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HowtoGrowMushroomsatHome
GuidetoIndoorMushroomFarmingforHealthandProfit
Includesfungicultureinformation,healthandmedicinalbenefits,editablemushrooms,sellingmushrooms,mushroomkits,andcomposting
ByRandallFrank
HowtoGrowMushroomsatHomeGuidetoIndoorMushroomFarmingforHealthandProfitAuthor:RandallFrankPublishedby:HomesteadingPublishers,homesteadingpublishers.comAllrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recordingorbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutwrittenpermissionfromtheauthor,exceptfortheinclusionofbriefquotationsinareview.
ISBN:978-1-927870-29-7
Copyright©2013byHomesteadingPublishersFirstEdition,2013
PublishedinCanada
Contents
HowtoGrowMushroomsatHome1.IntroductiontoMushroomsMushroomsareaSuperFoodMushroomConcentratesandExtractsRaworWholeFoodMushroomsMedicinalBenefitsWorldMushroomProductionHowMushroomsGrowFungiLifeCycleToxicMushrooms2.IntroductiontoGrowingMushroomsIndoorsMushroomKitsMakingMoneyGrowingMushroomsSellingMushroomsTheFutureofMushrooms3.TypesofMushroomsSaprotrophs:ThriveonDecayMycorrhizaeMushrooms:PartnerwithPlantsParasitesMushrooms:FeedontheWeakEndophytes:AnUnexplainedSymbiosisTypesofMushroomstoGrowIndoorsTheAgaricusBisporusFamilyCreminiHealthandMedicinalBenefitsImmuneSystemSupportAnti-InflammatoryBenefitsAntioxidantBenefitsCardiovascularBenefitsAnti-CancerBenefitsPreparationandCookingWhiteButtonHealthandMedicinalBenefitsPreparationandCookingGrowingWhiteButtonsPortobellos
EnokiGrowingEnokiMushroomsMaitakeMushroomHealthBenefitsandMedicinalEffectsPreparationandCookingGrowingMaitakeMushroomsLion’sManeHealthBenefitsandMedicinalEffectsPreparationandCookingGrowingLion’sManeMushroomsHealthBenefitsandMedicinalEffectsPreparationandCookingGrowingPaddyStrawMushroomsShiitakeMushroomsHealthandMedicinalBenefitsImmuneSupportCardiovascularBenefitsAnti-CancerBenefitsGrowingShiitakeMushroomsOysterMushroomsHealthandMedicinalBenefitsPreparationandCookingGrowingOysterMushroomsWinecapsHealthandMedicinalBenefitsGrowingWinecapsReishiMushroomsHealthandMedicinalBenefitsPreparationandCookingGrowingReishiMushroomsTurkeyTailHealthandMedicinalBenefitsPreparationandCookingGrowingTurkeyTail4.IndoorMushroomFarmingChooseYourFungusKitsEnvironmentCleanliness
TemperatureandHumidityLightAirEquipmentGrowinginaPlasticBagSubstratesPestsWhyPeopleFailEnvironmentCleanlinessCautionsPetsPestsandDiseasesMoldPreservingMushrooms5.BasicsofLargerScaleMushroomFarmingStepI:MakingMushroomCompostSixStepsofMushroomCultivationStepII:CompletingtheCompostStepIII:SpawningStepIV:CasingStepV:PinningStepVI:CroppingConclusionCertifiedOrganicAppendixHomeCultivationCommercialCultivationManualsandArticlesonMushroomCultivationMycologicalSocietySitesUniversitySitesGlossary
Dedication
Iwouldliketothankmyimmediatefamilyforallowingmethefreedomtoexperimentwithtryingtogrowediblemushroomsovertheyears.Ittookmeawhiletofindsuccess,andwhenIdid,Itriedtogetmyfatherintothislucrativehobby.Thisbookisdedicatedtohismemory.
DisclaimerThisbookisdesignedtoprovideinformationonindoormushroomgrowingonly.Thisinformationisprovidedandsoldwiththeknowledgethatthepublisherandauthordonotofferanylegal,health,orotherprofessionaladvice.Inthecaseofaneedforanysuchexpertiseconsultwiththeappropriateprofessional.Thisbookdoesnotcontainallinformationavailableonthesubject.Thisbookhasnotbeencreatedtobespecifictoanyindividual’sororganizations’situationorneeds.Everyefforthasbeenmadetomakethisbookasaccurateaspossible.However,theremaybetypographicalandorcontenterrors.Therefore,thisbookshouldserveonlyasageneralguideandnotastheultimatesourceofsubjectinformation.Thisbookcontainsinformationthatmightbedatedandisintendedonlytoeducateandentertain.Theauthorandpublishershallhavenoliabilityorresponsibilitytoanypersonorentityregardinganylossordamageincurred,orallegedtohaveincurred,directlyorindirectly,bytheinformationcontainedinthisbook.Youherebyagreetobeboundbythisdisclaimeroryoumayreturnthisbookwithintheguaranteetimeperiodforafullrefund.
ForewordLearnabouthowyoucanbeapartof‘fungiculture’andgrowmushroomsathomeforhealthandprofit.
Thisbookexplainshowmushroomsgrow,howtogrowmushrooms,whatmushroomstogrow,andtheamazinghealthbenefitsofeatingcertaintypesofmushrooms.
Youwilldiscovermushroomsareeasytogrowandmanyhaveprotein,Bvitamins,mineralsandsometoutmedicinalpropertiessuchasboostingtheimmunesystem,loweringcholesterol,andhavingapositiveeffectoncertaincancers.Inadditiontherearetips,methods,andinsidertechniquesforgrowingmushroomsandmarketingthem.
Acknowledgements
WhenIreturnedtomushroomcultivationaftersometimeaway,thereweremanybloggersthatinspiredmewiththeircreativeshiitakemushroomgrowing.Iwouldconsiderit"art"insomeform,andIattemptedtorecreateit.Myloveofthehobbyjustgrewfromthere.Therearetoomanypeopletothank,andIdon'twanttoriskleavinganyoneout,soIwilljustsaythebloggersandonlineforumcontributorsdeservemostofthecreditforthisbookbeingwritten.Withoutthem,Iwouldn'thavesharedasmuchknowledgetohelpgetstartedproducingmushroomsinafinanciallyprofitablemannerwhilebeingenvironmentallysustainable.
1.IntroductiontoMushrooms
"Naturealoneisantique,andtheoldestartamushroom."
--ThomasCarlyle
Mushroomsarenotafruitorvegetableorevenaplant.Theyarefruitingbodiesoffungusorfungi(pronounced,"fungee"or"funguy".)
‘Fungiculture’isthepracticeofproducingfood,medicine,andfurtherproductsbycultivatingmushroomsandadditionalfungi.Americansconsumeabout900millionpoundsofmushroomsayearandmostofthosearethewhitebuttonmushroomand,inthesamefamily,theCreminiandPortobellomushrooms.
Youcanpractice‘fungiculture’orgrowmushroomsforhealthandprofit.Theyarefairlyeasytogrowandmanyhaveprotein,Bvitamins,mineralsandsometoutmedicinalpropertiessuchasboostingtheimmunesystem,loweringcholesterol,andhavingapositiveeffectonbreastcancerinwomenandprostatecancerinmen.
Theremightbeasmanyas140,000speciesofmushrooms.Onlyabouttenpercentor14,000ofthemhavebeenidentified.Outofallthosedifferentkindsofmushrooms,onlyabout250speciesareedible.Currentlyapproximately100speciesofmushroomsarebeingresearchedformedicinalbenefits.
ThelargestcommercialproducerofmushroomsintheworldisChinaandthentheUnitedStateswherealmostthreefourthsofU.S.mushroomsaregrownontheeastcoast.
MUSHROOMSAREASUPERFOOD
Thereisampleevidencesupportingmushroomsasa"superfood"packedwithpotentnutrition.Healthconsciousconsumerspreferorganicallygrownmushroomstosteerclearofanyharmfulcontaminantsandhealthexpertsrecommendexclusivelyeatingorganicallygrownmushrooms.Mushroomseasilyabsorbelementsfromtheirgrowthenvironment,suchassoil,airandwaterinconcentratedquantities.
Mushroomsarerichwithbeneficialnutritionandlowinfat,caloriesandcholesterol.Thereare2gramsofprotein,ahealthydoseofpotassiumandthreeimportantBvitaminsinanaverageserving.Mushroomsalsocontainselenium
foundinmeats.Thatmakesmushroomsanadequateseleniumsourceforvegetarians.
Certainmushroomsareadietstapleofsomepeople,whileotherspeciesaremoreofadelicacy.Themountingknowledgeoftheirhealthbenefitshascontributedtotheirgrowingpopularityanddemand.
Peoplelookfororganicallygrownmushroomsduetothefactthatmushroomsareporousandabsorbgoodandbadelementsfromtheair,water,andsubstratewheretheyaregrown.Theyconcentrateanyheavymetalsandpollutantspresent.
AncientChinesemedicinediscoveredthehealthbenefitsofmushroomsthousandsofyearsagoincludingtheiraidinboostingimmunity.Thehumanmakeupiscloselyrelatedtofungiaswesharetheequivalentpathogens,orbacteriaandviruses.Theantibioticsdevelopedbyfungitoprotectthemselvesagainstbacteriaarealsoeffectiveforus.Someexamplesincludepenicillin,streptomycin,andtetracycline.
Numerousstudieshaveshownvariedhealthbenefitsofavarietyofmushrooms.Onesuchstudyshowedthatregularmushroomconsumptionwasdirectlyrelatedtobetternutrition.EatingdriedwhitebuttonmushroomextractisthesameastakingvitaminD2orD3supplements.Thismushroomalsocontainsprotein,enzymes,Bvitamins,andvitaminD2.
Mushroomsarelowcalorieandgreatsourcesofantioxidants,includingpolyphenolsandselenium,aswellasantioxidantsuniquetomushrooms,suchasergothioneine.
Anotherstudyfoundthatsubstitutingredmeatwithwhitebuttonmushroomscanassistinlosingweight.
Inadditiontotheculinaryusesofmushrooms,peopletakemushroomsupplements.Therearebasicallytwotypesofmushroomsupplements.
MushroomConcentratesandExtracts
Inordertogettheseextracts,themushroommyceliaorfruitbodyisplacedinboilingwaterforsometimetoremovethelongchainpolysaccharides.Whatyouareleftwithisaconcentratedformofglycol-nutrientsorcomplexsugars.Thesearewherethemushroom’shealthbenefitsarethoughttobeandcanoftenbefoundincapsuleform.
RaworWholeFoodMushrooms
Thesesupplementsareintheformofapowderedpillandgenerallytakenbypeoplestrivingtomaintainoptimalhealth.
MedicinalBenefits
Researchsupportsthemanymedicinalbenefitsofavarietyofmushrooms.
Forexample,Cordyceps,alsocalledcaterpillarfungusorTochukasu,hasahistoryofuseinmedicinebytheChineseandTibetansdatingfarback.AthletesbenefitfromanincreaseinATPproduction,strengthandendurance.Thismushroomalsohasanti-agingeffects,andcanhelpenhancefemalefertilitybyimprovingtheinvitrosuccessrate(IVF).
Thisfungialsohasshowntohavepositivepossibilitiesforhypoglycemicandantidepressanteffects,increasingbloodflow,normalizingcholesterollevels,andhasbeenimplementedintreatmentforHepatitisB.
Morerecentresearchshowspromiseforpreventionandtreatmentofimmunedisorders,cancerandasapotentanti-inflammatoryagentforasthma,rheumatoidarthritis,renalfailure,andstrokedamage.
