Mushrooms grow all over the world, over 10,000 species exist in North America alone; While there are many edible mushrooms, there are also around 70 to 80 poisonous mushrooms species that will kill you!
But if you find mushrooms in your garden (and you didn’t plant them), you will probably want to eliminate them especially if they could be dangerous to kids and pets.
We know rooted plants can be difficult to remove completely but what about mushrooms do they have roots?
Mushrooms are different from other plants in that they don’t have roots. They are considered a fungi not a plant, which is why they grow differently from other plants. Rather than having roots they have something called mycelium.
The mycelium connects the fruiting part of the mushroom (the part above ground) to what’s below ground. The mycelium is similar to a root because that’s where it absorbs nutrients. As far as plant life goes mushrooms are one of the more fascinating.
Important takeaways: Not only do mushrooms not have roots but they do not have leaves either, they also don’t have a stem. So let’s get to know this unusual plant a bit better.
Is a Mushroom a Plant?
Sure, so we call a mushroom a plant, but is it actually a plant?
No, mushrooms are NOT plants and are fungi. While they grow in a similar habitat, they are still very different.
Plants have chlorophyll which allows them to make their own food. A mushroom, on the other hand, cannot claim to do this.
Plants have roots that grow down into the soil looking for moisture and nutrients, mushrooms have mycelium.
These threads come out from mushroom when it forms, and they are threadlike, very fine. When you look at them, they create a dense white cloud of threads that is sometimes referred to as spawn.
Mushroom spores are very small little bits, no larger than a piece of dust, which they shed to develop the mycelium.
As mycelium grows, it produces small white buds of tissue which push through the top of the soil and break through forming the fruiting part of the fungi.
This umbrella-shaped fruit is what we see and sometimes eat, but it does not stop there. Underneath of the mushroom cap, there are a bunch of gills sitting very close together.
It is from these gills that mushroom spores are produced, and when finished they drop away, just ready to get blown away to a different location; and the mushroom reproductive cycle restarts again.
Does Not Having Roots Make Mushrooms Grow Slowly?
One mind-blowing fact about mushrooms is how quickly they grow.
There is not much else in nature that grows as fast as the mushroom.
Many types of mushrooms can grow from mycelium to full mushroom within a day in the right conditions and larger species often can take only three to four days.
Good luck growing your tomato plants in that timeframe!
So How Do Mushrooms Feed Themselves?
Previously, we talked about mushrooms lacking a particular chemical called chlorophyll.
That green stuff that plants use to make food using photosynthesis.
But surely the mushroom has a method?
It does. Just as it had a unique method of growth, it also has a unique method of feeding.
Nice To Know: Mushrooms have digestive enzymes, released outside of themselves, which break down food into alimental state, before the fungis reabsorbs this, feeding themselves.
Can I Grow My Own Mushrooms?
Yes, it is possible to grow your own mushrooms at home, but the process is different from what you think.
This difference comes from the fact that mushrooms grow from spores, instead of seeds.
You will clearly need to get the mushroom spores, and there are so small they can’t be seen with the naked eye.
That being said, there are plenty of kits out there that include the spores, so you can grow.
If you want, you can get the spores yourself and try to grow them off.
One thing to remember is that you must put the spores on some material like sawdust, grain, wood chips or straw, not soil like the plants you are used to growing.
You will also need to find a warm and humid environment to raise your mushrooms in.
Most people will grow them in the basement, if you can keep the temperature 55ºf and 60ºf.
Do not forget this: the mushrooms do not mind a little light, but will grow more effectively in the dark.
Conclusion
Mushrooms do not possess roots!
They are fungi and so are fundamentally different to plants. Rather than roots, they have thin thread-like structures known as mycelium which are technically the ‘first’ to form.
By saying this, it means that growing mushrooms at home is very different to anything else you may have grown, but in the right conditions, it is definitely possible!