ONLINE COURSE -Learn to Grow Mushrooms
Here is a comprehensive course covering how to grow mushrooms on either a small or large scale. Emphasis is placed on the Agaricus species (the Champignon), though other commercially important edible fungi are also covered.
Growing, harvesting, marketing, storage, pest and diseases and even ways of cooking and using mushrooms are covered.
Our staff have been teaching this course, and gathering information on mushroom cultivation for over 25 years. When you study this course you will have support from a team of academics that have access to information and experience that is not readily accessible elsewhere.
Learn How to Grow Mushroom Crops by Home Studies -Garden School Training Program -UK College
Lesson Structure
There are 8 lessons in this course:
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Introduction
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How Fungi are Named: Review of the system of plant identification
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Characteristics of all Fungi
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Three Fungi Kingdoms: Zygomycota, Basidiomycota and Ascomycota
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Agaricus campestris and Agaricus bisporus
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Review of significant edible fungi including; Coprinus fimetaris, Flammulina velutipes, Letinus erodes, Pleurotus, Stropharia, Volvariella,Auricularia auricula
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Synonymous Names
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Distinguishing edible fungi, Mushroom structure, tell tale characteristics of the genus Agaricus, etc.
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History of Mushroom Cultivation
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Commonly Cultivated Edible Fungi
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Agaricus bisporus, Agaricus bitorquis
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Coprinus fimetarius
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Flammulina velutipes
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Kuehneromyces mutabilis
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Lentinus edodes Shiitake.
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Pholiota nameko
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Pleurotus spp "Oyster Mushroom"
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Stropharia rugosa annulata
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Volvariella volvaceae Edible Straw Mushroom.
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Auricularia spp
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Tremella fuciformis
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Tuber spp.
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Tricholoma matsutake
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Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)
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Grifola frondosa (Hen of the woods, Maitake)
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Resources, information/contacts
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Mushroom Culture
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Options for obtaining Spawn
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Steps in Growing Agaricus species: Preparation, spawning, casing, harvest
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What to Grow Mushrooms in; growing medium
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Growing media for different edible fungi: Agaricus, Auricularia, Copreinus, Flammulina, Letinus, Pleurotus, Volvariella, etc
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Understanding Soil and Compost, components and characteristics
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Acidity and Alkalinity
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Making Compost
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Making Mushroom Compost, and mushroom compost formulations
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Moisture Level in Compost
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Cultivation of Agaricus bitorquis
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Cultivation ofCoprinus fimetarius
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Spawn Production and Spawning
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Finding Spawn Supplies
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Overview of Spawn and Spawning
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Obtaining Smaller Quantities of Spawn
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The Process of Spawning
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Spawn Production; typical rye grain method
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Storing spawn
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Problems with Spawn
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Using Spawn
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Comparing tewmperature conditions for spawning and fruiting in most commonly cultivated edible mushroom species
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Cultivation of Pleurotus
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Cultivation of Stropharia
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Making and Casing Beds
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Growing Methods; Caves, bags, houses, outdoor ridge beds, troughs, etc
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Casing; biological process, characteristics of casing material, procedure
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Techniques; spawned casing, ruffling, scratching
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Review Auricularia and Volvariella
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Growing Conditions for Mushrooms
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Fungi Nutrition: carbon, nitrogen, essential elements, vitamins and growth factors
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Casing to Harvest of Agaricus
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Growing Indoors
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Components of a Built System and Determining Your Needs
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Factors Influencing Fungal Growth
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Environmental Control, equipment to measure and control the environment
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Siting a Growing House
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Managing the Growing House or Room, cleanliness, heating, cooling, humidity, etc
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Review of Tuber (Truffle) and Tremella
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Pests, Diseases and Growing Mushrooms Outside
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Overview of Pests, Diseases and Environmental Disorders
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Prevention of Problems
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Review of Bacterial and Fungal Diseases and their Control
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Review of Insect Pests, Mites, Nematodes and their Control
