weeks, the mycelia will start growing fruiting bodies of mushrooms.
  13. If tiny white mushrooms appear at the surface of the substrate, then remove them as they are still white-colored.
  14. Add a layer of leaves on top of the substrate, so the fruiting bodies have something to grow on.
  15. You will know when the mushrooms are ready by checking their color. They are ready to be harvested once the color turns brown or brownish-black from white. At this point, they would be quite dried out from the bases. Just twist and turn until your mushrooms come loose from the substrate.
How to Grow Brown Beech Mushrooms 2
Hypsizygus tessellatus – via Wikimedia

Method 2: Professional Way of Growing Expensive Variety of Beech Mushrooms 

Brown beech mushrooms are grown worldwide and can be found very easily at the local supermarkets. The original and the best beech mushrooms come from East Asia, specifically Japan. It is quite expensive and is considered a delicacy in the culinary world. Growing them requires so much more care to get that remarkable quality for which they are known.

Item you Will Need

Step-by-Step Instructions

This method and the items list may seem quite intimidating, but if you are fully invested, then this method will help you grow the best original quality mushrooms. Hit the online stores or your local hardware stores to collect the materials. Once you have collected all the required items, follow these steps to learn how to grow brown beech mushrooms like a pro!

  1. Mix all the items from the list together in the following proportions: 17.5 oz. Soluble starch, 4 oz. D-glucose, 0.2 oz. Pectin, 0.55 oz. Yeast extract, 0.1 oz. KH2PO4, 0.1 oz. MgSO4, 1 oz. Charcoal powder and 5 quarts of water. If you can find a ready-made nutrient supply base with the same nutrient proportions, you can use it as a substitute.
  2. Add the peat moss into a large container with a wide opening or a removable lid. Make sure the container is watertight.
  3. Now add about 1 ounce of beech mushroom spores into the peat moss and nutrient substrate. Mix well with your hands or use a trowel.
  4. Once the spores are scattered, and the mushroom growing kit is ready, place the container in a dark spot such as a basement or a wine cellar.
  5. Adjust the temperature and the humidity of the room. Maintain the temperature at 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity at about 70 to 80 percent.
  6. Keep the conditions optimal for growth and let the container sit in these conditions consistently for about three months.
  7. After three months, move your mushrooms culture to a place lit with fluorescent lights. At this point, lower the temperature to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Increase the humidity level to about 85 to 95 percent.
  8. Keep the culture in these conditions for 30 more days.
  9. After about 2 weeks of keeping the culture in these contentions, the precursors of fully grown mushrooms called primordia will start forming.
  10. After the appearance of primordia, the mushrooms will further take two more weeks to grow and be ready to be harvested fully.

Conclusion

Brown beech mushrooms are all in rage for their delectable taste and their health benefits. The mushrooms which were once a delicacy of Japan are now widely cultivated worldwide.

They are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and are attributed to anti-cancer characteristics. Being an avid gardener, you would understand the feeling of accomplishment in growing your exquisite mushrooms.

If you want to learn how to grow brown beech trees mushrooms, we have covered two methods quite thoroughly. You can opt for the easy way or go a little extra for that exquisite taste. Let us know how your mushrooms turned out in the comments below!