I live in a hot climate. What mushrooms can I grow?
There are several commonly cultivated strains of mushrooms that grow well in hot weather. The Paddy Straw mushroom, Volvariella volvacea and its close relative Volvariella bombecina, grow best at temperatures between 75 and 95 degrees F (24-35 degrees C). The medicinal Reishi mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, prefers warm weather (75 degrees F/24 degrees C), and the Florida oyster, a strain of Pleurotus ostreatus, fruits at temperatures above 75 degrees F (24 degrees C). The almond mushroom, Agaricus subrufescens, is a warm grower, although the mycelium should not get above 90 degrees F. The King Stropharia, Stropharia rugosa-annulata also fruits only when temperatures rise. Beyond that, there may be mushrooms native to your area that people are cultivating. Ask around!
Although these mushrooms can all do well at warmer temperatures, remember that they all still need significant humidity.
You may freely copy and distribute the information on this webpage to friends or colleagues, as long as you include the following notice:
This document is Copyright: ©1999 by Randall R. Wayne, Ph.D. All commercial rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used for sale in any form or by any means without permission of the author.