Hi fungi lovers community! I'd really love to ask some questions if you have any experience in growing reishi mushrooms! I bought the grow kit from a supplier and so far, so good - I have mushrooms growing out of the bag in the terrarium. I feel like some mad scientist or something, conducting experiments. It's super interesting and super fun.
However, some are more 'antlers', and some are more scallops (not sure of right word). Do you know why they 'antler' like this?
Also, it doesn't seem a lot. Should I open the bag entirely, if it's in a terrarium? Or open up the top, or the other side? Would really love some advice!
In other news I have completed the third module of my home mushroom cultivation course. I'm keen to do the bucket culture and fruiting chamber but I shouldn't get ahead of myself.
It's asking us to create a mini grow of mycellium on cardboard egg cartons with oyster mushrooms. Whilst as I watch, I get it quickly, as I've read some of this stuff before, it's good for it to be all logically explained in calm order to organise my thoughts. I like the way they get you to do some small experiments first. You might like to try it! All you need is some egg cartons, water, a takeaway food container and a couple of oyster mushrooms. You soak the egg cartons to what is called FIELD CAPACITY, squeezing out the water after an hour of soaking so it's not dripping at all. Then you tear it up and lasagne layer it with some strips of store bought oyster mushrooms. Pop the lid on (with a few holes, basiclaly just slices through the plastic) and leave it for a week or two to watch the mycellium 'running' through the substrate of cardboard. I thought I'd give it a go to truly get my head around how it works, though it all seems good in theory.
What I think is so super poetic about this is that I used one of the take away containers I took home from hotel quarantine last year. That place was hell on earth - it was so dark and airless, and the only thing that COULD grow in there was quite possibly mycellium! So here I am, a year and a half on, planting mycellium in a tub from that place - things grow, right, even in the dark. I don't know if I'm making sense, but it felt poetic and cool to me.
As much as I complain about work, they are being nice to me as I leave and management is giving me a $245 dollar parting gift. The thing is, I have to buy my own present - lol. So I think I'm going to buy mushroom growing stuff - a humidifier and so on. I'm sure they'll think I'm strange but I never really fitted in there anyway, so what do I care, right?
Marvellous mycellium times, right?
Appreciate it if you can point me in the direction of the best kit to get - or at least good kit that's reasonably priced!
With Love,
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Do you have any ventilation in your terrarium? You should get some fans if you don't, or ventilate them a few times a day. Keep your hands sterilized while working with mushrooms, also keep a stable temperature and humidity. You can cut the top of your bag out to let more air in. The antlers are a result of poor airflow, get more fresh air and they will start forming conks.
Ohhhh!!!! Thanks sooo much!!!!!
I did have holes in terrarium,but I opened up the bags. I'll let you know if they come! The stable temperature is a bit impossible in my house though...
If there are no big temperature jumps they will do fine, also keep in mind that most of the mushrooms need at least 8h of light a day.
Thanks! Yes, they definitely get that! Not direct light, but enough to read by, which is what I understood to be right?
apparently so! the mushrooms elongate to get some fresh air.
Hey, I'll hop on your experiment but wouldn't it be better if the cardboard was soaked in boiling water? To prevent other spores and bacteria from taking over? I think I'll give it a shot that way...
@fenngen I guess so - that's not the instructions I was given, and they sseem to know what they are talking about. Soaking in boiling water sounds like a good idea anyway. I'll let you know what happens next and waht the next experiment is if you are interested?
Highly interested π
Okay, so I found out in this week's lesson that the cardboard just doesn't have enough nutrients in it for mould to grow in, unless it's super wet.... the oyster mushrooms are happy to eat the cardboard, but it's not going to have mould issues like, say, coffee grounds. So if you have spilt egg on your egg carton you might get mould because of the extra nutrients in there.
Exciting stuff, even more as I bought some oyster mushrooms at the market, yesterday. I should really dive deep into mushroom cultivation.
xx
I think you should, it's really great! Watch Fantastic Fungi on Netflix, it's super inpsiring. It actually made me cry but I was being hyper sensitive. Who cries during a mushroom documentary? Wierdo.
I put FF on my watch list. Looking forward to checking it out. I am curious if it will make me cry, like it did to you :<)
I can't answer your questions but I can say yummy to the oyster mushrooms.
It's so exciting to potentially have an ongoing supply! Fried with garlic.. yum..
That would be, I get mine from a local farmer.
I soak in vegan yogurt and almond milk with little lemon juice. For half hour or longer and than bread them and fry.
Add to and sandwich with some maple garlic sauceπ€€ now I am hungry π€£π€£
OH WOW - omg that's the best recipe!!! I'd love to see more mushroom recipes in this community - yum. I guess you could soak in vegan milk too right?
@papdog, @sketch.and.jam -- your fungi growing consulting is needed, please.
They also threw spore out yesterday - it's super cool, there's red dust all over the bags.
Very cool, so far in all the reishi i've grown has resulted in the antler shape. I suspect this is their form when they are inside without too much airflow/humidity. Also don't open the bag all the way otherwise it will probably kill the active mycelium elsewhere in the bag. So after you harvest the antlers tape most the holes shut again then cut new holes elsewhere in the bag and mist them to see if new antlers grow. They take forever to grow so be patient and keep them humid and in ambient light. I was able to get a couple harvests out of my kit by closing the old opening and starting a new opening to mist on, though it took a month and a half to see new antlers forming. This has a pretty good guide for a kit. https://northspore.com/products/grow-your-own-reishi
should we celebrate the future harvest and this #fungiFriday with some mushroom !PIZZA ?.. ππππ€Έ
OOOOH - thankyou!
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Don't ask me! I'm just here with the popcorn hoping for valuable comments. And thinking; those oyster mushrooms would be delicious in a roasted dish with freshly made zucchini pasta...
Oh gosh yes - roasted mushrooms are totally next level @buckaroobaby !!!!
This is awesome! I remember mom trying to do the same in our bathroom lol, I was too small to remember but white mushroomy stuff came out of the bag . Great initiative to grow them on your own!
It's cool the parting of ways is amiable, and maybe it's not so bad buying your own gift?
Wow that's so cool you are growing reishis! They grow abundantly in the wild here so I never thought about propogating them. I have learned a lot of amazing things for "the life mushroom" and I'm excited about you growing them!
You are so lucky to live where you live! They don't grow round here I don't think, maybe up north. I'm sooo excited too. What will you grow and how?
Itβs amazing that you even grow them, they are indeed yummy
Woho