Why I Like the Idea of Growing Mushrooms

photo by OliBac

Growing mushrooms intrigues me.  I don’t know why.  I’m not a big mushroom fan.  I eat them, but don’t go out of my way to obtain or eat them.  I don’t hunt my own.

Growing Mushrooms Reason 1

I think what I like about the idea of growing mushrooms is that they are pretty much a no care product.  Once the spores are implanted, the only care is watering once every few weeks.

Growing Mushrooms Reason 2

I also like that mushrooms are grown in an unusual way, by stacking up logs.  How cool is that?  I love things that make people wonder what the heck I’m up to, or even better, are not even identifiable as a project.  They just think I’m weird and messy.

Growing Mushrooms and Paul Stamets

The last reason I’d like to grow mushrooms is because of the work of Paul Stamets.  Mushrooms produce excellent antibiotics, sequester carbon, can be used to produce fuel and are excellent for toxic waste cleanup.  They can even be used to eradicate carpenter ants and termites.  Like composting worms, mushrooms are a small and overlooked group of organisms that can create big positive changes in the way we live.

How to Grow Shitake Mushrooms

I’ve read some articles on growing mushrooms.  Then I found this video.  These guys do a great job of showing the process.  Holes are drilled in a fresh oak log, and spores are implanted.  The holes with spores are sealed with wax and then left alone to do their thing.  If you weren’t aware, mushrooms are the fruit of the fungus, so the mycelium need time to grow.  One log can produce several harvests of mushrooms before needing to start over.

Have you ever grown mushrooms?  If so, leave us some tips in the comments.

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