# Mushroom Growing Chamber **URL:** \ **Category:** General Guidance\ **Created:** [April 29, 2023, 7:42am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112 "2023-04-29T07:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spp\_v2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/spp_v2/32/958202_2.png) [@spp\_v2](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/spp_v2)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 7:42am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/1 "2023-04-29T07:42:37Z")
Hi There, I am interested in making a mushroom fruiting chamber. The aim is to have an open source design that can be used to grow mushrooms. My core idea is as below: Have an enclosed aluminum box wherein the mushrooms will grow. Have a control Arduino unit that has some kind of Input/Output Device. The I/O device will allow the user to set the desired temperature and humidity within the enclosure. The Arduino should then control a heating element (what is recommended here?) and a humidifier to adjust the temperature and humidity as needed. To confirm that the temperature and humidity are as desired, the Arduino should be connected to a temperature and humidity sensor (DH22) which measures and displays the temperature and humidity in 30 second intervals. Additionally, the adruino should connect to a fan that can control the fresh air exchange (C02 sensor) and a lighting source that can adjust the lighting conditions. My manner of making this happen was: 1. Get a simple I/O design done with the Arduino. For example, setting a input temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and then having the Arduino display this onto an LCD. 2. Connect the Arduino to a heating element and attempt to increase and decrease the temperature. 3. Connect the Arduino to a humidifier and increase and decrease the humidity 4. Connect the Arduino to a temperature and humidity sensor and display this output to an LCD screen. I would appreciate being pointed in the appropriate direction if I have made some mistakes! ---
**Author:** ![horace](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/horace/32/1014299_2.png) [@horace](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/horace)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 8:06am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/2 "2023-04-29T08:06:36Z")
how are going to display sensor data and input control actions, e.g. 1. via serial monitor to laptop 2. via Bluetooth to smartphone 3. via WiFi accesspoint and webpage? I would suggest using a [ESP32](https://esp32io.com/tutorials/esp32-temperature-humidity-sensor) which has plenty of IO and scope for future expansion not used a DHT22 - I tend to use [BME280](https://randomnerdtutorials.com/bme280-sensor-arduino-pressure-temperature-humidity/) ---
**Author:** ![gilshultz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/67e7ee/32.png) [@gilshultz](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/gilshultz)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 3:10pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/3 "2023-04-29T15:10:05Z")
Welcome, Interesting idea! What size is this going to be. What environment will it be kept in? Have you considered you may also have to have some cooling? What type of power is available. What you are thinking about could be done with a UNO or Nano quite easily. Have fun and let us know how you do. ---
**Author:** ![LarryD](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/larryd/32/215550_2.png) [@LarryD](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/LarryD)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 5:42pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/4 "2023-04-29T17:42:30Z")
Suggest you include fallback in your design. Two sensors of each type, alarm annunciator etc. ---
**Author:** ![spp\_v2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/spp_v2/32/958202_2.png) [@spp\_v2](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/spp_v2)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/5 "2023-04-29T23:16:16Z")
Thanks. My initial thoughts were to use an Arduino with a rotary switch encoder and a LCD display. An example that I was looking to reference was here: > **[How to use Rotary Encoder with Arduino - Full Guide](https://how2electronics.com/how-to-use-rotary-encoder-with-arduino/)** > > how to use Rotary Encoder with Arduino. We will be displaying the encoded value both in clockwise and anti clockwise direction in numbers with sign. ---
**Author:** ![spp\_v2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/spp_v2/32/958202_2.png) [@spp\_v2](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/spp_v2)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/6 "2023-04-29T23:27:19Z")
I was thinking of a 30 cm x 30 cm box. I haven't thought about cooling but I imagine the humidity and air-flow would assist in this regard. I was thinking of the following "Blocks" Inputs and Display: > **[How to use Rotary Encoder with Arduino - Full Guide](https://how2electronics.com/how-to-use-rotary-encoder-with-arduino/)** > > how to use Rotary Encoder with Arduino. We will be displaying the encoded value both in clockwise and anti clockwise direction in numbers with sign. - This would allow the user to set the desired humidity, temperature, C02 (Airflow) and Lighting. Humidity and Temperature Sensor: > **[Temperature Monitoring With DHT22 & Arduino](https://www.hackster.io/mafzal/temperature-monitoring-with-dht22-arduino-15b013)** > > Simple Temperature Monitoring with DHT22 & Arduino. By Muhammad Afzal. The sensors should display the current values of Temperature, Humidity and C02. Then based on the measurements and the desired settings presented via the rotary switch encoder, the Arduino would control the heating element, humidifier and a fan so that the sensed values are the same as the desired values. ---
**Author:** ![spp\_v2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/spp_v2/32/958202_2.png) [@spp\_v2](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/spp_v2)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/7 "2023-04-29T23:27:50Z")
Thanks for the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![horace](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/horace/32/1014299_2.png) [@horace](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/horace)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2023, 5:33am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/8 "2023-04-30T05:33:20Z")
> [@spp\_v2](#): > > rotary switch encoder and a LCD display in the past I have used rotary encoders selecting from a menu on an LCD in a number of systems, e.g. rotate encoder to move up/down menu and press to select these days end users usually ask for control from a smartphone, e.g. communicating via BLE to an iOS or Android app have you decided on the control algorithms to use? e.g. 1. simple on/off control - remember to add hysteresis otherwise you can get rapid switching on/off of the devices 2. proportional control using PWM etc ---
**Author:** ![hunter648](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/da6949/32.png) [@hunter648](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/hunter648)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 4:50am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/9 "2023-05-08T04:50:45Z")
Dude, I'm building my fruiting chamber now! I initially built a mycelium colonizing chamber out of a small cooler and an attached space heater it. I was lucky in that the space heater had a small 110AC to 12VDC PCB. I used that to power my Arduino Uno. To monitor temp and humidity I used a single DHT. I have two 5V relays; one controls 12V to the fan while the other controls 110VAC to the heating coil. My initial program had some chattering in the relays because the temp would bounce back and forth between tolerances for a few seconds. It was looping once a second and that just wasn't enough time for the temp to stabilize. To combat this I built a counter variable that would let it cycle through the program for another 2 seconds before switching the relay on. That did the trick. I ended up making a counter for the fan, as well. Since the heating element stays hot for a while _after_ the relay cuts off power, there was a climb of about 5 - 7 degrees. The fan counter was how I combated this. It let the fan continue on for another 15 seconds past when the coil cut off. Other than that I just popped on a 128x64 OLED to display the tempF and humidity% and "Hunter's Mushroom Lab" at the top! I put in 5 jars of blue oyster spores + food and was prepared to wait the month for them to colonize and, I'm not exaggerating, TWO WEEKS and some change later I had fully colonized jars! So now I'm scrambling to make a fruiting chamber. Temperature was my only concern with colonization but now we're into humidity, air exchange and lighting controls for fruiting. Let me know what you come up with and I'll keep you posted on my ideas! ---
**Author:** ![mushroomgrowkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@mushroomgrowkit](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/mushroomgrowkit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 6:25pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/10 "2023-10-19T18:25:41Z")
Hi, I just wanted to chime in because i own a company that makes mushroom grow kits and I would be interested in partnering with the right person on this project for a mass production unit. Please feel free to message me here or faster by email andrewlangevin@naturelion.ca - Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 6:26pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/mushroom-growing-chamber/1121112/11 "2024-04-16T18:26:14Z")
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