WorldMushroomProductionWorldmushroomproductionhasbeengreatlyincreasing.In1965,about350,000metrictonswereproduced.By1997,thisincreasedto6,160,800metrictonsorbyover1700percent.During2010-2011,theU.S.aloneproduced862millionpoundsofmushroomsvaluedat$1.02billion.
Thebuttonmushroomwhich30yearsagoaccountedfor70percentofallmushroomproduction,nowrepresentslessthan30percentofmushroomsproduced.Estimatesarethatoystermushroomsnowaccountforcloseto20percentoftotalworldproduction.Consumerdemandhasdriventhegrowthandmarketpricesforthismushroomwhichrequireslesstechnologyandriskforcultivation,essentiallymakingthisaprofitablecropforgrowers.
HowMushroomsGrowMushroomsdonotneedanylighttogrow.Onlygreenplantsneedlightforphotosynthesis.Aircirculationisnecessarytogrowmushroomsandhelpmaintainhumidityandtemperature.Environmentalrequirementsformostmushroomsareachievableathome.
Mushroomsdonothaveseedsandaregrownfromsporesthatarenotvisibletothehumaneyewithoutmagnification.Plantseedscontainchlorophyllwhichhelpsthemgerminate.Mushrooms,however,donotcontainchlorophyllandrelyonexternalmaterialssuchaswood,sawdust,grain,woodenplugs,straw,orliquidforsustenance.Thisprocessisknownasreversephotosynthesis.Mushroomstakeincarbonandconsumeoxygen.Plants,ontheotherhand,consumecarbondioxideandproducecarbonandoxygen.
Mushroomsstartassporesthatarereleasedfromthegillsorporesbeneaththecapsimilartodust.Whenmushroomsreproduce,theymultiplybyputtingoutmillionsofspores.Sporessettlinginfittingenvironmentsdevelopintomycelium,whichisanetworkofdampfibers.Thesefibersutilizepowerfulenzymestoentertheirsubstratesuchasstraw,woodorotherorganicmaterial.Themyceliumgetsnourishmentfromdigestingthewood.Themyceliumdevelopswhenmushroomsarereadytoreproduce.Thesporesarecreatedinthegillsandthenreleasedtoinitiatenewmyceliaelsewhere.
Amixofthesporesandnutrientsisknownas"spawn".Thespawnsupportsthegrowthoftheroots.Themushroomshavesmall,white,thread-likeroots,called"mycelium".Theserootsbegingrowingbeforetheactualmushroom.
ImageSource:http://www.chesterfield.k12.sc.us/
Mostmushroomsgrownindoorsareprimarydecomposers.Thistypeofmushroomcanbreakdownwoodchipsorlogstoeat.TheAgaricusgenusfamilymembersaresecondarydecomposers.Thesemushroomsneedotherfungiorbacteriatobreakdownwoodintocompostbeforetheycanutilizethisforfood.Thesecondarydecomposersrequireamorecomplicatedcultivationprocess.Fungidirectthenaturaldecompositioncyclesandarecriticaltobiologicalsystemsandhumans.
FungiLifeCycle
Whencultivatingediblemushrooms,sporesarenotusedbecausetheyaretoosmallandmushroomsporestakeconsiderabletimetogerminate.
Pre-grownmyceliumofthemushroomisinoculatedonasterilesubstrateandthisisknownasspawn.Spawnplacedinsterilizedsubstrategivethecultivatedmushroomaheadstartaboveotherfungi.Themyceliumthencolonizesthesubstratefeedingonthenutrients.Thisperiodisknownasthespawnrunwheremyceliumthenbeginsfruiting.Factorsthatcaninducefruitingincludeachangingtemperature,highhumidity,lossofordeficiencyofanutrient,ahighCO2concentrationintheair,orlight,dependingonthetypeofmushroom.Mostofthesefactorsthatstimulatefruitinghaveaharmfulconsequenceonthe
mycelium.Sowhencultivatingchangesintendedtoinducefruiting,thisshouldonlybedoneifthemyceliumgrowthhasgonethroughthesubstrate.
Themyceliumreproduceswhenthenutrientshavebeenallusedortheenvironmentchanges.
ToxicMushroomsWhileonlyabout100mushroomspeciesaretoxic,asmanyas6,000Americanseattheseeveryyearandsomeresultindeathcausedbyamatoxins.Becausethesearemushroomsgrowinginthewild,unfortunatelythemajorityofthosevictimsaresmallchildren.
Ifyouforageforwildmushrooms,makecertainyousupervisechildrenandknowhowtoidentifyediblespeciesfromtoxicmushrooms.
Ifyoususpectthatsomeonehaseatenapoisonousmushroom,getthepersontoahospitalimmediately.Amanitinpoisoninghasnoknownanecdote,somedicalattentionisrequiredtoremovetoxins.
2.IntroductiontoGrowingMushroomsIndoors
Inadryorwinterclimate,growingmushroomsindoorsisoftentheonlyoption.Mushroomscanbegrownindoorsyear-round.Althoughgrowingindoorscanrequiremorework,itproducesthebestmushroomsandyields.
Ifyouareseekingextraorfulltimeincome,analternativewaytogardenduringtheoffseason,orspecificnutritionalormedicinalbenefits,growingmushroomsindoorsmightbeyouranswer.
Growingmushroomsonasmallscaleisnotdifficultonceyouarearmedwiththeknowledgeofhowmushroomsgrowandtheirneeds.
Mushroomsaresimpleorganismsthatgrowinthedarkwithsomehumidity.Mushroomscanbegrownindoorsinanyclimateandinanyseasonandnearlyanywherewiththerightconditions,includingbasementsandcrawlspaces,aswellasotherothersmallerspaceslikeapartments.Unlikeplants,thesefungusesareoneofonlyafeworganismsthatgrowwithoutchlorophyll.Theygetalltheirnutritionfromthematerialorsubstratetheygrowinoron.Asubstratecanbestraworwoodchips.
Youneedagrowingroomwhereyoucancontrolthetemperature.Yourgrowingroomshouldmaintainatemperatureof78degreesFahrenheit(25degreesCelsius).Youalsoneedtobeabletocontrolthehumidityandthelight.
Cleanlinessisalsocriticaltohealthymushroomgrowth,astherearenumerouspossiblecontaminatesthatcanharmorruinmushrooms.Pasteurizingthesubstrateorstrawisagreatstartforeliminatingpossiblecontaminates.Allgrowingareasurfacesandtoolsshouldbecleanedwitha10%bleachsolutionbeforeaddingthesubstrate.Washyourhandseverytimeandthoroughlybeforeyouhandleyourspawn,substrate,ortools.
Therearesupplementsthatcanbeaddedduringthegrowingprocesstoenhanceflavorandincreaseyields,includingsoy,cottonseedandalfalfameal.
MushroomKits
ImageSource:http://sustainability.sbcc.edu
Mushroomkitsareavailablewithready-to-inoculatespawn.Thesekitscomewithsporesandallthesuppliesneededtogetstartedgrowing.Thesimplestmushroomgrowingkitsincludeabagofsawdustorstrawthathasbeeninoculatedwithspawn.
Kitsincludefullinstructionsandsomehaveplastictentsforcontrollinghumidity.Basically,youfindalocationthatisroomtemperatureandawayfromanydirectsunlightforyoursetupandsubstrate.Thenyouspraymistseveraltimesadayforhumidity.
Thenextchapterdetailsthedifferentculinarymushroomtypesthatarepopularforhomegrowersthatincludecremini,oysters,shiitake,winecapsandportabellas,yettherearemore.
MakingMoneyGrowingMushroomsWhenyoulearntheartofgrowingmushrooms,youmightdecidetogrowforprofit.Gourmetmushroomsareavaluablecrop,althoughyoushouldhaveyourmarketinplace.Whereyoucansellwilldependonthequantityandtypesofmushroomsyougrow,aswellasyourlocation.Asconsumerdemandhasincreasedasawarenessofthehealthbenefitshasspread.Themarketformushroomsisbetterthaneverandmedicinalmushroomresearchisaidingthedemandformorespecies.
Mushroomgrowingcanberewardingandprofitable.Thebarriertoentryismoreknowledgethancostasexpensiveequipmentisnotneeded.However,thereisalearningcurve.Timingcanbesomewhattricky,andcertainspeciesentailintensemanagement.
Gourmetmushroomsareenjoyingagrowingpopularity.Thisincreasingdemandhascreatedprofitableopportunitiesevenforsmallindoorfarmingwiththeexoticmushrooms,suchasoysterandShiitakemushrooms.
Oystermushroomsareagourmetmushroomthatisprofitableforthehomegrowerduetodemandandthelowexpensebarriertogrowing.Theoystermushroomgrowsquicklyandahomegrowercanproduceaboutfivecropsannually,evenintheirsparetimeofaslittleasafewhoursperweek.
Duetothefactthatoystermushroomsaresofruitful,evenasmallspacecanproducegoodincome.Infact,agrowingareaofabout100squarefeetcanproduceasmuchas2,500poundsofmushroomsayear!Inanareaassmallasfivehundredsquarefeet,about12,000poundsofmushroomscanbegrownandharvestedannually.Whenretailpricesforoystermushroomsareatabout$6perpound,whichtheyhavebeen,thatequatestoagrossincomeof$72,000annually.
Yourchancesofsuccesscangreatlyincreasewiththeknowledgegainedfromthisbook,aswellasacuriosityandpassionforfungi.
SellingMushrooms
Becausefreshmushroomsbringthemostmoneyandsellthebest,youwanttosellyourmushroomswhenyouharvestthemwheneverpossible.Anymushroomsyoudonotsellcanbefrozenordriedtoselllater.
Bepreparedaheadoftimetomarketyourmushrooms.Learnaboutanyfarmers'marketsthatarewithinareasonabledistanceofyourlocation.Thesemarketscandrawlargecrowds,includingmarketandrestaurantownersaswellasotherbuyers.Thesecanbegreatcontactsandyoucouldhavecommitmentsfrombuyersforyourfuturecropsbeforeyouevenbegingrowing.
Restaurantslookforuniqueandlocalproduce;mushroomsarenoexception.Maketheroundsinyourareaandmeetrestaurantowners.Givethemfreesamplesandletthemknowyourharvestschedule.
Grocerystoresandsomehealthfoodstoresstockmushroomsandmanyalsoappreciatelocalgrowers.Ifyoucansupplythemwithfreshgourmetmushrooms,youmightnotneedanyothercustomers.Youcanaskstoresifyoucansetupafreesampletableforadaytocatertotheircustomers,also.
TheFutureofMushrooms
ImageSource:http://greennature.com/article424.html
Peoplearebecomingeducatedaboutthehealthbenefitsandculinarycharacteristicsofmushrooms.Demandisincreasing.Cultivationtechnologycontinuestoadvanceasfueledbythedemand.Researchisbeingdonetoincreasetheshelflifeofmushroomsincludingpackagingtechnologyandstorage,aswellasimprovingthemushroomsthemselves,whichwillhelptomeetthedemand.
Researchintothemedicinalbenefitsofmushroomalsocontinuesandasnewadvantagesarediscovered.Thiswillalsocausedemandtoincrease.Theeaseofproducingmushroomsonasmallscalemakesthisaperfectincomeopportunityformanypeople.
3.TypesofMushrooms
Mushroomsaredividedintocategoriesbasedonhowtheyfeed.Therearebasicallyfourmushroomcategories:saprotrophic,mycorrhizal,parasitic,andendophytic.
Saprotrophs:ThriveonDecay
Saprotrophicmushroomsusespecificenzymesandacidstohelpdecomposedeadtissuefromtrees,otherplants,andsometimesmammals.Theydothistobreakdownthesesubstancesfortheirfood.Saprotrophsplayavitalroleinnature’sdecompositionandfoodchain.
