Mushrooms in pots? Really? Is that even possible? Let’s find out…

Mushrooms are becoming increasingly popular in our day to day lives. But did you know that you can use them house plants too!! Boy, wouldn’t that be a beautiful sight? Mesmerizingly beautiful colorful mushrooms in pots!! Kindly note that this post talks about mushrooms for ornamental purposes only. These mushrooms are not meant for consumption. Do not, I repeat, do not ingest or consume any part of these mushrooms. These mushrooms are particularly chosen keeping in mind their beautiful colors and easy to grow ability.

What exactly are mushrooms?

Mushrooms are actually fungi. Yes, you heard that right! Fungi are beautiful organisms which develop attractive fruiting bodies known as mushrooms. They are not exactly plants because they cannot synthesize their own food but they are plantlike. Note that not all mushrooms are edible. The main part of mushroom is mycelium which is a network of delicate fibers present below the surface of soil. What we see with our eyes is the ‘Thallus’. Thalli comes in various sizes, shapes and colours. This is what makes the mushrooms unique.

Mushrooms for gardens

These group of fungi display beautiful colors which would be perfect to add vibrant colours to your garden. The wild ones require a very little care and maintenance hence they are super easy to grow. Here are a few simple steps to grow mushrooms in pots or in a garden.

• The first step is to gather growing media for your mushrooms. They easily grow on manures, straw of rice or wheat and sawdust. Add any one of it to a pot of your choice.
• Get some mushroom spawns and plant them like seeds in the media.
• Keep the pot in dark until the mushrooms sprout.
• Water them by misting once or twice a day.

• After 7 – 10 days mushrooms will be grown and ready for you to show off.
• Pink mycena, Phlogiotis helvelloides, Ramaria sp. are some of the species which you can grow in your garden.

Mushrooms decay in around 2 – 3 weeks. So, by then you can have your next batch ready for replacement.

Happy mushrooming folks!

Written by
Antra Thada