Knowledge

Which spare parts should you keep on site to avoid harvest interruptions?

Keep the cheap parts that stop an entire shift: fuses and relays, a spare control joystick, IP-rated connectors, at least…

7 September 2026

Aluminium vs galvanised steel shelving for humid mushroom growing rooms

For a button mushroom room held close to 100% relative humidity, aluminium is the better structural choice. It does not…

How long does aluminium mushroom shelving last in commercial production?

Aluminium shelving in a commercial growing room is rarely retired because it wore out. It is retired when the room…

Corrosion in steel mushroom growing racks: what to expect and what to inspect

A growing room combines everything that destroys galvanised steel: standing humidity, warm temperatures, ammonia from the substrate, aggressive disinfectants and…

Rack design, light dispersion and visibility for harvesting teams

Four design choices decide how much usable light reaches a mushroom bed: the depth of the shelving profiles, the reflectivity…

Choosing shelf width and tier count for yield without losing ergonomics

Shelf width is set by how far a picker can comfortably reach; tier count is set by ceiling height, airflow,…

What load rating do mushroom shelves need for Phase II and III compost?

Design the shelving for a minimum of 150–200 kg/m² of growing surface. That figure is not the compost on its…

How do you lay out mushroom shelving to avoid harvest bottlenecks?

Decide three things before the racks go in: how far a row runs before a cross corridor breaks it, where…

How wide should aisles be for a mushroom picking lorry and safe working?

Size the aisle from the machine outwards, not from the room inwards. In rooms harvested mechanically, the working aisle between…

Can you retrofit aluminium shelving into existing grow rooms?

In most cases, yes — and without pouring new concrete or rebuilding the room. Aluminium racking is lighter than the…

What are the most common mushroom shelf design mistakes?

Six mistakes account for most of what goes wrong with grow room racking: the wrong material, beds too wide to…

What IP rating do electrical boxes need for mushroom house washdowns?

IP66 is the working minimum for any enclosure that stays inside a mushroom house, and IP67 or IP69K is what…

What should be detachable on a picking lorry for easier sanitation?

Five things should come off before a room is cleaned: the electric drive, the battery box, the covers over the…

How do you prevent corrosion and wear on wheels and moving parts?

Most of the answer is decided before the equipment reaches your farm: stainless or sealed bearings instead of plain steel,…

What maintenance schedule do electric winches and platform lifts need?

Four intervals cover it: a two-minute operator check before every shift, a weekly clean and light lubrication, a monthly electrical…

How does preventive maintenance cut downtime during the harvest?

Preventive maintenance does not remove repairs — it moves them off the harvesting shift and into the workshop, where they…