Checked on my outside Oyster Mushroom Bed.
As you can see it doesn’t look like much! This bed was “planted” last spring with a mixture of branches, apples and garden waste. It was then covered with leaves and spent most of the winter under a blanket of snow. I will be checking this regularly and will report.This was also a low involvement low cost experiment.
Checked on the oysters growing on cornstalks, and was excited to see mushrooms forming.
There is a couple of clumps forming and the mycelium has spread throughout. The mass may grow pretty fast now that that the fruiting has started! The timing might workout pretty well since the temperatures are almost stable enough to set the tub outside.
It is good to see this working because I didn’t have to put much work into it.There is not much much money invested either. The cornstalks were just broken up enough to fit in the tub and soaked in water. Since it is very low tech and low cost it has real possibilities for farmers, both those farming for a hopeful profit and those farming to provide food to survive.
The cornstalks could have been bagged up and sent to the landfill, and instead will be turned into food. I will keep you updated on this project.
Mushroom kits are a great way to get started growing mushrooms.
Mushroom growing kits can be purchased online. They come in quite a variety of mushrooms. They produce fairly well and don’t take up much space. The different types usually involve sawdust and grain of some sort. The bag is complete with the growing substrate and spawn. The only thing left to do is to water them and put them in the right place to incubate. The directions vary but are usually detailed and clear.
Shiitakes take from 2 to 4 weeks to start flushing, and might flush for up to 16 weeks after. They need a temperature between 50 and 80 degrees.The kits are similar to how production mushrooms are grown. Most of them are grown on blocks kind of like the kits, for fast production.
The selection has become incredible in the last few years.You can find just about anything from Lions mane to Reishi. These kits would be a good start for beginners, and when done flushing, can be put to use in a mulch pile or outdoor experiments.
Mushroom growing kits can be found online at Garden City Fungi and Fungi Perfecti, links on the homepage. Some stores carry the kits so watch for them.
Shiitakes are a great way to eat your medicine.
Shiitake mushrooms have proven to be an all around healthy food. The medicinal properties are almost as good as the Reishi, which is tasty but difficult to eat in volume.Western society has finally realized what eastern society has known for centuries. Mushrooms are good for you and have incredible healing properties for our ailing society.
It only stands to reason that you would want the shiitake to be organic. There is only a few places in the country to purchase them. Garden City Fungi, outside of Missoula, grows and sells organic mushrooms. The owners are serious about organics and I trust them for a safe local product. Stamets, of Fungi Perfecti, is a champion of the organic mushroom movement, and I trust them for mailorder.
Lincs to both websites are on the Home Page. They are both certified organic. Support responsible growers and get to know your farmers.
Organic Mushroom Cultivation is critical for health and safety.
Most mushrooms concentrate, whether it is nutrients, minerals or toxins. They will grow on varied substrates so it becomes very important how and where your mushrooms grow. When using them for food it is important, but when using them for medicine, it seems crazy to put poison in your body when trying to heal! Organic is a good start, but it can be cheated, and I like to know exactly what my mushrooms have been exposed to.
Growing on trees and stumps seems organic and in most cases can be called organic, but it is necessary to know where these trees grow. Trees growing by busy roadways absorb toxins from exhaust as well as tires and brakes. Mushrooms then concentrate these toxins, and release them to the consumer. Substrates whether from farms or forest need to be scrutinized for contaminates.
Organic is a buzz word right now and I am glad people have been awaken to this worthy cause. Large agriculture and big business is in it for the money. They will grow on whatever is economically feasible, within our weak, and vague organic rules, to turn a buck. This should not be confused with what you or I consider to be organic, and safe.
The only safe way to know what you are eating, is to grow or pick it yourself. The only other way is to know your farmer, support them, and pay them well!