MUSHROOMS

[dthelmers]

Anyone on the forum growing mushrooms? I see that we generally do a lot of other activities from brewing to baking, and it wouldn't surprise me if some of you grow your own mushrooms. I'd like to give it a try, but I don't know what I don't know, and would appreciate advice.
Dave in CT

[linuxboy]

Do you want to get serious about it and do your own propagation and inoculation, or just buy ready to grow logs?

In the easiest approach, you can buy a kit... it's fairly straightforward, has instructions.

[dthelmers]

Ideally, I'd like to keep it ongoing to have a ready supply. Is a kit the best way to start?
Dave in CT

[susanky]

I was planning the same thing this spring!   ... though I have no experience.  I understand it is best to use a freshly cut tree.  I have my eye on an oak.  Plan to cut some pieces in Feb and drill the holes and start them this spring.  Keep us posted on your progress!
Susan

[linuxboy]

My question was more about how much stuff you want to buy and how much time you want to spend. Because you can get really into mushrooming and propagate your own spores, and keep mushroom cultures, and replicate them, and all that.

Or you can buy kits, put them into logs, and harvest for 2-4 years and then buy another kit. Just depends on how much you want to grow and the time vs convenience factor.

If you're starting out, a kit is a good way to start. There's a supply shop here in Tacoma or Olympia that's rather popular, don't recall the name. They sell kits for $40 or so.

[susanky]

I think the kit is what I was looking at to get started.  Can you start with that, then propagate your own from there?  I'll have to do some reading.  Wouldn't want it to cut into my cheesenaking time! 
Susan

[linuxboy]

Yep, absolutely, you can collect the spores after the bloom and build up a collection pretty quickly. There are some good mushroom forums out there with instructions.

[susanky]

That is great news!  I'll look it up.  So much to do.... so little time....  But I do LOVE mushrooms. (well maybe not quite as much as cheese. )

Susan

[acstokes]

I grow a few shitakes for fun. I inoculated oak logs that were about 6" in diameter and 3' long. It takes 6 months to a year if you start them from spores or you can buy a kit or a log that's already been inoculated. There are a number of suppliers (just do a google search for them) and there are other species besides shitakes that can be grown. Let me know if I can provide you any other information.

[DeejayDebi]

I have grown mushrooms many times over the years. I have a kind ole tyme method of making mushroom beds.

Get a couple of those plastic rubbermaid container things that are about 2 feet by 3 feet wide and 2 feet high. The colored ones so they don't let in light.

Go to the state forrest (bring a saw) and grab a few smallish dead fallen logs just starting to rot but solid. I like two in each container. Clean off the leaves and other crap.

Take a small hunk of wood and pound in a bunch of nails through about an inch apart. Make sure the stick out about 1.4 to 1/2 inch. Leave room for a handle. This is going to be your plow so to speak.

Pound in nail holes all over the top of logs.

When done pour water over the logs and soak them real good for a day or so.

Sprinkle the mushroom spores over the soagy logs and put the lids on the containers.