Maria asks…
Am I taking the right steps to grow mushrooms?
So i recently got interested in growing some mushrooms and have made a kind of starter kit if you will. Its a 10 gallon fishtank with 1 inch of gravel at the bottom for drainage, 2 inches of miracle grow moisture soil, single strip flourescent tube and a full hood to trap the moisture inside. I was thinking about just injecting the spores into the soil but i was wondering if i needed anything. I also heard they need fresh oxygen but idk.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Dump the florescent tube. Mushrooms do not need light, as they do not use photosynthesis to create energy to grow. Miracle grow potting soil is also not the best. What they need is decaying matter. An aged piece of wood, kept moist in a dark place, is best. Under the kitchen sink is ideal.
Start by getting a mushroom kit sent to you on the internet. It will have everything you need. Then you can start expanding by finding your own nurse logs, and collecting spores as you gain experience.
An old log, in a cardboard box, lined with plastic, under the sink, is all you need. Cover with plastic loosely to keep moisture in, but don’t seal it. Mist daily if the humidity seems low.
Richard asks…
Do any of you vegans grow your own food?
I need a survey of how many of you grow your own food. This is for my personal research.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Currently growing beetroot, pumpkins/squashes, tomatoes, maize, olives, goji berries, curry leaves, parsley, mint, rosemary, aloe vera, purslane, strawberries and eggplant. Have grown other things in the past, including beans, kohlrabi, mustard, rocket, potatoes, capsicum and chillies. Tried growing mushrooms, but didn’t succeed.
It would be nice to be able to be self-sufficient, but what we’re growing wouldn’t cover more than a tenth of what we eat. So, we still have to keep buying fresh, frozen and canned produce from the supermarkets and grocers. It also helps having friends, family and colleagues who grow lemons, oranges, grapefruit, kiwifruit, berries, etc. Or who have a surplus from *their* friends, that they want to share.
Nancy asks…
How/where can I buy Mushroom Spores/spawn?
I’m interested in growing my own mushrooms (Button, Shiitake, Oyster, Chicken of the woods, etc)… The only problem is that the mushroom spores are either VERY hard to come by, or they are VERY expensive. I’d like to be able to get a good deal on it… somehow.
GardenersCardiff answers:
You can cut a fragment of a fresh mushroom in sterile conditions, and place it in sterile substrate. That is how mycologists start mushroom spawn, more often than using spores.
Mushroom spawn costs about $20. If you can create a sterile lab setup, you can keep the spawn running indefinitely. You can create a semi- reliable setup with alcohol and a pressure cooker.
Paul Stamet’s book “growing edible and medicinal mushrooms” is the advanced manual for the field; there are probably simpler methods, but I don’t know where to find them.
Button mushrooms, paddy straw mushrooms, and shiitakes can be propagated with natural, low tech methods. Stropharias in wood chips will keep producing as long as you keep adding fresh wood chips. I’ve grown these; I don’t like them much.
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David asks…
Does anyone have any good advice for growing mushrooms?
I have checked out a few kits but mainly alot of feedback says to jsut do it on your own without the kit. Idk – jus wonderin if anyones tried the kits or if theyve done it on their own.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Mushrooms are easy to grow
i have just bought myself 2 kits
its way easier than buying spores etc and the kits are fabulous,
you have everything you need and detailed instructions
i just got mine from B&Q, under £5 each, and that gives 3-4 crops
to buy this seperately, the spores alone are £4, then you need both composts and a suitable container and lid to keep them in the dark
go for a kit EVERYTIME
Linda asks…
Mother’s day gifts for a ‘green’ mother?
I’m trying to think of what I can get for my mother for mother’s day. Our whole family thinks a lot about the environment and she and I are vegan. Here are past gifts I’ve bought her:
Grow your own mushroom kit
Quite a few charity gifts (sponser a dog etc)
Green living books
So does anyone have any ideas of what I can get her this year? Maybe something environmentally friendly for the house? Useful gifts are preffered (eg not bath salts, cosmetics or decorations etc) Thanks :o)
GardenersCardiff answers:
Get one of these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250218822438&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015
pictures of yourself and special moments
Mark asks…
Where can I find information on the nutrition and how to cultivate different mushrooms?
I love mushrooms and my wife is moving us toward a diet with less meat and dairy (per her research on nutrition including having read The China Study), so I thought it would be fun to cultivate mushrooms. Maybe Shiitake and Portablella but before we choose which, I would like help in determining which have the most health benefits (including if you cook them do you remove their benefits) and which you can grow on your own.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Try these:
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~linlj/cultivat.htm
http://www.mushroomcompany.com/archives.html
http://www.fieldforest.net/cultglance.html
for information on home cultivation see:
http://www.mycosource.com/homecult.htm
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/BOT135/Lect18.htm
for FAQs:
http://www.mycomasters.com/Mushroom-FAQs.html
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Betty asks…
Know anyone with a grow your own mushrooms at home kit?
I got this kit for Christmas, grow your own mushrooms at home. It is from Plow and Hearth. I don’t know how to start the kit. You add water to the soil, but do you grow the mushrooms in the box? Or do you take all the “dirt” out and grow them somewhere else? I’ve contacted the company, but have not heard back from them yet. Any experience with this thing?
GardenersCardiff answers:
If there are no directions that tell you what to do, call a seed company or try to e-mail or call P&H again. Good luck
Charles asks…
How do i refill my grow your own mushrooms at home kit?
I purchased a Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit by Back to the Roots. It says it can grow 4 yields of about a pound of mushrooms. After they are all done, how can i grow more mushrooms yet again? I heard the bags are filled with recycled coffee grounds…
GardenersCardiff answers:
Im not quite sure but i get mushrooms from over watering the soil.
Susan asks…
How do you grow your own Mushrooms?
i was just wondering if you could grow mushrooms from a store bought pack? and how?
GardenersCardiff answers:
No, mushrooms (both edible and “recreational”) are grown from spore kits. It’s not difficult but you must be careful to check for mold during the growing stage which can be dangerous.
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