Saprotrophmushroomsinclude:
•WhiteButtons
•Morels
•Reishi
•Shiitake
•Cremini
•Oysters
•Maitake
•TurkeyTail
•GiantPuffball
•ChickenoftheWoods(alsoaparasiticmushroom)
•EnokiorEnokitake
•ShaggyMane
•BlackTrumpet
MycorrhizaeMushrooms:PartnerwithPlants
Thesefungihaveabeneficialpartnershipwithplantroots.Theygrowintotherootcells(endomycorrhizal)orwraparoundtheroots(ectomycorrhizal).The
mushroomsgivemoisture,phosphorous,andnutrientstothetreesandgetthesugarstreesproduce.Farmersandgardenersinoculatecropswiththisfungustoencouragegrowth.
Mostplantsinnaturehaveamycorrhizalpartnershipwithsomesortoffungiyetthemajorityeithertoohardtocultivateornotedible.Mycorrhizaemushroomsinclude:
•Caesar'sMushroom
•Chanterelles
•Matsutake
•Porcini
•Truffles
ParasitesMushrooms:FeedontheWeak
Parasiticmushroomstakeplanthostsandinfectthem.Thisisfatalforthehost.Mostparasiticfungidonotproducemushroomsuntilthehostisdeadordying.Parasitemushroomsinclude:
•Honeymushrooms
•CaterpillarFungus
•Lion'sMane
•Chaga
Endophytes:AnUnexplainedSymbiosis
Theendophyticcategorypartnerwithplantsbyinvadingthehosttissuewithoutharmingthehostandmightevenbenefitthem.Manyofthesespeciesdonotproducemushroomsandhowtheyworkisstillamystery.
TypesofMushroomstoGrowIndoorsTherearemanykindsofmushroomsyoucangrowindoorsandeachtypehasparticulargrowingneeds.Youcanorderkitsforthemostcommonlygrownmushrooms.Choosingwhatmushroomtogrowwilldependonyourpurposeforgrowingmushrooms(personaluseorforincome,)resourcesandspaceavailable,geographicallocation,andsoon.Themostcommonhomegrownmushroomsinclude:
Agaricus:NumerousAgaricusspeciesaregrowncommerciallysuchastheWhiteButton(Agaricus.Brunnescens,)Portobello(AgaricusPortobello,)alsoknownas"ItalianAgaricus"andtheCremini.
Enoki:EnokiorEnokitakemushroomsarealsoreferredtoasthewintermushroomandcanbefoundinmanygrocerystores.
Reishi:PopularinAsiaformedicinalproperties.Easilygrownonconiferandhardwoodstumps.
Lion’sMane:Somesaythismushroomtasteslikelobster.
Maitake:(HenoftheWoods):Grifolafrondosa(Polyporusfrondosus).Thismushroomisinhighdemandandcangrowtobeupto100pounds.
Nameko:TheshiitakemushroominthemostpopularinJapanandtheNamekoisnumbertwo.Nameko(Pholiotanameko)isverysimpletogrow,especiallywithaNamekoMushroomKit.
Oyster:Thereareavarietyofcultivatedoystermushroomsspeciessuchas:Pearl(Pleurotusostreatus),Pink(Pleaurotusdjamor),Gray(Pleurotuspulmonarius),BlueOyster(Pleurotuscolumbinus)andmore.
PaddyStraw:Thismushroomhasoneofthelongesthistoriesandoldestmushroomsincultivation.Thisoneiseasytogrowindoorswithacontrolledtemperatureofatleast86-95Fahrenheit(30-35degreesCelsius),whichiscommoningreenhouses.
Shiitake:Shiitakesmushroomsarepopularfortheirhealthbenefits.Theyareeasytogrowonstraworhardwoods.
Therearestrainscategorizedbyindoorandoutdoorcultivation.
TheAgaricusBisporusFamily
ThemostpopularmushroomsforeatingareWhiteButtons,Cremini,andPortobellos.Asmentioned,thesethreemushroomsareallpartofthesamefamilyknownas“Agaricusbisporus.”ThisLatinnameAgaricusmeaning"gilledmushroom"andbisporusmeansthespore-producingstructuresonthegillshavetwo(bi)”ratherthanfour.
Thewhitebuttonisthecommonmushroomsoldingrocerystoresandisalsoknownasthetablemushroom,commonmushroom,champignondeParis,orthewhitemushroom.Thebuttonmushroomisasaprotroph,definedasfeedingondeadordyingorganicmaterial.
ThecreminimushroomisabrownstrainofthewhitebuttonandisalsoknownastheItalianmushroom,brownmushroom,babyPortobello,orbabybella.
Theportobellomushroomisacreminithathasbeenpermittedtogrowtomaturityandisalsoknownastheportobello,portabella,orcappellonemushroom.
CreminiCremini:Agaricusbisporus
Creminimushrooms,alsoknownascriminimushrooms,haveastrongresemblancetothewhitebutton,onlytheCreminihaveabrowncap.Creminimushroomsaretheworld'smostfrequentlyeatenmushroom.Thismushroomisalsoknownasthe"button"mushroom.Thereareavarietyofstrains(or"isolates")ofAgaricusbisporus.
Harvestingthesemushroomsindifferentstagesproducesavarietyofcultivatednames.Whitebuttonsareharvestedearlyingrowthoratanintermediatestage.Creminiarealsocalledbabybellas,babyportobellos,andportobelliniorbrownmushrooms.Portobellosareoldercremini.WhencreminimushroomsarepermittedtoreachfullmaturitybeforeharvestingtheyarereferredtoasPortobellomushrooms.
WildCreminihavemoreflavor,firmertextureandadarkerbrowncolorthanthewhitebuttonmushroomscommonlyfoundingrocerystores.
Buttonmushroomshavebeenpresentinnaturesincethebeginningofman.TheEgyptiansbelievedthesemushroomscouldgiveimmortalityandinRometheywerereferredtoas“foodforthegods.”Otherculturealsothoughtmushroomspossessedsuperpowers.
HealthandMedicinalBenefits
Althoughcreminimushroomshavenutritionalbenefits,theydonotthemedicinalpopularityoftheircousins-reishiandormaitake.ResearchhasshowntheCreminiholdsaromatase,anenzymethataidsestrogenproductionwhichcanhelpreducetheriskofbreastcancer.
Creminimushroomsareknowntocontain:
•VitaminD
•Potassium
•BVitamins
•Helpfulantioxidantslikeselenium
•Fiber
•Linoleicacid
ImmuneSystemSupport
Ourimmunesystemsarebenefitedbycreminimushroomsbyactuallyalteringhowwhitebloodcellsoperate.Incertainstudies,thesubstancesinthemushroomspreventtheactivityofsomewhitebloodcellsandactivateothers.
OnekeynutrientforahealthyimmunesystemisvitaminD1,whichisfoundincreminimushrooms.
Anti-InflammatoryBenefits
ChronicinflammationisrelatedtotypeIIdiabetes,cardiovasculardisease,andsomecancers.Freshmushroomsandextractsassupplementshavebeenproventoreduceandpreventinflammation.Creminimushroomshavecertaininflammatoryblockingmoleculesthatworkbetterthanshiitakeandmaitakemushroomsincertaincases.
AntioxidantBenefits
Creminimushroomshaveanutrientcompositionthatprovidesantioxidantsupportandhaveapositiveeffectonoxidativemetabolism.Theirnutrientsincludethemineralsselenium,zincandmanganesewhichareallvitalforantioxidantenzymes.
CardiovascularBenefits
Creminimushroomshaveshowntoprovideremarkablecardiovascularbenefitsthatcanhelppreventcardiovasculardiseaseandareparticularlyproventoprotecttheaorta.
Dailyconsumptionforseveralmonthshasalsoindicatedthecreminicanhelplowercholesterol,LDLcholesterol,andtriglycerides.
ThecreminimushroomsarealsoexcellentsourcesofvitaminsB2,B3,andB5(pantothenicacid)B6,andfolate.
Anti-CancerBenefits
Thebenefitsofcreminimushroomsforimmunesupport,andinflammationsupport.Theyalsoaidinpreventingandfightingcancer.
PreparationandCooking
RawAgaricusbisporusdocontainsmallamountsoftoxinsthatarereducedbyheatsocookingmushroomsbeforeeatingisrecommended.
WhiteButtonWhiteButton:Agaricusbisporus
Thewhitebuttonmushroom,isacommongrocerystoreitemintheproducedepartmentandrelativelyinexpensive.This“tablemushroom”issocommonthatistheU.S.,thetypicalconsumptionperpersonisabouttwopoundsannually.Theyalsogrowwildingrasslandsallovertheworld.Thebuttonmushroomiswhitethoughturnsbrownwhenbruised.
HealthandMedicinalBenefits
Thereisverificationthatwhitebuttonmushroomscanenhancetheimmunesystemandbattlecancer.TheyhaveBvitamins,selenium,potassium,andproteinaswellasotheressentialvitaminsandminerals.
Note:Innature,confusingtheAgaricusbisporuswithpoisonousmushroomssuchasthefataldeathcapmushroomiseasy.Makesureyouhaveanexperiencedpersonalongwhocanidentifygoodfrompoisonousmushroomsifyougomushroomhunting.
PreparationandCooking
Whitebuttonmushroomsareflavorfulandeasytocook.TheAgaricusbisporusshouldbewashedthoroughlyandwrappedinpaperforstorage.Theywilllastaboutaweekinrefrigerationwhichislongerthanmostmushrooms.
Thesemushroomsarecookedwithmeat,fish,poultry,orasapizzatopping.Theyaremarinated,skewered,grilledandsautéed.
GrowingWhiteButtons
Whitebuttonmushroomsgrowbestoncompostandkitsarehighlysuccessfulwhengrownindoors.Thesewillbeginfruitingwithinaweekorso.Buttonmushroomsaregrownonacompostsubstrate.
PortobellosPortobello:Agaricusbisporus
ThePortobelloisthematureversionofthecreminiorwhitebutton.Growingbuttonmushroomsindoorsisfairlyeasyasthecommonwhitebuttonsandportobelloorcremini(babyportobellos).
TheyaretastyandagoodPortobellomushroomkitwillyieldyourcropwithinthreeweeksandfruitforasmuchaseightmoreweeks.
EnokiEnoki:Flammulinavelutipes
TheEnokimushroomisalsocalledtheenokitake,enokidake,wintermushroom,furryfoot,nametake,yuki-motase,goldenneedle,wintermushroom,snowpuffandvelvetstemmushroom.
Enokisarecommerciallygrownandfoundinthewildinclustersgrowingonaspen,elmandwillowtrees.ThecultivatedEnokimushroomlooksdifferentthanthewildgrownformastheyaremuchlargerandhaveaburntorangecolor.Thisisduetothefactthatthismushroomhasmorphologicallysensitivitylightandcarbondioxide.OntheotherhandwhencultivatedtheEnokiarealmostpurewhitewithlongstemsandsmallcaps.
HealthandMedicinalBenefitsEnokimushroomsarelow-fatandhaveprotein,carbohydrates,dietaryfiber,andanexcellentsourceofniacin,ironandpotassium.TheChineseandJapaneseclaimtheEnokimushroompreventsandcuresliverdiseasesandstomachulcers.
PreparationandCookingEnokimushroomshaveamildflavorandaresmallandwhitewithtallstalksandarecommonlysoldinabunch.Theyarepopularforuseinsalads;noodleandstirfrydishesandgowellwithsobanoodles,lemongrass,herbs,soy,andseafoodorpoultry.
GrowingEnokiMushrooms
Enokimushroomscapsarebetweenonetotwoinchesdiameterandcanbefiveinchestallwithawhite,lightcreamcolor,orreddishbrown.Enokiisfairlyeasytogrow,needingahumidenvironmentandwarmtemperaturesonhardwoodsawdustmedium.
