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🍄 Free · no sign-upMushroom fruiting conditions, by species
The numbers growers look up constantly — colonization and fruiting temperature, humidity, CO₂, fresh air, and light — for 14 popular gourmet & medicinal mushrooms, in one place. Search, filter, and switch between °C and °F.
Fruiting conditions for 14 gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, in one table: colonisation and fruiting temperature, relative humidity, CO₂ ceiling, fresh-air requirement and light, for oyster, lion's mane, shiitake, king oyster, maitake and more. Search it, filter it, and switch between °C and °F. Free, with no account.
Fruiting conditions reference table (all 14 species)
The full cheat-sheet at a glance — fruiting temperature (°F / °C), humidity, CO₂ target, fresh-air need, colonization time, and typical biological efficiency for each gourmet & medicinal mushroom.
| Mushroom | Fruiting temp | Humidity | CO₂ (fruiting) | Fresh air (FAE) | Colonization | Typical BE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Oyster Pleurotus ostreatus | 50–70°F (10–21°C) | 85–95% | <800 ppm | High | 10–14 days | 75–100%+ |
| Pearl Oyster Pleurotus ostreatus | 55–70°F (13–21°C) | 85–95% | <800 ppm | High | 10–14 days | 75–100% |
| Pink Oyster Pleurotus djamor | 64–86°F (18–30°C) | 85–95% | <800 ppm | High | 10–14 days | 65–90% |
| Golden / Yellow Oyster Pleurotus citrinopileatus | 70–86°F (21–30°C) | 85–95% | <800 ppm | High | 10–14 days | 65–90% |
| King Oyster Pleurotus eryngii | 59–64°F (15–18°C) | 85–90% | 500–800 ppm | Moderate | 14–21 days | 50–75% |
| Lion's Mane Hericium erinaceus | 64–75°F (18–24°C) | 90–95% | <800 ppm | High | 10–14 days | 50–75% |
| Shiitake Lentinula edodes | 50–70°F (10–21°C) | 80–90% | <1000 ppm | Moderate–high | 35–70 days + browning | 75–125% |
| Chestnut Pholiota adiposa | 55–64°F (13–18°C) | 85–95% | <800 ppm | High | 14–21 days | 50–75% |
| Pioppino Cyclocybe aegerita | 59–70°F (15–21°C) | 85–95% | <800 ppm | High | 14–21 days | 50–75% |
| Nameko Pholiota microspora | 50–61°F (10–16°C) | 90–95% | <800 ppm | High | 14–30 days | 50–75% |
| Enoki Flammulina velutipes | 46–55°F (8–13°C) | 80–90% | High (long-stem form) | Low (restricted) | 14–21 days | 50–75% |
| Maitake Grifola frondosa | 55–64°F (13–18°C) | 85–95% | <800 ppm | High | 30–60 days + initiation | ~30–50% |
| Reishi Ganoderma lingzhi | 75–84°F (24–29°C) | 90–95% | High → antlers / Low → conks | Varies by form | 14–21 days | ~30–50% |
| Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor | 64–75°F (18–24°C) | 85–95% | <1000 ppm | High | 14–30 days | medicinal — not weight-based |
Fruiting temperatures are the fruiting-room optimum; colonizing mycelium runs 3–6°C warmer and tolerates high CO₂. Biological efficiency (BE) is fresh yield ÷ dry substrate weight — see the BE guide.
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Frequently asked questions
What temperature do oyster mushrooms fruit at?
Most blue and pearl oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) fruit best at roughly 10–21°C (50–70°F). Warm-loving pink and golden oysters prefer 18–30°C (64–86°F). All oysters want 85–95% humidity and plenty of fresh air.
What are the ideal fruiting conditions for lion's mane?
Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) fruits at about 18–24°C (64–75°F) with 90–95% humidity, low CO₂ (under ~800 ppm), and high fresh-air exchange. Too much CO₂ produces branchy 'coral' growth with no spines.
What humidity do mushrooms need to fruit?
Most gourmet mushrooms fruit at 85–95% relative humidity. Lion's mane and nameko prefer the high end (90–95%), while shiitake tolerates a bit drier (80–90%). Pins abort if humidity drops too low.
What is FAE in mushroom growing?
FAE stands for fresh-air exchange — replacing CO₂-rich air with fresh air during fruiting. Most gourmet species need high FAE; too little fresh air causes long stems, small caps, and aborted pins. Reishi and the cultivated long-stem enoki form are exceptions that use high CO₂ deliberately.
General guidance from common cultivation practice, not guarantees — your results vary with strain, substrate, and conditions. Mycro is for legal culinary & medicinal mushrooms only.