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Weed Moulds
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Safe, Natural Sprays
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Summary of Problems found on Agaricus bisporus and other edible fungi covered in this course
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Cultivation of Flammulina velutipes and Kuehneromyces mutabilis
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Harvesting, Storing and Using Mushrooms
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Harvesting Buttons, Cups and Flats on Agaricus bisporus
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Fruiting patterns for Agaricus bisporus and other edible mushrooms
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Cool Storage of Mushrooms
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Freezing Mushrooms
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Dry Freezing Mushrooms
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Drying Mushrooms
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Canning Mushrooms
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Harvesting Agaricus; method of picking
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Handling Agaricus after harvest
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Controlled Atmosphere Storage
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Cultivation of Letinus (Shitake), Pholiota, Tricholoma
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Marketing of Mushrooms and Special Assignment
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Review of Marketing options for mushrooms
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Fresh Mushroom Sales
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Processed Mushroom Sales
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Production and Marketing of Shitake, Oyster Mushroom and Straw Mushroom
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Research and Determination of Marketing Opportunities and Strategies in Your Region
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Classify different varieties of fungi which are commonly eaten
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Determine the techniques used in the culture of edible mushrooms
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Explain the harvesting of a mushroom crop
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Explain the post-harvest treatment of a mushroom crop
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Explain marketing strategies for mushrooms
What You Will Do
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Compare the scientific with common definitions for a Mushroom
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Explain the classification, to genus level, of ten different commercially grown edible fungi
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Produce a labeled illustration of the morphological characteristics which are common to different edible fungi of the genus Agaricus
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Compare the physical characteristics of different commercially cultivated edible fungi
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Distinguish edible Agaricus mushrooms from similar, inedible fungal fruiting bodies
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Compile a resource file of sources of information regarding edible fungi, including: *Publication *Suppliers *Industry associations/services
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Determine the preferred conditions for growing two different specified mushroom genra
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Describe the stages in the growing of Agaricus mushrooms
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Develop criteria for selecting growing media, for different genra of edible fungi; including Agaricus
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Describe an appropriate compost for growing of Agaricus bisporus
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Explain how spawn is produced for different genra of edible fungi
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Explain the use of casing in mushroom production
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Compare different methods of growing edible fungi, in your country, including where appropriate: *Outdoor beds *In Caves *In buildings *In trays *In bags *In troughs
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Describe different pests and diseases of mushrooms
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Describe appropriate control methods for different pests and diseases of mushrooms
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Analyse hygiene and exclusion regimes used in mushroom production
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Prepare a production plan, based on supplied specifications, for Agaricus bisporus, including: *Materials required *Equipment required *Work schedule *Cost estimates
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Grow a crop of Agaricus bisporus
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Identify the stages at which Agaricus mushrooms can be harvested
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Explain how mushrooms are harvested
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Develop guidelines to minimise damage to two different types (i.e. genra) of mushrooms during and immediately after harvest
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Describe ways to extend the shelf life of two different mushrooms crops
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Explain different techniques for processing mushrooms
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Produce dried mushrooms from fresh ones
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Analyse industry guidelines for the post-harvest handling of a specified mushroom variety
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Determine the different ways mushrooms are packed for retailing
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Outline industry generic marketing strategies for mushrooms
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Suggest strategies for marketing a separately identified mushroom product (e.g. branded, regional)
EXTRACT FROM COURSE NOTES
GROWING MUSHROOMS IN AUSTRALIA
Commercial mushroom of Agaricus bisporus growing began in Australia during the 1930's. In the 1950's mushrooms were mainly grown out of doors on compost heaped into beds in disused railway tunnels.
Over recent decades, there has been considerable change in both the scale of production and the methods used producing mushrooms for the Australian table.
Mushroom growing today generally requires a high level of investment in insulated buildings and temperature control equipment, humidity and ventilation equipment, amongst other technologies. With sophisticated, highly controlled growing environments, pests, diseases and other disorders are controlled in the large scale mushroom growing operations, giving a much higher quality product, and less risk than was seen earlier.
By 1984/85 there were approximately 80 commercial mushroom farms in Australia, producing around 14 million kg of mushrooms.