StepOne
HardwoodsawdustmediummustbeinoculatedwithEnokimushroomsterilizedspawnusuallyinasyringe.
StepTwo
Enokimushroomsmustbekeptinawarmenvironmenttospawn.Thehumidityneedstobecloseto100percentandthetemperatureshouldbe72to78degreesFahrenheit(22-25degreesCelsius)-preferablywithincreasedexposuretoCO2.Spawningshouldoccurinabouttwotofourweeks.
StepThree
Afterspawningthetemperatureisloweredto50to55degreesFahrenheit(10-12degreesCelsius)toencouragegrowth.ReducetheamountofCO2exposureto80to90percent.
StepFour
HarvestyourEnokimushroomsinbunchesorbouquetstoguardtheirdelicatestructure.Thesubstratemightbeabletoproduceonemorecrop.Enokimushroomkitscanalsomakethingsmucheasierforthebeginner.
MaitakeMushroomMaitake:Grifolafrondosa
Thismushroom,alsoknownasthe“henofthewoods","sheep'shead","kingofmushrooms"and"cloudmushroom,"isedibleandflavorful.Maitakemeans"dancingmushroom"inJapaneseandisapolyporesoithasnogillsandreleasessporesfromsmallpores.
GrifolafrondosagrowinthewildappearingatthebaseofoaktreesandsomeothersintheUnitedStatesandCanadaandinJapan,China,andEurope.
Thecapsareincurvylayersthatsproutfromalargetubularstructureunderground.Themushroomcanmeasureseveralfewfeetacrossandweighasmuchas40to50pounds(18-22Kilograms).
HealthBenefitsandMedicinalEffects
InJapan,themaitakemushroomhasbeenusedforyearsasapowerfulmedicinalmushroom.Similartootherpolyporehaspolysaccharidesthatmotivatetheimmunesystem.
Apolysaccharideisacomplexcarbohydrateconsistingoftiniersugarmoleculesthatstabilizebloodpressure.Specificpolysaccharides,suchasbeta-D-glucans,arebelievedtoarousetheimmunesystemagainstcancer.AglucanextractisthemaitakeD-fractionorMD-fraction.
Inadditiontohelpingfightcancer,researchforthebenefitsofotherconditionsinclude:
•diabetes
•HIV/AIDS
•highcholesterol
•highbloodpressure
MaitakesupplementsareavailableasanextractoftheDorMDfraction,orpowderedcapsules.
PreparationandCooking
Maitakemushroomcapscanbestirfried,baked,sauteed,stuffed,orusedintea.
GrowingMaitakeMushrooms
Maitakemushroomsarelusciousand,althoughtheyaredesirableforculinaryandmedicinalpurposes,theyarenotcommoningrocerystores.YoucangrowmaitakemushroomsindoorsandorderaMaitakemushroomkit,butkeepinmindtheyarefinickyandneedaccuratelightlevels,temperature,andhumidity.
StepOne
Buymaitakespawnasaliquid,grain,sawdustorwoodenplugs.Ifyouarefabricatingyourownsubstratefromscratchorforcommercialoperations,youwillwanttheliquidspawn.
StepTwo
Createasubstratewithablendofabouthalftothreefourthssawdustandhardwoodchips.Theremaindershouldbeagrainsuchaswheatbranandasmallamount(approximately1percent)ofsugar.Youcanalsoaddabouttenpercenttopsoilfromaplacewherehardwoodsgrow.Thisisblendedinburlaporplasticbagswithventholes.Slowlyputinsmallamountsofcalcium,limeorgypsumuntilthesubstratereachesapHleveloffiveandahalftosixandahalfpercent.
StepThree
Inoculatethesubstratewiththespawnliquid,sawdust,orgrain.Youcandrillsmallholesinalogandinserttheplugs.
StepFour
Yourprojectshouldbeinaroomwithoutanydirectsunlightandwithsomeairflowandventingwithatemperatureof60to70degreesFahrenheit(15-21degreesCelsius)andabout60to75percenthumiditycanbemaintained.
StepFive
Yourmaitakemushroomsshouldfruitandunfurledlikeaflowerwithinthreetofourmonthsforharvesting.Mushroomcapsoughttobeuprightandshouldhaveafreshearthyaroma.Whenmushroomshaveafishyodororhavereleasedspores,theyarenotsuitableforeating.
Lion’sMane
Lion’sMane:Hericiumerinaceus
Lion'smaneispurewhiteandgrowsinseveralstrandsclusteredinaroundshapewitharigidtexture.Theycanbe6inchesorlargerindiameter.TheygrowwildinthesouthernareaoftheUnitedStatesusuallyondeadoak,walnut,beech,sycamore,andmapletrees.
HealthBenefitsandMedicinalEffects
Lion'sManemushroomhasbeenhighlyprizedinChinaandusedtotreatdigestionissuesaswellasesophagusandstomachcancer.Researchresultsshowthatthemushroomcontainspolysaccharidesthatstimulatetheimmunesystemandincreasewhitebloodcellcounttofacilitatehealing.Lion'sManehasalsodemonstratedabilitiestoassistincontrollingbloodsugarandcholesterollevels.Thereisnoevidenceofanysideeffectsfromthismushroomorriskoftoxicity.
Anotherareaofcurrentresearchisinthemushroom’spotentialtohelpbattledementiaandAlzheimer'sdiseaseanditiscurrentlyavailableincapsules.
HirokazuKawagishiofShizokaUniversityJapan,adocumentedauthorityonLion'sManehasconfirmedtheextraordinaryabilityofthismushroomtostimulatethesynthesisofNerveGrowthFactor(NGF).AdeficiencyofNGFisthoughttobeachiefcauseofAlzheimer'sdisease.
PreparationandCooking
Lion’smaneisadelicacyintheEast.Thismushroomhasatastethatresemblesseafood.Lion’smanemustbecookedslowlytoretaintheflavorandanyspicesshouldbeaddedwhenalmostdonecooking.
GrowingLion’sManeMushrooms
YoucanpurchaseLion'sManemushroomkitsinplasticbagsforindoorgrowing.Normalroomtemperatureisrecommendedandmisttwiceaday.
Harvestwhenthespinesareelongatedbutpriortosofteningofthefruitingmassandanydevelopmentofayellowcolor.
PaddyStrawImageSource:bestspores.com
PaddyStraw:(Volvariellaviolaceae)
PaddystrawmushroomorChineseMushroomiscommerciallygrowninAsiaonricestraw.ThisisadarkcoloredmushroomusedinnumerousAsiandishes.
Theyhaveamarkedlyappealingtaste.Theiruniqueshapeiseasytorecognizeandissoldatgrocerystorescanned,fresh,ordried.Themushroomsgrowsurroundedbyasackandcanbeleftonorremovedatharvestorattimeofcooking.
HealthBenefitsandMedicinalEffects
PaddyStrawmushroomsarethoughttohelpmenddamagecausedbyauto-immunedisease.Theyalsooffermanyofthenutritionalbenefitsassociatedwithothermushrooms.
PreparationandCooking
Thesesmallbitesizemushroomshaveameatytextureandareagreatadditiontovegetabledishes,stirfry,chopsuey,chowmein,soups,andsauces.
GrowingPaddyStrawMushrooms
ThePaddyStrawmushroom’snaturalhabitatistropicalsogrowingthemushroominwarmindoorenvironmentsissuitable.Thismushroomistypicallygrowninpaddystrawthatisdriedandtiedinbundlesandthensoakedinwaterfor12to16hours.ThePaddyStrawspawnisalsocreatedongrainsormillets.
Mushroomsusuallyappearwithintwoweeksafterbedsarespawnedandwillfruitforaweekorso.Duetotheirdelicatemakeup,theyonlylastafewdaysafterharvest-evenwhenrefrigerated.
ShiitakeMushrooms
Shiitake:(Lentinulaedodes)
Shiitakes(she-ta-keys)havebeencalledthe"kingofmushrooms”andtheycangrowtothreeorfour-inchesindiameter.Theyhaveanumbrella-shapedarkbrowncolor.Thesebrownmushroomshavemeatyconsistencyandsmallwhitespotsorflecks.Theyhavearichfullandevensmokyflavorandarepopularforcookingflavorfuldishes.Thesemushroomsarealsopopulardriedtouseincookingaswellasforhealthandmedicinalreasons.ShiitakeshavealonghistoryofculinaryandmedicinalusesbyNativeAmericansandAsiansocieties.
Thismushroomgetstoclaimthethirdspotformostwidelyproducedmushroomintheworld.ProductionofShiitakeintheU.S.hasbeenoccurringforovertwentyyearsandisgrowingfasterthananyoftheotherspecialtymushrooms.
HealthandMedicinalBenefits
ShiitakeareoftencalledmedicinalmushroomsbecauseoftheirmedicaluseinAsianmedicine.Theresultsofextensivestudiesshowthesemushroomsdecreasebloodpressure,lowercholesterollevels,protecttheimmunesystem,andpossessanti-tumorproperties.Shiitakemushroomscontainlentinan,anaturalanti-tumorcompoundandareagreatsourceofvitaminD.ShiitakemushroomsalsoexhibitantiviralthatworkagainstHIV,hepatitis,andthecommoncold.InadditiontovitaminDandminerals,ShiitakealsohaveA,B,B12,andC.Shiitakecontainseveryoneoftheeightessentialaminoacids.Theaminoacidsinthismushroomareinbetterscopethanmilk,meat,eggsorevensoybeans.
ThemedicinalbenefitsoftheShiitakeareconfirmedandconsistofantiviralandantifungaleffectswiththeabilitytolowercholesterolandhighbloodpressure.
MostmedicinalresearchstudiesonShiitakemushroomshavebeenconductedwithextractsinlaboratorieswhicharenotthesameastheShiitakemushroomconsumedasafood.Thereissubsequentlyanabundanceofmedicinalinformationonshiitakemushroomsextractandlessaboutthebenefitsinhumanconsumptionasafood.YettheinformationthatisavailableisapparentandshowstheShiitakemushroomshavedistinctandextraordinaryhealthbenefits.
ImmuneSupport
TheimmunesupportevidenceforShittakemushroomsisimpressive.Theextractshaveproventohavemostofthemedicinalbenefits.
Theextraordinarymixtureofantioxidantsinshiitakemushroomsalongwithasupportfortheimmunesystems,openuppossibilitiesforthepotentialofprotectionfromanumberofissuessuchasrheumatoidarthritis(RA).
CardiovascularBenefits
ThecardiovascularbenefitsofShiitakemushroomshavebeenrecognizedinthreefundamentalareasincludingcholesterolreduction,theinteractionbetweenourcardiovascularsystemandourimmunesystem,andcardiovascularbenefitsthatinvolveantioxidantsupport.
Shiitakemushroomsarerichinthreekeyantioxidantminerals:manganese,selenium,andzincandsomeuncommonphytonutrientantioxidants.
Anti-CancerBenefits
Asmentioned,researchhasbeenperformedonmedicinalextractsfromshiitakemushroomsthanthewholefood.Thereisevidencethatcertainelementsoftheshiitakemushroomhelpblocktumorgrowth.
GrowingShiitakeMushrooms
YoucangrowShiitakemushroomsathomeonblocksofsterilizedsawdust.Theblockscanbeenhancedwithcottonseedmeal.YoucaninoculatelogsandgrowShiitakemushroomsinahumidwarmareasuchasabasement.Growingshiitakeonlogsmightproducethebestmushroomthoughsawdustcreatesmoresurfaceareasfromtheparticlesformorepotentialcolonization.
Shiitakemushroomkitsareeasytogrowindoorsbetween55ºFto75ºF.Akitwillcommonlyyieldtwotothreepoundsinjustafewmonths,fruitingeveryfewweeks.
