If you were ever wondering how It is possible for mushrooms to grow in total darkness, you are at the right place!
Mushrooms can grow without light because they are not plants. This means they don’t have chlorophyll and absorb energy from the sun by using photosynthesis. They break down organic material from other plants or live as a parasite on living plants to survive.
The fungi kingdom is one of the most diverse and interesting kingdoms on earth. We gathered many interesting facts for you so read on and find out how fungi are so amazing.
Mushrooms are not plants
Mushrooms are not plants which means they don’t have chlorophyll and absorbs energy from the sun by using photosynthesis.
There are two different types of fungi:
- Mushrooms that break down organic material from other plants
- Mushrooms that live as a parasite on living plants to survive
Fungus, like mushrooms, grows without any light whatsoever and can actually benefit from its absence as there will be no competition for resources! Dark places can also better maintain and preserve the moisture which is needed for mushrooms to reproduce.
While this may seem strange to us humans who need sunlight to live, the truth is that mushrooms were a critical part of life on earth for most of its history.
According to the newest studies, mushrooms already lived on earth 810 million years ago which makes them important confederates for the first plants that started colonizing our earth.
The fungi kingdom includes such enigmatic creatures as mushrooms, molds, lichens, rusts, smuts, and yeasts. These organisms grow in every conceivable habitat: oceans, deserts, and even your toaster oven!
Can mushrooms also grow in the light?
Mushrooms can grow in the light as well, but they need a very specific environment to do so. They need high humidity and shade from direct sunlight for about 12 hours per day.
Actually, some light does not harm mushrooms. They need dim light to start fruiting but these numbers can be as low as four hours of daily indirect light.
The most popular way of growing mushrooms with artificial lights is through hydroponics – using an inert medium like gravel or rock wool that holds water.
It is not necessary to overcomplicate things when trying to grow your own mushrooms. They just need a warm, dark and moist environment and they will start growing by them selfs.
Another alternative would be to use a growing kit that provides the perfect environment for mushrooms to grow. These are not expensive and can be an awesome start for everyone interested in growing their own mushrooms.
How fast can mushrooms grow?
As mushrooms are not plants, they can grow very fast with the help of nourishment. Most common types of mushrooms need up to two months to grow to a complete mushroom from a spore.
This is median, but speed can range from a few days up to decades. Truffles for example can at least cost you 10 years of time and nerves before you even know if the mushroom will start fruiting.
The opposite of the time-consuming Truffles would be the Oyster Mushroom. These little fellas can be grown in under 20 days and under nearly any condition.
How do mushrooms reproduce?
Fungi, do not use seeds to reproduce. Mushrooms reproduce by producing spores through meiosis, which is a special type of cell division that creates four different cells or gametes from one parent cell. This will produce new spores. They do not produce any vascular tissue, so they cannot move water around their bodies. This means they are non-vascular.
The spore, which is spread by a kind of wind the mushrooms produce itself, will grow into a new mycelium if it encounters favorable conditions like a moist and dark place to thrive in!
This part, at least for the most common types of mushrooms, is completely covered by the ground and hidden from our eyes.
Mycelium will continue to expand and start forming hyphal knots. Afterward, a primordia formation will form and the fruitbody starts to grow. This is the part that is in most cases above the ground.
A maturing and fruiting mushroom body is what most people know and would describe as a mushroom.
Do mushrooms benefit my garden?
Believe it or not but mushrooms can be super beneficial for your garden. One of the best things you can do for your garden is to grow mushrooms. Mushrooms are extremely beneficial for plants and because they’re easy to maintain, you’ll save money!
Did you know that mushrooms are a great natural fertilizer? Not only do they benefit your plants, but they can also improve the soil.
A big point here is choosing a fungus that breaks down organic material and does not act as a parasite, so it will decompose your garden’s organic materials into growing fuel for your other plants.
If mushrooms start growing in your garden by themselves this can be a sign for a really healthy ground with your mulch containing lots of organic nutritions.
Some of the known benefits for your gardens plants are:
- higher water and nutrition capacity
- less weather or transplant damages
- boosted speed of every growing stage
- enhance tolerance against diseases
So, as you can see fungi are extremely beneficial and a great addition to your garden! As I mentioned before they have so many benefits for plants in general.
Although a very common misconception is that mushrooms will take away all nutrients from the soil. But that’s not true, the mushrooms break down organic matter into nutrients and benefit the soil instead of taking away from it.
Final thoughts
To sum it up, mushrooms are not plants, but they can grow very fast because of their ability to break down organic material. Though mushrooms don’t have chlorophyll and absorb energy from the sun by using photosynthesis as plants do, they still need a specific environment in order to thrive.
In addition, mushrooms cannot create their own food through respiration as most organisms do. Instead, fungi capture nutrients that exist already in living or dead plant matter or another type of organism.
We hope we could bring some light to the amazing but mysterious world of mushrooms and fungus and that you learned a thing or two about this fascinating subject.
