That’s a bag of mushroom spawn in my fridge, complete with the directions on top of it because if I don’t keep them in there I’m sure to lose them. |
It’s actually a bag of wine cap mushroom (Stropharia) spawn mixed with sawdust that I picked up over the weekend at the Wisconsin Garden Expo. A few weeks ago, on a dark winter weekend, I somewhat randomly decided that I’m going to grow mushrooms this year.
My interest in mushrooms actually started last spring when I was chatting with garden blogger friend Kenny Point from Veggie Gardening Tips as we passed the time waiting for our flights at the airport. Kenny loves to grow things just for the challenge of growing something different (he also got me hooked on growing culinary ginger and turmeric) and told me that I was crazy not to give mushroom growing a try because, he said, some varieties are dead simple to grow.
Later that spring I went to a talk on growing mushrooms, but that one was centered mostly on using inoculated wood plugs to “seed” logs and seemed to require a fair amount of waiting, something we all know I’m no good at (see name of blog), but I kept remembering that there was a variety Kenny told me was very simple to try. I recalled that a few weekends ago and decided I would officially give wine caps a try.
Here’s why I picked that variety:
- They can be grown in wood chips or straw.
- If I plant them in spring I should have mushrooms by August.
- The mushrooms are unique looking so even I should be able to identify them and not kill myself.
Field and Forest photo |
I bought mushrooms at the Expo also. I attended a conference given by Field and Forest on Saturday. I will be using straw bed covered in straw. Going to put them in a 4×4 raised bed that is empty. Hoping for a great harvest of wine caps.
Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes for you! I love a good garden experiment!
My kids and I have talked about growing mushrooms. I will be interested in seeing how it goes for you. Do you have a link to the specific product you purchased?
How has your ginger been growing?
Here's a link for you (I got the 5.5-pound bag): http://www.fieldforest.net/Wine-Cap-Stropharia-rugosa-annulata-Sawdust-Spawn/productinfo/SSR/
My ginger great pretty good considering that I had it confined to a pot. Unfortunately I dug most of it and then forgot it outside for a night and it froze and turned to mush. The bits I did eat were delicious. I just think it's a beautiful plant. I grow it in pots to manage the growing conditions but I'm toying with trying it in the ground next year as it really did well.
This is interesting. I will be curious to hear all about your experiment. There is a nursery fairly near where I live that sells mushrooms that someone in the area grows. I think they grow theirs in an old underground mine area. They are sort of secret about it. I am not sure of the variety they grow. Big white ones that are kind of flat and of course the button mushrooms. They are tasty. Good luck with your experiment.
That sounds fun. I'd never really thought about it until now, but with all the fungi that grow naturally around here we should have good conditions too. I'm tempted. Will be interested to see how you go.