It's impossible to predict how long it will take to grow all mushrooms.

The answer depends on the species you're raising, the environmental factors, and the technique you choose.

When it comes to growing mushrooms, the type of substrate has a significant impact.


Typically, low-nutrient substrates take longer to grow, but high-nutrient substrates can develop quickly.

In this article we look at the duration it takes to grow some of the most popular mushroom species and what factors influence that speed.

Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are one of the fastest and easiest to grow mushrooms.

Depending on the substrate they can take 2-6 weeks to grow at room temperature except for logs,
which takes about 6 months or more.

The fastest substrates to grow them on are:

• Masters mix, a mixture of sawdust and soybean hulls.
• Straw
• Toilet paper
• Woodchips
• Logs
  
  
  

Enoki Mushrooms

Enoki mushrooms, also called Winter Mushrooms, If grown on the substrate they take about 1-3 weeks to grow at room temperature. They can be grown on a wide mix of substrates including:

• Straw
• Grains (rice)
• Coffee grounds
• Cardboard
• Paper towel rolls (not the cardboard tubes inside them; just the paper towel rolls)
• Woodchips and sawdust

Real enoki mushrooms can also be grown on logs: in this case, they take about three months to grow.

Enokis is a cold-tolerant mushroom, often producing well even in wintertime conditions. However, if you live in an area with warm weather during the winter, you can grow enokis outside in a small greenhouse called a cold frame to make them produce even faster.

Maitake Mushrooms

Maitakes also called Hen of the Woods or Ram's Head mushrooms take about 2-4 weeks to grow at room temperature. They can be grown on a wide mix of substrates including:

• Coffee grounds
• Logs (for smaller, edible clusters)
• Grains such as rice and oatmeal 
• Commercial sawdust mixes or Hardwood sawdust.
• Coconut coir [coconut fibre] straw 
• Logs or tree stumps.
• Cardboard 
• Paper towel rolls (not the cardboard tubes inside them

Maitakes are also very cold-tolerant, often producing through the winter months even in fairly chilly climates.

The substrate must be prepared with sterilized water, then the maitake spawn is introduced. The growing period will vary depending on your choice of substrate.

Reishi Mushrooms

Reishi mushrooms or Lingzhi Mushrooms take about 6-12 months to grow at room temperature. They can be grown on a wide mix of substrates including:

Grains (wheat, oatmeal)

Logs (for smaller, edible clusters)

Cardboard

Paper towel rolls (not the cardboard tubes inside them)

Tree stumps

Coffee grounds (this is one of the more popular substrates for reishi mushrooms)

Reishi can be grown on logs indoors, which only takes about 3 months to grow. They are a cold-tolerant mushroom and will produce through winter even in fairly chilly climates if they're kept indoors. Here's a guide to growing reishi mushrooms on logs.

Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are another fast-growing mushroom that will fruit in about 1-2 weeks. They take much longer to grow at room temperature, though: typically from 2 months.

The length of time it takes to grow will depend on the choice of substrate you use. Some of the fast-growing substrates are:

• Coffee grounds
• Cardboard, paper towel rolls (not the cardboard tubes inside them)
• Grains such as oatmeal or wheat straw
• Logs indoors, which only takes about 3 months indoors and, up to 6 months if grown outdoors

They are a cold-tolerant mushroom and will produce through the winter even in fairly chilly climates if they're kept indoors.

Button Mushrooms

Button mushrooms are one of the fastest-fruiting mushrooms. Button mushrooms, depending on the time of year can take between one to three weeks.

The variation occurs during the summer months when there are constant fluctuating temperatures which makes it difficult to control the climate inside the mushroom growing box.

The substrate they're grown on is important: fast-growing substrates include:

• Cardboard (not paper towel rolls)
• Grains such as wheat or oatmeal
• Woodchips and wood sawdust mixes

Actually, button mushrooms can be grown indoors on logs which makes them cold-tolerant mushrooms and will produce fairly well and quickly through winter.

Truffles

Truffles are one of the slowest-growing fungi around. Whilst not technically a mushroom (they grow underground and don't have any kind of prominent stem), they're often bundled in with the same category as they do fall within the Fungi kingdom.

It takes about 1-2 years for truffles to grow once introduced to a substrate. The substrate used is very important: they typically need to be introduced on composts that have not had any chemicals used in them.

Some good substrates include:

• Grains (wheat, rye)
• Logs used to grow other fast-fruiting mushrooms such as shiitakes
• Grass seed/lawn seed mixes
• Cardboard
• Tea leaves
• Oak leaves
• Paper, coffee grounds
• Tree bark (chip and sawdust mixed)

Again, this is a very cold-tolerant mushroom that can produce through winter in colder climates, but obviously is far harder to grow!

Probably the best bet here is to purchase some young trees that have been inoculated with truffle spawn - or have been grown in an area where truffles exist.

The fastest mushrooms to grow from home - a summary

Mushrooms take different lengths of time to grow depending on the type of mushroom, the substrate used and the environment they're grown in.

For example, button mushrooms will typically fruit within one to three weeks whereas shiitakes can take around 1-2 years if grown on hardwood logs or tree stumps, which is why it's so important to research before starting your own mushroom growing project.

Which mushrooms have you grown before? How long did those take to grow? Did you follow the proper steps in growing your mushrooms?

What are some tips for other people who are growing mushrooms?

Feel free to leave a comment down below 👇👇👇