OysterMushrooms
Oyster:(Pleurotus)
Oystermushroomscomeinavarietyofspeciesandforms,butthePleurotusostreatusandPleurotuspulmonariusarepopularforgrowing.AmemberofthePleurotaceaefamily,oystermushroomscangrowinthewildinclustersonlogs,treestumps,anddeciduoustreetrunkswithacapwidthofonetosixinchesandastalklengthupto1¼inches(2-15cm)andabout¾inchround(2-3cmwide).
Theoystermushroom’snativehabitatincludesdeciduoushardwoodandconifertreesasadecomposer.Theycanbefoundinforeststheworldover.
Thepopularoystermushroomgetsthenamefromhavingatasteandtexturesimilartooysters.Consideredadelicacy,thewildoystermushroomshavebetterflavorthanthecommerciallycultivatedonesoftenfoundinthegrocerystores.However,thepopularityofthisfungushascausedproductiontoincreaseatarateofmorethantenpercentannually.Howeverthisdesiredculinarymushroomisnotonlyfoundondinnerplatesaroundtheworld,itservestodisposeofwasteplasticsandpetroleumspillsthroughdigestion.Oystermushroomscandegradeenvironmentaltoxinsandhelpcleanpollutedareas.
HealthandMedicinalBenefits
OystermushroomsarecurrentlybeingresearchedforbeingapotentialdefenseagainstHIVbecauseofthehighanti-oxidantcompoundsthisspeciescontains.
Oystermushroomsarerichinprotein,Bvitamins,arecholesterolfree,andcontainsubstantialamountsofthecholesterol-loweringmoleculelovastatin.
Oystermushroomshaveareputationforbeingtheeasiesttogrow,abundantlynutritiousandmedicinallyvaluable.
PreparationandCooking
Oystercapsarescrumptiouswhensautéed.
Oystersfluctuateinflavoralthougharegenerallymilderthantheshiitakemushroom.
Oystermushroomsareahighlydesirableculinaryitem,althoughtheyarenotcommoningrocerystoresbecauseoftheirfragiletexturemakesthemachallengetoship.
Oystermushroomsmustbecookedbeforeeatingastheycontainaproteinknownas"ostreolysin,"whichcanbetoxic.
GrowingOysterMushrooms
Oystermushroomkitsaretypicallyacollectionofstickywhitemyceliumwhollycolonized,aswellasasmallwheatoroatstrawcolumn.Thisispackagedinaplasticbagwithholes.
Oystermushroomsthriveinhighhumidityandneedmistingseveraltimesaday.The"bluedolphin"isbestkeptbelow65ºF(18degreesCelsius).Thegoldenoyster"hasyellowfruitsandthewhiteoyster"isconsideredtheeasiesttocultivate.
Whentheyreceivetherightcare,temperatureandhumidity,atowerkitwillexplodewiththesemushrooms.Kitswillfrequentlyfruittwotimes.Thenyoucanputthemyceliuminacompostheaptogrowmore.
Blendingthemyceliumwithdampsawdust,coffeegroundsandsomestraw,andplacingthisinpaperboardmilkcartonswithafewholesthesides,andthenputtingtheseinplasticbagstoremaininthedarkforamonthortwo,canproducemoreoysters.Oystermushroomsoncommercialfarmsaregrownoncolumnsofsterilizedstrawhungfromceilings.
Winecaps
ImagesSource:urbpan.livejournal.com
AlsoknownasKingStropharia,Godzilla,andtheGardenGiant,thesemushroomshavealargecapthatgrowstobeaslargeasfiveinches(12cm)acrosswithareddish-browntoneorwinecoloritages.PopularinEuropethismushroomgrowsnaturallyinforestsintheUnitedStates,Europe,NewZealandandJapan.
HealthandMedicinalBenefits
Winecapscontainmanyofthecommonnutrientsfoundinmushroomsanditisbelievedtopromotehealthyskin,aswellaspreventhangnailsandblisters.
PreparationandCookingThismushroomcanbebaked,fried,stuffed,addedtosauce,andisgoodwhenstirfriedinbutterandsomelemonjuice,wine,nutmeg,orfennel.Cookingwithonionorgarlicisnotrecommended.
GrowingWinecaps
Whilemostpeoplegrowwinecapsinoutdoorgardens,theycanalsobecultivatedindoors.AsubstrateofsawdustandpasteurizedstrawwithacoveringofrichsoilandDouglasfirandalderwoodchipsinoculatedwithspawnwillworkbest.WineCapmushroomliquidculturecanbeinjectedeasilyintoasterilizedsubstrate.Kitscanfruitrepeatedlyafterthreetofourweeksofdormancybetweenfruiting.
ReishiMushrooms
Reishi:Ganodermalucidum
Reishimushroomsarepolypores(nogills)andthereisaflatareaunderneaththecapwherethesporesarereleased.TheGanodermalucidumcomeinred,purple,green,white,yellow,andblack.TheReishilookssimilartoaflowerwiththetextureofwood.
ReishiisknownasthemushroomofimmortalityinChinaandisalsocalledtheherb of spiritual potency. They have a long history ofmedicinal use inChinadatingbackover2,000years.While theiroriginalhabitatwasinChina,Japan,andKorea,thismushroomisgrownonhardwoodssuchasmaple,oaks,andelmsaroundtheworld.Thereishiisinthesaprotrophcategorywithsomepeoplealsoclassifyingthisoneasaparasite.HealthandMedicinalBenefitsTheredreishimushroomissaidtohavethemosthealingproperties.Thesupplementsaresakewithnoknownharmfulsideeffects.Reishimushroomshavenumeroushealthbenefitssuchas:
•regulatingbloodpressure
•stimulatingliveractions
•fightingtheeffectsofstress
Andtreating:
•insomnia
•gastriculcers
•neurasthenia
•arthritis
•nephritis
•asthma
•bronchitis
•hypertension
•neuromusculardisorders
•myastheniagravis
•musculardystrophy
Anti-inflammatory,usefulforreducingsymptomsofrheumatoidarthritis
•Immunesystemup-regulation
•Normalizationofbloodcholesterollevelsandbloodpressure
•Reductionofprostate-relatedurinarysymptomsinmen
Reishimushroomssupplementsaretakenfor:
•Allergies
•Anxiety
•Asthma
•Bronchitis
•Cancer,particularlyleukemia
•Chronicfatiguesyndrome
•Fluprevention
•HIV/AIDS
•Highbloodpressure
•Highcholesterol
•Inflammatoryconditions
•Insomnia
•Diabetes
•Hepatitis
•Radiationpoisoning
Theeffectsofthismushroomarecumulativeandcantakeseveralweeksormoretosee.
PreparationandCookingReishimushroomsareeatenanddrankinavarietyofways:
•Insoup:sautéedinoliveoil,salt,andseasonings.
•Grilled:assidedish.
•Driedreishimushroomscanbefoundwholegroundintoapowder.
•Reishiteaismadefromgroundmushrooms.
•Thedriedpowderisalsousedtocreate"reishispirits".
GrowingReishiMushroomsGrowingReishimushroomstakesmeticulousness.Itisnottoocomplicated,aslongasattentionisgiventotemperatureandhumidityandconsiderationisgiventoReishiMushroommyceliumplugspawn.Grow-it-YourselfReishiMushroomKitsareavailableandrecommendedforbeginners.
Growingreishimushroomsindoorscanbedoneanytimeoftheyearwithhumiditymaintainedandatemperatureusuallylessthan70degreesF(21degreesCelsius).Mostreishimushroomswillhavearedorbrowncapunlesscarbondioxidelevelsaretoohigh.Theninsteadofacapsmallfingerswillform.
TurkeyTail
Turkeytail:(Stereumostrea)
Turkeytailmushroomsgrowinbunchesofleathery,thinlayers,ofteninmanycolors,hencetheirname.Theycanbefoundinthewildonstumpsandlogsofdeciduoustrees.
Thecapisusuallyonetofourinchesindiameterandnostalkispresent.Whilethecolorsonthecapmaketheturkeytaileasytospot,thereisalsothefalse
turkeytail(Stereumostrea)thathasasmoothunderside.
ImageSource:http://www.etsy.com/listing/88164672/turkey-tail-mushroom-growing-kit-for
HealthandMedicinalBenefits
TurkeytailmushroomshavebeentreatingavarietyofwoesforcenturiesinAsia,Europe,andNorthAmerica.Turkeytailisusedtoboosttheimmunesystemandforlivercancerandjaundice,namelyintheformofaturkeytailmushroomcapsule.
Studiesshowturkeytailmushroomscouldbeaneffectiveadditiontochemotherapyandradiationtreatments.
PreparationandCooking
Turkeytailistypicallygroundforuseasaturkeytailteaorinsoup.
GrowingTurkeyTail
Whileyoucangrowturkeytailmushroomsathomeinaterrarium,theyaredifficulttogrowandnotrecommendedforbeginners.Althoughaturkeytailindoormushroomgrowingkitcanhelp.Mushroomscanvaryconsiderably,dependentontheculture,thegrowingmethodsandproductionsystem.Themyceliumcanbegrowninatightlycontrolledenvironment.
4.IndoorMushroomFarming
ImageSource:fungi.com
ChooseYourFungus
Whilethemostpopularmushroomsgrownindoorsareincludedinthisbook,therearehundredsofediblemushroomsyoucangrowindoors.Theoystermushroomisgreatforbeginninggrowers.Oystermushroomsareeasyexoticmushroomstogrowandyoucanuseanassortmentofproductsforasubstratesuchasstrawandwoodchips,cardboard,andcoffeegrounds.Thesecommonsubstrateswillhelpyousucceedingettingthebestcropyields.
Ifyouareconsideringgrowingmushroomstomakemoney,oystermushroomscanbringtopdollarandareinhighdemandinmanyareas.Youcangrowanoystermushroominaboutsixweeks.Aswithmostmushrooms,oystersarebestwhenfreshlypicked.Aspreviouslymentioned,ifyoucannotsellthemimmediately,youcandrythemandtheywilllastseveralmonths.
Herearesomequestionstohelpyouchoose:
1.Whichofthemushroomsdoyouwanttogrow?Checkthemarketandthetemperaturerangesforfruiting.
2.Willyoubegrowingforyourownconsumptionorpotentialprofit?
3.Doyouhaveaspacewiththeappropriateenvironmentforgrowingthemushroomyouwouldlike?
4.Canyouobtainmushroomspawnorakitofthespeciesyouwanttogrow?
5.Ifnotusingakit,whatkindofsubstratewouldyouneedtobeabletogrowthedesiredmushrooms?
Whenyouchoosethetypeofmushroomyouwanttogrow,reviewallthespecificgrowingrequirementsofthatspecies.
Youcanthenpurchaseyourspawnfromagardencenteroronline.Youcanfindnumerouswebsitessellingspawnandthesekitswillproducealoadofmushrooms.
Kits
Mushroomkitsareavailableforgettingstartedgrowingindoors.Thekitshaveallyouneedtogrowmushroomscountingthespores,orspawns,substrateandsoon.
Theyareeasytouseandusuallyincludeacardboardboxorperforatedbagthathasbeeninoculatedforcultivatingthespecificmushroom.Thesekitsusuallycontaintheingredientstoproducemultiplecropsfortwotofourmonths.Thecostatthistimeistypicallylessthan$35.Andthekitsareingardeningstores,someorganicgrocerystores,andavailableonline.
Youcanalsogrowmushroomsinsterilejars.Fillthejarswithyoursubstrateormediumandthenspreadthespores.Regulatingthehumidityandtemperaturecanbeeasyinajar.
Environment
Eachspeciesofmushroomhasdifferentgrowingandenvironmentalrequirements.Oystersorbuttonmushroomsaregreatforbeginninggrowers.
