We've Got Mushrooms!

Wow, this is easier than I thought!  In just a short time, we've got Shiitake mushrooms.  Posted here about receiving a mushroom log from Richter's Herbs.  With just a little maintenance, we've got mushrooms!  And lots of things bubbling on the surface of the log, which should become mushrooms soon.  The process has really been quite simple: make slits in the bag the log was shipped in, run water through the bag, find a cool place with indirect light.  We've had to keep up the humidity which we've achieved by wrapping the log, on a seed tray, in a clear plastic bag.  What's really exciting:  the oyster mushroom log just arrived!

We're Growing Mushrooms!

Yep, we're giving it a try.  Got a shiitake mushroom kit from Richters Herbs, which arrived in the mail a couple of days ago.  It's a block composed of alder sawdust, millet grain, wheat bran and crushed limestone, about the size of a shoebox.  It comes already inoculated with shiitake spawn.  Looks weird:  kind of lumpy, almost moldy, muddy.....Apparently, we must keep it cool, in the 10 - 18 Celsius range (50-65F), and it needs some indirect sunlight or the light from a fluorescent lamp 3 meters (10 feet) away will do.  We must retain humidity around it.  We're going to keep it in the foyer closet, for the coolness, and we can keep the closet door just cracked a bit to let it some light.  We're going to keep it in one of our seeding trays with the plastic lid to keep the humidity up.  It requires attention; not only to keep the humidity up, but also as mushrooms start to grow we've got to be prepared to slit the plastic bag holding the block.  Fingers crossed, we'll be eating some local shiitake mushrooms in 2 - 3 weeks.