We compared all-in-one bags to monotub bins, and now we’re going to do the same with monotubs and grow tents: two simple and popular ways to grow mushrooms indoors. As a reminder, monotubs are single chambers for growing top-fruiting mushroom species from substrate beds or housing fruiting blocks, while grow tents, also known as Martha tents, are designed for housing fruiting blocks or trays, or multiple methods at once, inside a larger environmentally-controlled chamber. Both are tried-and-true methods for creating the ideal mushroom growing environment, but which one is right for you? In this article we’ll dive into each grow chamber, their benefits, and why you would choose one over the other in order to grow your favorite fungi in the convenience of your home.
What is a Martha tent mushroom grow chamber?
Mushroom grow tents like our BoomRoom II are portable, collapsible fruiting chambers designed for maintaining the ideal fruiting conditions for growing edible and medicinal mushrooms indoors. Grow tents offer 3-5 times as much volume as a single monotub but cost 2-3 times as much. This method is a great choice for those looking to cultivate more than a single substrate block or monotub but don't have the budget or desire to build a permanent grow room. They can house fruiting blocks, jars, trays, etc.
Benefits of using a grow tent include:
• User friendly
• Reuseable
• Customizable grow methods
• Control over environmental factors
• Large volume (100 lbs) means larger yield
• Fully automated
Fruiting blocks in a BoomRoom II Martha grow tent with humidifier and fan upgrades.
What is a monotub mushroom grow chamber?
Monotub mushroom grow chambers like our Boomr Bin are a popular method for growing edible and medicinal mushrooms at home. Monotubs have a large volume that gives cultivators more space to grow compared to a single all-in-one bag, like our ShroomTek, or fruiting block. Monotubs can be used to grow dung-loving mushroom species using manure-based substrates like Boomr Bag or hardwood-loving species using hardwood substrates such as Wood Lovr. The modular design of the Boomr Bin gives beginners and more experienced growers the freedom to use both passive and automated environmental control systems to modify humidity and fresh air exchange levels. Its compact size allows it to fit inside a still air box like our NocBox which can help decrease the risk of contamination. Monotubs are relatively simple to construct as well if you decide to go that route, and cost about a third as much as a grow tent.
Benefits of using the monotub system include:
• Simple design
• Reuseable
• Customizable substrate
• Control over environmental factors
• Large volume (25 lbs) means larger yield than a single block or all-in-one bag
• Stackable
Shiitake fruiting blocks in a Boomr Bin monotub.
Comparison Breakdown
Martha Tents
VS
Monotubs
Mono-tubs
63"(H) 27"(W) 19"(D)
20 fruiting blocks (5lb) or 5 Boomr Bins without lids.
Size
22”(W) x 15”(D) x 11”(H)
2 fruiting blocks (5lb) or 3 Boomr Bags and 1 grain bag (3lb).
Top or side-fruiting from substrate blocks, monotub beds or trays, jars, all-in-one-bags or containers (e.g. buckets and baskets).
Methods
Top fruiting from substrate beds or substrate blocks.
~9x as many mush- rooms as monotub.
~9x as many mushrooms as monotub.
Yield
~Tens of pounds per fruiting.
$125+
Spawn /substrate excluded. Optional upgrades available
Cost
$55+
Spawn / substrate excluded. Optional upgrades available.
You can clean and reuse your grow tent indefinitely. North Spore offers a 1-year warranty for our BoomRoom II Kit.
Reuse
You can clean and reuse your monotub indefinitely. North Spore offers a 1-year warranty for our Automated Boomr Bin Kit.
AIO Bags
VS
Mono-tubs
Very compact and easy to store discreetly. Beginner-friendly.
Size
Easy to store and stack. Perfect for folks looking to scale up their grows.
Our Shroomtek is a manure-based substrate; manure-loving species suggested.
Size
Depends on substrate; can grow manure-loving or hardwood-loving species.
Smaller surface area for fruiting; can provide pounds of mushrooms each fruiting.
Yield
Has a larger surface area for fruiting; can provide tens of pounds of mushrooms each fruiting.
$35
Spore syringe / liquid culture excluded.
Cost
$55+
Spawn / substrate excluded. Optional upgrades available.
Fruits a few times; for short-term projects.
Reuse
You can clean and reuse your monotubs forever.
Inoculate with a spore or culture syringe; use a flowhood or NocBox to mitigate contamination.
Inoculation
Inoculate with spawn & substrate; use a flowhood or NocBox to mitigate contamination.
Why would I choose one method over the other?
Monotubs and grow tents are both great methods for cultivating edible and medicinal mushrooms at home, but they differ in a few key ways including space requirements, customizability, and environmental controls. Grow tents are 4-6 times larger on average than a single monotub, which means they’ll produce more mushrooms but take up more space and require more maintenance to keep clean. In fact, the BoomRoom II can accommodate 5 separate Boomr Bin trays. Grow tents are inherently more customizable than monotubs as each level, or rack, can be a platform for growing different mushroom varieties with with their compatible substrates and methods. Cultivation in jars, all-in-one bags, substrate blocks, monotub trays, and even small buckets are all possible within a single grow tent, while monotubs are limited to top-fruiting beds, blocks, all-in-one bags and jars. Their smaller size makes monotubs more practical in some situations and advantageous in the event of contamination. The loss of a single monotub to “contam” is not the same as the loss of an entire grow chamber. Grow tents are designed for full automation of environmental controls like fresh air exchange (FAE) and humidity, while monotubs can utilize either passive or active systems for maintaining ideal incubation and fruiting conditions.
Pioppino mushrooms fruiting in a Boomr Bin (without lid) in a BoomRoom II grow tent.
Final Thoughts
The choice between growing edible and medicinal mushrooms using a grow tent like North Spore’s BoomRoom II or a monotub kit like the Boomr Bin ultimately depends on your space, budget, and species preferences. Beginners and those with limited space may prefer the simplicity of a monotub, while experienced growers looking for higher yields will find grow tents to be the more suitable option. Ultimately, employing either approach has the potential to foster a more profound comprehension of the cultivation process, leading to success in using a variety of tools for growing edible and medicinal mushrooms.