Cleanliness
Allmushroomsneedacleanenvironmenttoavoidcontamination.Ifyouarenotusingakitandcreatingyourownsubstrate,pasteurizethestrawtoremoveanypossiblecontamination.Submergethestrawinhotwateratleast140degreesFforonehour.Drainthesubstrateandletcool.Placethestrawintotheplasticbagandthenspreadthespawnontopuntilthebagisfull.
TemperatureandHumidity
Setupyourkitwherethetemperatureisstable.Dependingontheclimatewhereyouliveandyouraccommodations,youmightneedtoexperimentwithdifferentlocations.
Mostmushroomsthriveincoolanddampconditions.Thehumidityshouldbe70to80percentandthetemperaturebetween55and70degreesFahrenheit(12-21degreesCelsius).Theseconditionscanbefoundinmanybathroom,kitchens,andbasements.
Moistureiscriticalforcrops.Constanthumidityisessentialforthemushroomstodevelopandgrow.Mushroomswillnotgrowinairthatistoodry.Inmostclimates,themistfromaspraybottlewithwatertwoorthreetimesadayissufficient.Inadryclimate,youwillneedtospraythemushroomsmoreoften.Donotover-spraybymakingthecardboardsoggyorwet.
Light
Keepthemoutofdirectlightbygrowinginacabinet,closetorotherdarkarea.Someindirectlightisneededforsomemushroomssuchasoysterswhileotherssuchasthewhitebuttonsandcreminimusthavetotaldarkness.(Exposuretolightcanresultinbrowncaps.)
Air
Mushroomsneedair.Evenaclosetorcabinetwillneedsomeventilationtopreventanaccumulationofcarbondioxide(CO2).ToomuchCO2canslowmushroomproductiontoacrawlorstopgrowthaltogether.Afancanbeenoughforaircirculation.
Equipment
Evenifyoupurchaseagrowingkityouwillneed:
•electricfan
•spraymistbottle
•cookingoilspray
•bleach
GrowinginaPlasticBag
Submergethestrawforsubstrateinhotwateratleast140degreesF(60degreesCelsius)foronehour.Drainthesubstrateandletcool.Placethestrawintotheplasticbagandthenspreadthespawnontopuntilthebagisfull.
Tiethetopofthebagwithatiemadeofmetal.Perforatethebagallovertoallowaircirculation.Placethebaginawarmroomforabout2weeks.Thebagwillbecomewhiteasitcolonizeswithmyceliumgrowth.
Whenthebagisfullycolonizedfruitingshouldstartinafewdays.Youcanmovethebagtoacoolerwithareahighhumidityduringthisperiodtoencouragefruiting.
Youcantellwhentoharvestbyseeingtheveilthatattachesthecaptothestemstarttearing.Oystermushroomsmustbeharvestedbeforethecapsunfurlandreleasespores.Rotatethebageachdaytospotmushroomsreadyforharvest.Lightlyturnandpullmushroomstoremoveleavinganybrokenstemsbehind.
Substrates
ImagesSource:http://www.smithbrosmulch.com
Whilespawncangrowmushrooms,youwillproducemoreandbettermushroomswhengrowinginasubstratesuchasstraw,cardboard,logs,orwoodchips.Compostthatismadeupofacombinationofstraw,corncobs,gypsum,cottonandcocoaseedhullsandnitrogensupplementsisbetterandmorecommonlyusedbycommercialgrowers.Nitrogensupplementsandgypsumare
added.
Mushroomsneednitrogenandcarbohydratestogrow.Mushroomsmetabolizecarbohydratesfromthesubstrateintoglucose.Thismovesthroughthemyceliumandprovidesnourishment.Concentrationinthesubstrateshouldbeabout1percentandneverover2percent.
Bulksubstratesinclude:
•Woodchipsorsawdust
•Mulchedstraw(wheat,riceorother)
•Strawbeddedhorseorpoultrymanure
•Corncobs
•Wasteorrecycledpaper
•Coffeegrounds
•Nutandseedhulls
•Cottonseedhulls
•Cocoabeanhulls
•Cottonseedmeal
•Soybeanmeal
•Brewer'sgrain
•Ammoniumnitrate
•Urea
Whenspreadingoutthestrawsubstratetocool,alwaysmakesureallsurfaceshavebeencleanedwitha10%bleachsolution.Again,washyourhandsthoroughlybeforeandafterworkingwithsubstrateandspawn.
Pests
Youcanspraytheboxtopflapswithcookingoilspraytostopinsectsfromgettingtoyourmushrooms.Therearealsonematodeswhicharetinywormsthateatplantsandfungi.Oystermushroomsarenotaffectedasthemyceliumiscarnivorousandeatsbugs.
WhyPeopleFail
Growingmushroomsisnotdifficultwhenyoufollowtheproperproceduresandhavethecorrectknowledge.Meetingtheneedsofmushroomsrequireattentiontoenvironmentandconditions.
Environment
Onecommonreasonpeoplefailtogrowmushroomsindoorsistheydonotkeephumiditylevelsadequateforgrowth.Unlessyouhaveahumidifier(anddonotoversaturate)youmustremembertosprayyourmushroomswithwatereveryday.
Cleanliness
Anotherfailpointforgrowingmushroomsissterilizationandcleanliness.Maintainingahighlevelofcleanlinesstoavoidcontaminantsiscritical.Allsurfacesanditemsthatmightcomeincontactwithspawnsubstratesorcontainersshouldbecleanedwitha10%bleachsolution.Handsshouldbewashedbeforeandafterworkingwithyourmushroomproduction.
Cautions
Pets
99%ofmushroomsposenoissuesandhavelittleornotoxicity.Therearemushroomsthataretoxictoanimals.Justtobesafe,takeextraprecautiontokeepyourmushroomswherepetscannotaccessthem.
Ifyoususpectthatyourpethaseatenatoxicmushroom,contactyourveterinarian,petemergencyhospital,ortheanimalpoisoncontrolcenter.Letthemknowwhattypeofmushroomyourpethasconsumed.Ifinthewildandyoucannotidentifythefungusbringasampleorpicturealongtotheemergencycenter.
PestsandDiseases
Mushroomproductioncanbeharmedbyparasiticinsects,bacteriaandotherfungi.Thesciaridflyorphoridflycanlaytheireggsinthesubstrate.Thesehatchintowormsandspoilmushroomsatanyphaseofgrowth.Therearepesticidesandsanitizingagentsavailabletofightpests.
Mold
Trichodermagreenmold,aswellasothers,cansignificantlyaffectyourmushroomgrowing.Ifmoldappearsinoronyourkitorsubstrate,youwillneedtohaltproductionandthrowoutallaffectedmaterial,andcleantheareathoroughlybeforestartingover.
PreservingMushroomsMushroomsareattheirpeakwhenharvestedandthatiswhenyoushouldeatorsellthem.Mushroomsharvestedattherighttimecanbepreservedforlater.
Ifyoucannotsellyourmushroomsoryouwanttosavethem,asstatedearlier,youcanfreezeordrythem.Thesemethodswillpreserveyourmushroomsformonths.
5.BasicsofLargerScaleMushroomFarming
ImageSource:http://infranetlab.org
Thefollowingsixstepsarerelevantforlargerscalemushroomfarmingandtheprinciplesandmuchoftheinformationisrelevanttosmallscaleindoorgrowing.Themoreyouknowaboutmushroomgrowingthebetteryourchancesofsuccessandofproducingbettermushroomsandcropyields.
Materialsusedformushroomcompostincludewheatstraworsynthetics.Inthiscasethesyntheticscanstillbenaturalingredients,asthislabelreferstoanycompostthatdoesnotcontainhorsemanure.Syntheticcompostistypicallymadefromhayandcrushedcorncobs.Youneedtoaddnitrogensupplementsandaconditioningagentcalledgypsumtoeithercompost.
Youmightnotbeabletoobtaincorncobsatareasonableprice.Therearesubstitutesforcorncobsyoucanusesuchascocoabeanhulls,shreddedhardwoodbark,cottonseedhulls,andneutralizedgrapepumice.
Strawandhaydegradeandholdmoistureduringcomposting.Whenthishappensclumpingcanoccurthatpreventaircirculation,causingananaerobicsituation.
ThepreparationofcompostisdoneintwostepsandoftencalledPhaseIandPhaseIIcomposting.
•Step1:CompostingPhase1
•Step2:CompostingPhase2
•Step3:Spawning
•Step4:Casing
•Step5:Pinning
•Step6:Cropping
StepI:MakingMushroomCompost
Compostpreparationisfrequentlyaccomplishedoutdoorshowevercanbedoneinside.Forlargerscalegrowingawharforconcreteslabiswhatyouneedtobuildthecompostpile.Thiscompostpileoughttomeasurefivetosixfeetacrossbyaslongasyouneed.Thesidesneedtoberigidanddense,thoughtthemiddleneedstobelooseduringthisstep.
Acompostturnerwillhelpaerateandwateryourelements.Blendandwetyouringredientswhileyoupiletheminarectangularstack.Again,itisimportanttostressthatthesidesshouldbetightandthemiddleloose.
Spreadnitrogensupplementsandgypsumoverthetop.Addgypsumatthestartatarateof40poundsperonetonofdry
ingredientsinordertoreducethegreasinessthatnaturallyoccurs.Gypsumalsoincreasestheclumpingofsomechemicalsinthecompostastheysticktothestraworhay.Anadvantageofthiseventisthataircanpermeatethepilemoreeasily.Withoutenoughair,harmfulchemicalcompoundsformed,whichdegradethecompostforgrowingmushrooms.
SixStepsofMushroomCultivation
Thereareseveralnitrogensupplementsincludingbrewer’sgrain,peanuts,soybeanseedmeal,cotton,andchickenmanure.Nitrogensupplementsincreasethenitrogencontenttooneandahalfpercentwithhorsemanureorabitmore,oneandsevententhspercentforsynthetic,calculatedonadryweightbasis.
Whenthecompostiswettheaerobicfermentationbeginsasmicroorganismsgrowandreproducenaturally.Duringthisprocessheat,ammonia,andcarbondioxidearereleased.Theactivityofmicroorganisms,heat,andheatreleasingchemicalreactionsinthecompostbestconvertthematerialsintoafoodsourceformushroomswhilepreventingthegrowthofotherfungiandbacteria.Thisprocessneedsmoisture,oxygen,nitrogen,andcarbohydratestohappensowaterandsupplementsareaddedeverysooften.Oxygenissuppliedduringaerationwhenthecompostisturned.Ammoniumnitrateorureaisneededtostartsyntheticcomposttonitrogen.
Turnandwaterthepileeverytwodayswhenthepileishot(betweenabout145°to170°F(62-76°C).Thiswillwater,aerate,andmixthecomponents.Howoftenyouneedtoturnthepilewilldependontheconditionofthematerialinthebeginningandhowlongyouneedtoreachtemperaturesabove145°F(62°C).
Addingwaterintherightamountsisamustasoverwateringpreventsoxygen
fromoccupyingtheporespace,andnotenoughwatercanprohibitthedevelopmentofbacteriaandfungi.
Wateringisusuallydoneuntilleachingattheinitialturning.Atthispoint,addonlyabitofwaterperiodicallyduringcomposting.BeforePhaseII,compostingatfinalturningwatercanbeaddedliberally.Theamountsandelementsofwater,nutrition,microbialactivity,andtemperature,aredirectlyrelatedtothetotalprocessandreferredtoastheLawofLimitingFactors.
Thissteplastsfrom1to2weeksandyoumightsmellanammoniaodorandmoldysmellduringcomposting.Ammoniaispresentathighertemperaturesover155degreesF.
Compostpiletemperaturescanclimbto170to180degreesFatthetimeofthesecondandthirdturnings.
