Category Archives: Cultivation

Cultivation, Miscellaneous, Montana Mushrooms News, Wild Foraging

Spring Mushroom Season

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Spring mushroom season is almost here, and I can hardly wait!

The mycelium is underground waiting to start growing again. I like to think it is as excited as we are to see spring finally come. Probably more because it’s life literally depends on it.

Growing projects established last year will be stronger this year and should start growing earlier and flush sooner. The weather has been cooperative for starting spring projects also.

Wild mushrooms still need more moisture for a good flush, but that remains to be seen! Snowbank mushrooms are simmering under tons of snow and will follow the snowbank out as it thaws.

I made a mushroom spread last night and will make a soup today from my dried wild stash. Enjoying dry wild mushrooms and planning for the upcoming season is a good way to wait for nature.

 

Cultivation, Miscellaneous, Montana Mushrooms News, Wild Foraging

Winter Mushroom Blues

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This is a tough time of year for mushroom fanatics!

 

Winter is here and we have a long wait for spring. The weather has been warm lately, but mushroom season is a long way off.

I use this off time too plan growing projects and mushroom forays.

 

February is the month to start spring growing projects.

Mushroom projects started now have a greater chance of success.

If everything works out, you will have fresh shrooms by fall.

So get out those catalogs, check on the spawn you have been hiding, and get planning!

 

Cultivation, Miscellaneous, Montana Mushrooms News

Mushroom Growing Kit Product Review

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I recently purchased the Mushroom Adventures Button and Crimini Growing kit.

 

The kit is a little different than some because there is 2 different mushrooms growing in the same kit. The button and the crimini mushroom both come from the same family, genus and species, Agaricus bisporus. They are variations of the same mushroom!

 

 

The kit was complete and all we had to do was mix the included casing with water and spread it on the top. The compost was already alive with mycelium  growing throughout. At this point the mycelium looked the same on both sides of the box. The box was misted once a day to simulate morning dew.

There was mycelium growing up through the casing very soon and the kit started pinning or creating tiny mushrooms!

 

 

Then the kit started to really grow! It was obvious which side was growing which mushroom! The mushrooms doubled in size every day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have had at least 3 harvests so far and the kit is slowing down, but still growing.

 

 

 

We have been very pleased with this kit and the mushrooms have been delicious. This would be a great kit for someone who wants common mushrooms, but does not want the nasty chemicals that come along with most “store bought mushrooms”. This also would be a  great kit for beginners.

The following link will get you there:

http://www.mushroomadventures.com/

 

 

Cultivation, Miscellaneous, Montana Mushrooms News

Oyster Mushrooms

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One of the Oyster Mushroom projects had a successful flush after sleeping through the winter.

The project started with burlap sacks filled with coffee grounds and oyster mushroom spawn. The sacks were stacked , bunker style outside, and left through the winter.

There was encouraging signs of life this spring and the bunker started getting water regularly. The gunny sack material sprouted mycelium throughout.

The first flush was large, and the mushrooms were tender and had a light licorice smell. The clusters pulled from the fabric easily, and were pretty clean.

I think the burlap material helped keep the moisture correct. This has been a problem when growing oysters in buckets. The material seems to wick the moisture where needed, much like mycelium. No wonder fungus loves burlap! Give it a try,

Dean