The humble Mushroom

The humble mushroom, perhaps not so much humble but secretive, or blooming mysterious, while eating lunch today, bacon eggs and mushrooms, we got on to the discussion of using the little shed at the side to grow some of our own mushrooms, we have had a go with the odd mushroom kit before and successfully grown and harvested a few mushrooms and had a good success at growing some oyster mushrooms in a bag of straw, but I would like to grow more than just a handful of mushrooms, so I have been scouring the Internet for information, and its very lacking unless I want to grow magic mushrooms or grow them on a commercial scale, all I want to do is grow a few trays at home in the shed.

I have taken the plunge and ordered some spawn that promises to come with full details and instructions from www.seedsofitaly.com so we shall see when they arrive, I went for

King Mushroom. This mushroom can be sown onto wet straw in dustbin sacks with a sponge in the neck of the bag held in place with an elastic band.

Pleurotus Cornucopiae or Golden Mushroom in English. For sowing onto clean straw only.

Pleurotus Ostreatus (Oyster mushroom). Like the Pioppino, can be sown onto straw or logs

In Italian it is called CAPPELLONE and small Portobello mushrooms are called CRIMINI. Dried spawn sown onto grains which should be sown onto horse manure.

Cultivated (Button) Mushrooms. Many uses for this versatile fungi. First make the compost with 5kg of Horse manure compost mixed with 20% wet straw

I was nearly tempted with a few truffle trees but as they take 4-6 years to start producing truffles and we aim to be moved by then it wouldn't have been a good buy, so they can wait until we are in in a more settled place.

I hope the instructions are all clear when they arrive as it would be lovely to be able to crop our own mushrooms.

The chooks are back to laying now yippee, they only took about 6 weeks off so not bad going, I am waiting for all the bantams to come into lay, some-one mentioned to me it would be around valentines day but cannot remember who said it.

I got another plum and pear tree planted this week along the new back fence, I think that area is now full, its my mini orchard, with apples pears and plums and not forgetting the climbing fig and cultivated blackberry, also got some spuds on the go in the greenhouse another few weeks and the planting season can start properly, I keep going through my seeds cant wait to get going.

we are still using up parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, red cabbage and Swiss chard, there is still salad leaves growing in the greenhouses, but its starting to get a bit mundane so it will be lovely to get out teeth into something else.