SignsthatthisPhaseiscomplete:
•Compostcolor:darkbrown
•Texture:soft,bendablestraws
•Moisturecontent:68to74percent
•Smell:strongammoniaodor
StepII:CompletingtheCompost
StepIIinvolvespasteurizationanderadicatingammonia.PPasteurizationwillgetridofinsects,pestfungi,orotherpests.TheammoniacreatedduringstepIwithalevelhigherthan0.07percentisfrequentlylethaltomushroomspawn.PhaseIIcompostingisaboutremovingammoniaandmaintainingtheoptimumtemperaturefortheorganismstogrowandreproduceastheyusecarbohydratesandnitrogen.ThisStepisalsoforeradicatinganypeststhroughapasteurizationcycle.
Thereareseveralproductionsystemsformushroomfarming.
ZoneProductionSystem
Inthissystem,woodtraysarefilledwithcompost.Thesetraysarekeptinstacksinanenvironmentallycontrolledroom.Thetraysaremovedasneededduringthegrowing
ShelforBedProductionSystem
Inthissystem,thecompostisplacedinbedsthatremainwheretheyare.
BulkProductionSystem
Inthebulkmushroomproductionsystemcompostisputinacinderblockcontainerwithfloordrainsdesignedforgrowingmushrooms.
Thecompostneedstobeuniformindepth.
Ahightemperatureforpasteurizationof145°Ffor6hoursisreachedbytheheatgeneratednaturallyorbyintroducingsteamintotheroom.Thenthecompostcoolsoveraweekortwoatabout2°to3°F(about1-2°C)eachdayuntilallammoniaisgone.
StepIII:Spawning
Thecompostnowneedstobeinoculatedwithmushroomspawn.Mushroomsaregrownfrommycelium.Inthisstepspawnisspreadandthenmethodicallymixedintothecompost.Therateofspawningisintermofaquartpersomanysquarefeetofsurface.Aquart(4cups)per10squarefeetissought-after.Therateisalsonowandthenarticulatedasspawnweightversuscompostweight.Inthiscaseyouwouldwantatwopercentspawningrate.
Thissteptypicallytakesthreetofourweeksdependingonseveralfactorsincludingthespawningrate,moisturecontentandtemperature,andthecomposttypeandquality.
StepIV:Casing
Casingisatoppingofclay-loamsoil,amixtureofpeatmosswithlimestonepowder,orreclaimedcompost.Casingservesasawaterreservoirandforrhizomorphstoform.Rhizomorphsarelikestringsandappearasthemyceliumgrowstogether.Casingispasteurizedtopreventintroducinganyinsectsorcontaminatestothecompost.Thenthecasingisspreadevenlyoverthecompost.
Humidityiskepthighandcomposttemperatureisusuallymaintainedat75°F(23°C)forfourorfive5daysaftercasing.Thecompostwillsoonshowsmallmushroompins.
StepV:Pinning
Pinningisthemostcomplexstepformushroomfarmers.Theymustgettherightcombinationofcarbondioxide(CO2),temperature,andhumiditytogetmushroomstofruit.
ImageSource:gardendrum.com
Whencarbondioxidelevelsareloweredto0.08percentorlowerpinswilldevelop.Pinswillgrowinthebuttonstageandeventuallybecomemushrooms.Mushroomswillbereadytoharvestaboutthreeweeksaftercasing.Airandwateramountsinthisperiodaredirectlyrelatedtothemushroomqualityandcropyield.
StepVI:Cropping
Mushroomsareharvestedincyclesusuallyinfivetotendayperiodsinarhythmicfashion.Croppingorharvestingisusuallyasixtosevenweekperiodthoughsomecanlastmuchlonger.Theseperiodsarealsoknownasflush,break,orbloom.
Airtemperatureinthecroppingperiodisusuallysetat57°to62°F(13-16°C).Outsideairisintroducedfortemperaturecontrolandcarbondioxideremoval.Theamountoffreshairneededdependsontheamountofmushrooms,theareaofsurface,theamountofcompostandthecondition.
Mushroomsarewateredtwoorthreetimesaweekduringcropping.
Harvestedmushroomshavetoberefrigeratedat35°to45°F(1-7°C).Mushroomsarepackagedinperforatedmaterialorapaperbagtoprolongshelflife.
Conclusion
Aproductioncyclewilltakeaboutfifteen15weeksfromcompostingto
harvesting.Basically,yieldshouldbefrom0to4pounds(around1kg)persquarefoot.Thefactorsthataffectyieldincludehowthehumidityandtemperaturewerecontrolled,outsideinfluencessuchaspestsandsoon.
Learningmushroomgrowingbasicsandunderstandingthenaturalbiologicalrhythmsofgrowingmushroomsisagreatadvantageforachievingconsistentsuccess.
CertifiedOrganic
Healthgurusadvocateconsumingorganicallygrownmushroomsduetothefactthatmushroomscansoakupcontaminantsfromtheairandsoil.
Atthistimenoorganiccertificationstandardsareinplaceexclusivelyformushroomproduction.Thereareorganicstandardsforgeneralfoodproductionthatapplytogrowingorganicmushrooms.
AppendixSmallScaleMushroomCultivation,<FAO.org>
ShiitakeLogProduction,<https://store.aces.edu>
TheMushroomCounciloffersexcellentresearchandproductioninformationformushroomgrowers.
<http://mushroomcouncil.org/>
TheUniversityofCaliforniaSmallFarmProgram
Thepotentialformushroomproductiononsmallfarmsandonlinepublication:Mushrooms:ASmallScaleAgriculturealternative.
<http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/>
TheNationalSustainableAgricultureInformationService(ATTRA)offerscomprehensiveinformationonmushroomproductionandsalesontheirMushroomCultivationandMarketingpage.<https://attra.ncat.org/>
ReferenceforMushroomGrowersfromPennStateUniversity<http://extension.psu.edu/plants/vegetable-fruit/mushrooms>
GardenGuides.com:LowCostMushroomProductionatHome.<http://www.gardenguides.com>
TheMushroomGrowersNewsletter<http://www.mushroomcompany.com>
UniversityofMarylandExtension:Shiitake.
<http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu/Publications/html/shiitake.html>
MushroomProductionDirectorylistscompanieswhosellsupplies,andfarmsthatproduceediblemushrooms.
<http://www.hotfrog.com/Products/Mushroom-Production>
GourmetMushroomsandMushroomProducts:mushroomgrowingkits,spawn,books,andothersupplies.
<http://www.gmushrooms.com>
GourmetMushroomsInc.:equipmentandinformationaboutmushroomproduction.<http://www.gourmetmushroomsinc.com>
Shroomery:Mushroomproduction.<http://www.shroomery.org>
MycoWeb:Lotsofgreatscientificinformation,pictures,recipes,articles,links,andmuchmoreandmuchmore…
<http://www.mykoweb.com/>
TomVolk’sFungiPage:<http://www.tomvolkfungi.net/>
FungiPhoto.com:<http://www.fungiphoto.com/>
<http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/>
BestPracticesforMushroomProductionandMarketing
<http://americanmushroom.org/>
CommunityAwarenessCommittee(CAC)
<http://www.mushroomfarmcommunity.org/>
TheMushroomCouncil
<http://mushroomcouncil.org/>
ThePennStateMushroomSpawnLaboratory
ThissitehasbeendevelopedtoserveasareferenceforMushroomGrowersbyPennStateUniversity.ItcontainstheMushroomFactsSheetaswellasmanyusefullinks.
<http://plantpath.psu.edu/facilities/mushroom/cultures-spawn>
InternationalSocietyforMushroomScience
ISMSservestodisseminateinformationonnewdevelopmentsandscienceofmushroomsandtostimulatetheexchangeofideasamonggrowersandscientistsaroundtheworld.<http://www.isms.biz/>
NationalAgriculturalStatisticsService-Mushrooms
ThisisthehomepageoftheUSDA'sNationalAgriculturalStatisticsService(NASS).
USDA'sEconomicResearchService-MushroomStatistics
Statisticalinformationonthissiteprovidesalmosteverystatisticevercompiledaboutthemushroomindustryfrom1966-2009.TheinformationispresentedintablesgatheredfromtheUSDA,theCensusBureau,StatisticsCanadaandtheFoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedStates.<http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu>
MushroomEducationPacket
Workbookforinstructingschoolagechildrenallaboutmushrooms.<http://www.americanmushroom.org/workbook.pdf>
TheMushroomGrowers'Newsletter
Containsinformationofinteresttocommercialmushroomgrowers,aswellaslinkstoothersites.
<http://www.mushroomcompany.com>
TheMushroomGrowers'NewsletterArchives
FungusoftheMonth
HomeCultivation
PaulStamets,leaderinthehomecultivationfield—supplies,books,kits,everythingamushroomcultivatorneeds.
PaulStamets’Books:
•FungiPerfecti<http://www.mushroomcompany.com/>
•TheMushroomCultivator
•GrowingGourmetandMedicinalMushrooms
•Alsosee:PaulStametsYouTubeChannel.
FieldandForestProducts
Homecultivationsupplies,kits,spawn,andbooks.
<http://www.fieldforest.net>
MushroomMountain
Bulkspawn,plugspawn,extracts,kits,mycogardeningsupplies,workshops.<http://shop.mushroommountain.com>
MushroomPeople
Onlinecatalogofmushroomspawn,books,andgrowingsupplies."TheFarm"isasurvivingcommunefromthe60’s.<http://mushroompeople.com/>
<FungusAmongus.com>
Growathomekits,driedmushroomsforsale
MushroomAdventures
Growathomekitsandsupplies.<http://www.mushroomadventures.com/>
UnicornBags
Autoclavableplasticbagsforspawn.
<http://unicornbags.com>
SporeTradingPost
CultivationSupplies,magicmushroomemphasis
<http://www.sporetradingpost.com/>
Mycosource.com
FunGuyFarm.Kits,spawn,loginoculationvideo
<http://www.mycosource.com/>
TheMushroomPatch
TheMushroomPatch.Kits,spawn,sporesyringes,spores,books,supplies.<http://www.themushroompatch.com/>
EverythingMushroom
Books,readytogrowmushroomkits,driedwildgourmetmushrooms,outdoorgardenpatches,mushroomlogs,mushroomculturesandspawn,gifts,art<http://everythingmushrooms.com/>
Mycopath
Mushroomcultivationsupplies.Liquidculturesyringesavailable.<http://www.mycopath.com/>
Bioculture
British—Cultures,supplies,cultivationinfo.
<http://www.bioculture.co.uk/>
LostCreekShiitake
Since1992sendingmushroomlogkitstoshiitakeloversandgardeners.Shiitakelogkits.<http://www.shiitakemushroomlog.com/>
MycoSupply
Extensiveinventoryofquality,professionallevelcultivationsupplies:pressurecookers,labequipmentandsupplies,gloveboxes,transportablegrowroom,andmuchmore.<http://www.mycosupply.com/>
WylieMycologicals
Mycologicallaboratory,spawnroomsandgrowingchambers.<http://www.wyliemycologicals.ca/>
MushroomShack<http://www.mushroomshack.com/>
CommercialCultivation
Phillip'sFarms
Amajorcommercialsupplierofspecialtymushrooms.Pennsylvania.<http://www.mushroomshack.com/>
MontereyMushrooms,Inc
Amajorcommercialsupplierofspecialtymushrooms.California<http://www.montereymushrooms.com/>
AmericanMushroomInstitute
Nationalvoluntarytradeassociationrepresentingthegrowers,processors,andmarketersofcultivatedmushroomsintheUnitedStatesandindustrysuppliersworldwide.<http://www.americanmushroom.org/>
MushroomCompany.com
PublishestheMushroomGrowersNewsletter.<http://www.mushroomcompany.com/>
GourmetMushrooms,Inc.