(NB: The 20 largest growers produced 80% of the total production). In addition to the 14 million kg produced in Australia, a further 8 million kg was imported from other countries. The position will have changed somewhat since 1980, however, as the demand for mushrooms continued to expand.
Over the 1990’s and into the 21st century, demand for other species of edible fungi developed in Australia (eg. Oyster Mushroom), at first as a gourmet or ethnic food, but with a trend toward wider acceptance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Will this course help me grow different types of mushrooms?
A. Yes. If you learn about Agaricus, you have a foundation that can be applied to growing a range of other mushroom species. Sections of the course also outline other species. The school has also collected some unique resources on mushroom culture over more than 20 years including rare books that are now out of print. Students who have interests in specific types of mushrooms beyond Agraricus, can be provided with extra information on their specific area of interest, on request.
Q. What Equipment do I need?
A. The course can be completed without any substantial extra cost. Availability of equipment and spore to grow mushrooms on a small or large scale can sometimes be a problem; but it is always possible to improvise with guidence from your tutors.
Q. How easy is it to set up and grow mushrooms on a small scale for my own use?
A. If you know and understand mushroom culture, it can be relatively easy in most places. On a small scale, it can often be more viable to grow mushrooms using proprietory kits.
Q. How easy is it to grow mushrooms on a larger commercial scale?
A. No more difficult than other commercial crops. Production tends to be more intensive though. You don't need to spend so much on land, but you often need to spend more on other things (eg. buildings, environmental controls and high quality compost).
Why Choose This Course
- Unique course materials (developed by our staff) and more current than some colleges (many reviewed annually); as a result, ACS graduates can be more up to date.
- We work hard to help you understand and remember it, develop an ability to apply it in the real world, and build networks with others who work in this field (It’s more than just serving up a collection of information –if all you want is information, buy a book; but if you want an education, that takes learning to a whole new level).
- Start whenever you want, study at your own pace, study anywhere
- Don’t waste time and money traveling classes
- We provide more choices–courses are written to allow you more options to focus on parts of the subject that are of more interest to you; a huge range of elective subjects are offered that don’t exist elsewhere.
- Tutors are accessible (more than elsewhere) – academics work in both the UK and Australia, 5 days a week, 16 hours a day. Answering emails and phone calls from students are top priority.
- We treat students as individuals –don’t get lost in a crowd. Our tutors communicate with you one to one.
- Extra help at no extra cost if needed. When you find something you cannot do, we help you through it or will provide another option.
- Support after you finish a course –We can advise about getting work, starting business, writing a CV, etc. We can promote students and their businesses through our extensive profile on the internet. Graduates who ask will be helped.
- Support from a team of a dozen professional horticulturists, living in different parts of the UK, and in both temperate and tropical climate zones of Australia.
About ACS
ACS was started in 1979 by John Mason, who at the time was a gardening author, horticultural consultant and lecturer in horticulture at several colleges across Melbourne (in Australia). Over the summer that year John discovered that there were thousands of applicants going to be turned away from horticulture courses at Burnley Horticultural College (now Melbourne University). There were simply too few courses being offered for the number of people wanting to study horticulture in Australia. This situation prompted a move to establish a correspondence course at Burnley; but after months of unsuccessful lobbying for support from government; John wrote a course, and with help from a colleague at Council of Adult Education, marketed it.
Standards were originally set in line with what were seen to be the standards of Australia's top horticultural college; and over the years, those standards have never been reduced. This makes our courses longer and more demanding than some other colleges; but it has also led to us building a credibility that stands tall in the horticulture industry across the world.
In the early 1990's John started visiting the UK and becoming involved with the horticulture industry there. Around the mid 1990's ACS began offering RHS courses, and in 2003, John was formally recognised for his contribution to British Horticulture by being made a fellow of the Institute of Horticulture. ACS, as a school, established an office and staff in the UK in 2001, and has expanded considerably since then. Today it is formally affiliated with five other colleges in the UK (including Warwickshire College); all of who license and deliver ACS courses.
A team of leading horticulturists work for the school's horticulture department, including 12 faculty members in both the UK and Australia
