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  1. #1
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
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    Mushroom growing?

    Does anyone have any experience growing mushrooms? I would like to start with something easy that grows indoors. I have read quite a bit online but my house is 64 F and I'm a little overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of information. Who knew there were so many shrooms? Any thoughts?

  2. #2
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    No experience but I have seen the mushroom growing kits in garden centers and, I think, Home Depot.
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  4. #3
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
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    Looks like a good way to start! Thank you.

  5. #4
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    I bought a mushroom growing kit at the farmers market last year. It was a pressed material shaped like a log about 15 inches long and 5 inches in diameter. You had to spritz it with water (it came with a mini spray bottle). They would grow on the side you wet and you kept turning it after harvesting and wet another side. It didn't grow a lot but it cost less than if I bought the same amount.

    I wanted to get another kit or 2 this year but didn't get to the farmers market as much and they didn't have them when I was there.

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  7. #5
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    Regular mushrooms or Magic Mushroom?

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  9. #6
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff View Post
    Regular mushrooms or Magic Mushroom?
    Regular. I really like sauteed shrooms, especially oyster and portabella but love the mixtures we get at nicer restaurants. Not sure what's in them but am game to try just about anything.

  10. #7
    Senior Dog voodoo's Avatar
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    i recommend to master cooking them before growing them...mushrooms cheap around my parts.
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  12. #8
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by voodoo View Post
    i recommend to master cooking them before growing them...mushrooms cheap around my parts.
    I like to learn new things. Keeps the winter less oppressive.

  13. #9
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    Well one of the things I know about growing mushrooms is each one likes a different growing medium. So like some prefer to grow in rotting oak wood, some prefer mulch wood. Some prefer sandy soils, some prefer manure and different types at that. Most of the white cap mushrooms you buy in the grocery are grown in horse manure. The manure is generally sterilized and pressed into cakes. I had a friend a long time ago in Florida that ran a company that grew high end mushrooms, Shitake, Namiko and a few other more exotic ones. I asked him quite a few questions because well it interested me. I mean how often to you run into someone that professionally grows mushrooms. Each type were in separate rooms because each one required different light and humidity. I would honestly talk to some farms. See if there are any around you. Most of them sell spore kits for researching and so on. However be ware this is an expensive hobby, it might cost you $50 to get started to grow what you can buy in the grocery for $5 but hey, I have spent a lot of money just to learn how to do something I could easily just buy for cheaper because I wanted the knowledge so I respect that.

    Anyway look to see if there is a farm in your area that might give you some advice. There is one near me, they are all about you growing your own and experimenting they even sell grow kits. I just request one thing if you come to Michigan to learn it you bring me one of your cakes. ;-)
    https://www.mycopia.com/buy#growth-kits-intro

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  15. #10
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
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    OK. I've been obsessing about this all day. Don't cringe, Jeff, but I found a farm that's willing to sell packs of 100 spawn plugs for $8 each because they are older. We had a young hardwood cut down just a couple of months ago because it was being dragged down by vines and the vines pulled down the tree next to it when it fell so I have plenty of pieces to work with, all about 8-10 inches in diameter. Neither the spawn nor the medium are ideal since the wood will be aged by a few months before I can start something outdoors but for $8 it is well worth it. I'm looking at getting king oyster spawn for growing indoors. The nice thing about the kits apparently is that you can "replant" them in new coffee grounds when the old medium is spent.

    This is quite the education. I didn't realize how much of a role shrooms play in breaking down wood, straw and things like coffee grounds. In many ways, it's just composting and I love that kind of thing.

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    Jeff (02-04-2018)

 



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