Growing Mushrooms!

I finally bit the bullet back in January when an ad came up on my Facebook feed for a sale on Mushroom Grow Kits.  I quickly ordered two kits of oyster mushrooms from the company.  Within a few days, they arrived. I punched holes in the boxes and the long wait began.

One box of Blue and one of Black Oyster Mushrooms.  After many weeks and no "fruit," I re-punctured both boxes as directed.  Within a week the Black Oysters started to show themselves!

It had two holes that produced so I harvested the larger side.




















 

Beautiful mushroom gills.

They were delicious.  Sadly, a few days later, when I went to harvest the others, they had shriveled. And the Blues have never fruited. I am hoping that the Black Oysters will have a second fruiting.







Not to be deterred, while at the 2016 Philadelphia Flower Show, I stumbled upon Smugtown Mushrooms' booth!  After a nice chat with a very knowledgeable young woman, I purchased two more growing kits.  The Shiitake block is now in a old fish tank fruiting away.  The other, "Wine Cap," also known as "Garden Giant" are going to go outside in the next day or so.  They will grow on a bed of fresh wood chips and continue to fruit throughout the spring, summer and fall!  I am really looking forward to it.  I will post photos once we get some growing.


If you are interested in trying to grow mushrooms at home, I suggest a visit to Smugtown Mushrooms to check them out!  

This year is all about trying new things in the gardens and stepping outside of my comfort zone.  15 blackberry plants went in this week! To be partly living fence and partly food. We revamped garden beds and are looking to improve our harvests this growing season.