How Shark Tank's Terrashroom Makes Growing Mushrooms Less Complex For Gardeners

Green thumb or not, growing mushrooms at home can be a challenge, primarily because they don't follow the typical rules of plant care. You won't need soil or sunlight, but you will need the right temperature and a consistent balance of cool conditions. Combine that with a humid, dark space like a basement, shed, or garage, and you've got a solid foundation for mushroom growth. But there's more to it. To grow mushrooms, you'll need spores or spawn, a nutrient-rich substrate, and a container for them to grow in or on. Each mushroom variety you can grow at home also has its own preferred temperature range; shiitakes, for instance, thrive between 72 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, there's going to be some trial and error along the way, and mistakes will be made when growing mushrooms.

Fortunately, products like Terrashroom, introduced on "Shark Tank" Season 16, Episode 4, handle all the work for you. This compact, automated mushroom-growing machine monitors climate, humidity, and airflow, all while your mushrooms grow inside a dome that fits on a countertop or side table. It even includes a camera that captures a time-lapse of the process. 

Instead of maintaining the environment yourself, the Terrashroom does it for you. Just plug in the machine, fill the water tank, place the grow block inside the machine, and start the process through the app. In about three weeks or less, your mushrooms should be ready to harvest. While the Terrashroom simplifies the process, the grow time is about the same as if you were cultivating them on your own, just with fewer steps to manage.

The Terrashroom boasts simplicity and cuts out the literal dirty work. Once plugged in, place the mushroom grow block (aka mushroom grow cake) inside the dome, and let it do its thing. Terrashroom claims to offer 13 mushroom varieties in the form of grow blocks, which are made by North Spore, its partner for mushroom growing supplies. Some options include Reishi, Chestnut, and Blue Oyster, and each block consists of sawdust blocks and substrate supplements.

Once the block is in, close the dome and manage everything through the app. Choose your mushroom type and the preset settings kick in automatically. The Terrashroom also offers a custom grow option for mushroom-growing pros who want a little help without having to manage the growing conditions themselves. Perhaps growing truffle mushrooms indoors might now be in the cards. Like with traditional mushroom growing, you'll want to keep the Terrashroom in a cooler, darker part of the house, so that means away from windows or direct sunlight. 

Basically, the Terrashroom eliminates the need to mix spores into coffee grounds or straw and constantly babysit the mycelium. It follows a simple plug-and-go method. But it does come at a steep price: $499, though it's sometimes offered on sale at $399. Replacement grow blocks also retail for $30 each. That said, a few Reddit users have shared complaints, some said they never received their pre-order, and one claimed theirs didn't work because it couldn't hold humidity. So there's a lot to consider before jumping into this purchase.