How to grow and use mushrooms in Minecraft

Minecraft has a lot of different crops that can be grown, harvested, and then the process is repeated. This includes trees, potatoes, and other crops as well as sugarcane and more. Mushrooms might be an overlooked part of that group, but they are very useful.

The problem is that they're much more challenging to grow than the others. They're very particular about their growth conditions, where a slight tweak can often yield no mushroom trees. Here's how to do it and what to do with them once they've grown.

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Minecraft mushrooms: A complete guide on their acquisition and use

Mushrooms can be found organically quite often. They grow underground and large mushroom trees are frequently found in the Dark Oak Forest biome. According to the Minecraft Wiki, this is how they grow:

"Mushrooms can be planted and grown on blocks that have a full top surface in light levels below 13 and not directly underneath the sky. They cannot be planted on the top surfaces of slabs or stairs."

The description talks about brown and red mushrooms as well:

"If planted on mycelium, podzol or nylium, they can stay planted in any light level, including be planted and remain under light from sky above. Both brown and red mushrooms grow at the same rate regardless of the light level."

In summation, they do have a connection to mycelium and other unique dirt blocks, but they can be grown anywhere under the right conditions. The most important aspect is to have an appropriate light level.

The biggest problem when trying to grow mushrooms is that there's simply too much light. By planting them in some indoor area, this can be avoided.

This can be influenced by bone meal like any other growing item. As long as the right stipulations are met, one bone meal has a chance to produce a full mushroom tree from the small plant.

There aren't any statistics on the chances per bone meal use, but if the requirements are met, Minecraft players will have a large mushroom tree on their hands sooner than later.

Large mushrooms can spawn organically (Image via Mojang)

It can then be mined and most of the blocks will drop the same color of Minecraft mushroom, which can then be replanted like any other item. The harvesting technique is the same as any crop or plant, just with more challenging growth requirements.

Using a Silk Touch axe on them will drop the block, not actual mushrooms.

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Mushrooms are a pretty useful item. They can be used in several crafting recipes. A fermented spider's eye requires one spider's eye, one sugar, and one brown mushroom.

Mushroom stew, one of the best food sources in Minecraft, requires a bowl and one of each type of mushroom. Suspicious stew, another very good food source, adds a flower to the mushroom stew recipe.

Rabbit stew requires a bowl, cooked rabbit, a carrot, and a baked potato. Additionally, mushrooms can be used in a composter. Each one has a 65% chance of seeing the compost level increased by one.

Remember to keep a few small saplings to replant and ensure there will always be mushroom trees growing in your chosen area.