Amajorproducerofspecialtymushrooms.Sebastopol,CA
<http://www.gourmetmushroomsinc.com/>
CanadianMushroomGrowersAssociation
Avoluntary,non-profitorganizationdedicatedtotheproductionandmarketingoffreshmushroomsinCanada.
<http://www.mushrooms.ca/>
ForestMushrooms<http://www.forestmushrooms.com/>
ModernMushroomFarms
Suppliersof"whites"(Agaricusbisporus).<http://www.modernmush.com/>
MycoLogicalNaturalProducts<http://www.mycological.com/>
AmericanMushroomHunter<http://www.mushroomhunter.com/>
ManualsandArticlesonMushroomCultivation
ATTRAMushroomCultivationandMarketing<https://attra.ncat.org/>
"IntroductiontoShiitake<http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/for/for78/FOR78.PDF>
ResourcesforShiitake
<http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/for/for89/for89.pdf>
TrainingManualonMushroomCultivationTechnology
<http://www.unapcaem.org/publication/TM-Mushroom.pdf>
ShiitakeMushroomProductiononLogs
<https://store.aces.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=15612>
SixstepstoMushroomFarming.Buttonmushroomfarming.<http://extension.psu.edu/mushroom-grower-info/publications/guides/SixSteps.pdf>
MushroomCultivationforPeoplewithDisabilities-ATrainingManual.AnentiremanualavailableinhtmlorpdfaprojectsponsoredbytheUnitedNationsFoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO)
<http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/AB497E/ab497e00.htm>
SixStepstoMushroomFarming-FromPennState.
<http://plantpath.psu.edu/facilities/mushroom/cultures-spawn>
CultivationofOyster.Anoutstandingwell-illustratedmanual(12pages)fromPennState.<http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/UL207.pdf>
CultivationofShiitake<http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/xl0083.pdf>
ShiitakeandOysterMushrooms
<http://www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/introsheets/mushrooms.pdf>
Cultivatingmushroomsinnaturallogs.ArticlefromTheMushroomPeople<http://www.thefarm.org/etc/shiitake.html>
SeasonalChefMushroomkitreview.
<http://www.seasonalchef.com/mushrooms.htm>
CountrysideMagazineArticle;JoeKrawczykinterview;Shitakelogcultivation.<http://www.countrysidemag.com/84-5/countryside_staff/>
OysterArticlefromWylieMycologicalsonPluerotusofcolor<http://www.wyliemycologicals.ca/Colourful_Mush.pdf>
GrowingShiitake:<http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/agroforestry/af1010.pdf>
GrowingMushroomswithHydrogenPeroxide
<http://www.mycomasters.com>
RalfKurtzman’sOyster<http://www.oystermushrooms.net>
MycologicalSocietySites
ColoradoMycologicalSociety
<http://www.cmsweb.org/articles/cultivation_1.htm>
KitsapPenninsulaMycologicalSociety
<http://www.dietzfarm.com/growmushrooms>
SonomaCountyMycologicalAssociation
<http://www.somamushrooms.org/growing/>
Mykoweb<http://www.mykoweb.com/articles/cultivation.html>
UniversitySites
PennStateMushroomSpawnLaboratory
<http://plantpath.psu.edu/facilities/mushroom/cultures-spawn>
PurdueUniversityspecialtymushroomsite
<http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/nexus/mushroom_nex.html>
CornellUniversityMushroomCultivation
<http://blogs.cornell.edu/mushrooms/>
AgriculturalMarketingResourceCenter(Mushrooms)
<http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/specialty_crops/mushrooms_profile.cfm
MushroomRecipes<http://www.fungi.com/blog-archive/tag/Mushroom+Recipes.html>
<http://www.food.com/recipes/mushrooms>
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/mushroom-recipes_n_1478550.html>
<http://www.mrfood.com/Editors-Picks/28-Mouthwatering-Mushroom-Recipes#>
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/mushroom-recipes_n_1478550.html>
Glossary
A
Abort:Amushroomthatstopsgrowingforsomereasonandnevermatures.
Acidic:pHlowerthan7.
Adnate:WherethegillsortubesbeneaththecapofafungusareatrightanglestothestematthepointofattachmentAdnexed:AreaofamushroomwherethegillsortubesunderthecapsweepupwardsbeforethestemAerialmycelium:HyphalelementsthatgrowabovetheAgarsurface.
Agar:Aseaweedextractusedtosolidifysubstrate.
Agaric:Mushroomsthathavegillsunderacapthatisconnectedtoastem.
Alkaline:pHgreaterthan7.
Annulus:whenthetissueringatthestemofamushroomrupturesasthefruitdevelopsAntibiotic:Naturalandsyntheticcompoundsthatrestrainthegrowthoforeradicatebacteria.
Aseptic:Sterileconditionwherenoundesirableorganismsexist.
Autoclave:Pressurecookerthatoperatesathigherpressurethan15PSItoachievesterilizationtemperature(above250°F.)
B
Bacteria:Microorganismsthatcancontaminateandalsothosethatarebeneficialandrequiredforfruitingofcertainspecies.
Basidiomycetes:Fungithatproducesporesexternallyonbasidia.
Birthing:Removingfullycolonizedgrowthmediumfromitscontainerandoutingitincircumstancesfavorabletofruiting.
Bolete:Thesefungihavingtubesinsteadofgills.
BrownRiceFlour:(BRF)Groundbrownrice
Buffer:AsystemabletoopposechangesinpHevenwhenacidorbaseisadded.
C
CalciumChloride(CaCl2):Dryingagent.
Calciumcarbonate(CaCO3):Acasingingredientfoundinlimestone.
Cap:Thetoppartofamushroom.
CarbonDioxide(CO2):Acolorless,odorless,incombustiblegasthatiscreatedduringrespiration,combustion,andorganicdecomposition.
Casing:Acoveringlayerofsoilwithaparticularmicrofloraforfruitingthatcanbepeat,cococoirandvermiculitewithlimestoneandcrushedoystershells.
Cellulose:Glucosepolysaccharidethatisthemaincomponentofplantcellwalls.
Cobwebmold:CommonnameforDactylium,amoldthatiscommonlyseenonthecasingsoilorthemushroomthatlookslikeacobweb.
Colonization:ThemushroomcultivationperiodfromInoculationwhenthemyceliumgrowsthroughthesubstrateuntilcompletelypermeated.
Compost:Thefermented(orfermenting)substrateforgrowingmushrooms.
Contamination:Undesiredforeigncontaminantsinasubstrateorgrowingmedium.
Cottony:Looseandcoarsetexture.
Culture:Mushroommyceliumgrowingonaculturemedium.
D
Deciduous:Treesandplantsthatshedtheirleavesattheendofthegrowingseason.
Desiccant:Ananhydrous(waterless)substance,commonlyapowderorgel,utilizedtoabsorbwaterfromothersubstances.
Dextrose(Glucose):AsimplesugarutilizedinAgarformulations.
Dicaryoticmycelium:Containsthenucleiofbothsexestoproducefruitingbodies.
E
Endospore:Ametabolicallydormantstateofbacteria.
Enzyme:Aproteinsynthesizedbyacellthatworksasacatalystinchemicalreaction.
F
Flush:Whenmanymushroomsfruitatthesametimetypicallyinacycle.
Fruiting:WhentheMyceliumwillformmushrooms.MushroomsarethefruitingbodiesoftheMycelium.
Fruitingbody:Thepartofthemushroomthatgrowsaboveground.
Fruitingchamber:Thisisenclosedmanmadeareawithhighhumidityandairexchangeformushroomfruiting.
Fungicide:Aclassofpesticidesusedtokillfungi,chieflythosewhichcausediseasesofplants.
Fungus:Agroupoforganismsthatdecomposeorganicmaterial,returningnutrientstothesoil.
G
Genotype:Thesetofgenespossessedbyasingleorganism.
Germination:Hyphaespreadingfromaspore.
Gills:Thetinysegmentsontheundersideofthecapwherethesporescomefrom.
Gypsum:Calciumsulfate,CaSO4.ApowderusedinspawnmakingthathelpspreventgrainclumpingandasapH-buffer.
H
Hygrometer:Instrumentthatmeasuresrelativehumidity.
Hypha(e):FilamentousmakeupwhichexhibitsapicalgrowthandisthedevelopmentalunitofaMycelium.
I
Incubation:Timeperiodafterinoculationwhenthemyceliumgrows.
Inoculation:Introductionofsporesorspawnintosubstrate.
L
Lamellae:Mushroomgills.
Lignin:Acomplexpolymerthatarisesinthewoodyportionofplantsthatishighlyresistanttochemicalandenzymaticdegradation.
M
Metabolism:Thebiochemicalprocessesthatmaintainalivingcellororganism.
Mycelium:Thepartofthemushroomthatgrowsunderneaththeground.Thisissimilartorootsforpants.Myceliumnetworkscangrowverylarge.
Mycorrhiza:Asymbioticassociationbetweenaplantrootandfungus.
O
Overlay:Athickgrowthofmyceliathatcoversthesurfaceofthecasingsurface;Causedbydrycasing,lowhumidity,orhighlevelsofcarbondioxide.
Oystershells:GroundandaddedtocasingtoachieveabetterstructureandbufferthepH.
P
Parasitic:Fungithatfeedoffotherlivingorganisms
Pasteurization:Heatappliedtoasubstratetodestroyundesirableorganismswhilekeepingpositiveones.
Peat:Unconsolidatedsoilmadeuplargelyoforganicmatterthathasnotyetdecomposed;usedascastingingredient.
Perlite:Lightmineralwithmillionsofmicroscopicporesthatwhendampincreasehumidity.
pH:Ameasureoftheacidityofamedium.pH7isneutral;highpHisAlkalineandlowpHisAcidic.
Pileus:Themushroomcap.
Pinhead:Ayoungmushroomwhenthecapisthesizeofapin
Primordium:Theinitialfruitingbodystagebeforeformingapinhead.
R
Rhyzomorph:Theappearanceofthemyceliumofsomemushroomstrains.
S
Saprophyte:AFungusthatfeedsondeadorganisms
Selectivemedium:Mediumthatallowsthegrowthofcertaintypesofmicroorganisms.
Spawn:Thepurecultureofmyceliumusedtoinoculatethefinalsubstrate.
Spawnrun:Thevegetativegrowthperiodofthemyceliumafterspawning.
Spores:Themicroscopicseedsofmushroomsproducedinmillions.
Stem:Thestalkofagrowingmushroom.
Sterilization:Thedestructionofallmicroorganismspresentbyheatorchemicals.Spawnsubstratemustbesterilizebeforeinoculation.
Stipe:Thetoppartofthestemofamushroomwherethecapisattached.
Strain:Strainsvaryingeneticsbutarereproductivecompatible.
Stroma:Thickmyceliagrowthandnofruiting.Thisconditionhappensifspawnareexposedtoharmfulpetroleum-basedfumesorchemicalsorindryenvironments.
Substrate:Materialusedtogrowmushrooms.Differentmushroomgrowbetterindifferentsubstratessuchasryegrain,straw,rice,compost,woodchips,manure,andsoon.
T
Tissueculture:Tissueculturesareasampleofamushroomormycelia.Culturesareobtainedbyremovingapieceofthemushroomcaporsteminsterileconditionsandplacingthesampleonanagarplate.Myceliumgrowsfromthetissueandcolonizestheagar.
Veil:Edgesofthemushroomcapbreakawayfromthestemduringgrowthleavingathinveilofmaterialhangingfromthestem.
Vermiculite:Highlyabsorbentmaterialmadefrompuffedmicathathelpsholdwaterwhenusedinricecakes.
Z
Zonate:Markedwithconcentricbandsofcolorsuchastheappearanceofmyceliumofsomemushroomspecies.