How to Grow Mushrooms

A couple of years ago I took a course at our local adult ed center about how to grow mushrooms. The instructor started out with a slide show in which he described the process and showed the different types of mushrooms that are easier to grow at home.

The next day we gathered at his farm and as a group drilled holes into some aspen logs he had cut ahead of time. (What I mean by "as a group" is that some of the more tool-handy types did the drilling and the rest of us watched!)

The thing is, you have to cut fresh logs from living trees for this process, as dead trees may already have mushroom spores established in them. You can't be certain on a dead tree whether the mushrooms you are growing are the edible ones you are trying to encourage or some other perhaps even toxic ones. And the mushroom spawn you are introducing will have too much competition from the spores of other varieties to establish themselves if the tree you are starting with is dead.

Those of us without drills carried the 14" logs to a table and stuffed them with the mushroom spawn. We then passed the logs to another group who melted bees' wax and sealed the holes so that the spawn was safe from birds and insects.

We each went home with two logs. These we were instructed to soak overnight in a tub of water. We were then to keep the logs under a shady tree near to a source of water that we could use to keep them moist.

When the mushroom spawn has established itself, the cut edges of the log will take on a white pattern of where the holes were drilled into the log. The mycelium grows along the sap channels on the tree so that it is visible at the very ends. It takes up to 18 months for the mushroom log to fruit, sending up the mushrooms that you can harvest.

If you are considering growing mushrooms yourself, I would suggest reading up on the process and watching these Youtube videos, which will give you a feel for how it's done.

You should also investigate whether there are any courses offered in your area by a community center or an agricultural college. Reading a how-to manual is all well and good, but nothing replaces the hands-on experience and the practical tips you can get from an expert.

Another great thing about taking a workshop or course on how to grow mushrooms is that you can ask questions pertaining to your own specific environment to which you may not find the answers by looking it up in a book. You can also refer back to this person if you have any problems -- and, chances are, you will have problems or at least questions when you try it on your own.

This is me talking -- a person who usually needs a little direction on growing anything. I try hard, mind you, but hands-on is the best method for me in these things. You may have a green thumb for whom everything thrives.

The video below gives you information on how to grow oyster mushrooms -- another favorite with people into mushroom farming.

The procedure is much the same, only using a different spawn. 

Although these videos recommend using logs, other videos talk about growing mushrooms in your basement using a variety of media, such as coffee grounds, bags, sawdust, and other available stuff.  

Now I'll give you a heads up here -- I'm not a health professional. However, I have a vested interest in anything that is used to fight cancer cells. Doesn't everyone know someone with cancer these days?

My son is an acupuncturist and he is also someone who has researched the health benefits of local plants and fungi. Mushrooms, especially certain kinds, he tells me, are good at boosting your immune system and can even be used in an anti-cancer diet when you are facing the dreaded disease.

The man in the "How to Grow Gourmet Mushrooms" video says that some mushrooms kill cancer cells. I can't say for sure whether that statement is true, but in my way of looking at things, if you can alter your diet to promote good health, you'd be foolish not to at least try that method, even if you are receiving medical treatments.

Of course, if you have cancer, you'd want to check with your doctor first to make sure whatever natural methods you are using to combat the disease don't interfere with whatever pharmaceuticals you are taking. Some substances may interact, as plants can have powerful agents in them, too.

Mushrooms, however, so I am told, do not cause a problem in this way, but as I've said already, be sure to check with your doctor before you mess around too much. I had a friend once who almost died because he didn't inform his doctor he was taking herbal supplements and there was a drug interaction that he wasn't expecting.

With all the advice out there on the internet, and especially if you're lucky enough to have a center where a growing mushroom course is offered, you should feel confident that you, too, can tackle this task and actually produce food that can supplement your family's diet.

As one of the videos I've added recommends, you should start with easy-to-grow varieties such as button mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, but once you have been successful with those, the shiitake and other varieties can be tried.

Or just jump right in and grow the shiitake mushrooms, if that's the one you most enjoy eating.

The beauty of mushroom growing is that you don't have to have a big garden space or any garden space at all to make them grow. You can grow mushrooms in your basement if you want to or in any moist, dark space.

I hope you try it for yourself. Leave a comment to let me know what you think. And then come back and leave me a message to let me know how it went.