Fungi (girl) Lab

 

                                                This is my friend Janet.  It's all her fault... 

 

She is the one that got me hooked on mushrooms...  And now she's moving away to Phoenix Arizona (where mushrooms are scarce) to pursue other adventures.  The nerve!  I will miss her. 

 

Truthfully, I am very grateful to Janet for giving me the idea to have a mushroom lab. 

Fungi are fascinating.  

 

 This is Olga and I. 
 

My husband and I took a trip to Mushroom Mountain to buy spawn.

Olga also helped me learn how to cultivate spawn. 

 

She was a big help in identifying all the fungi in the back of my car.  This is where I store my prize collections from walks in the woods.  My car looks like a science experiment gone awry... 

 

 Olga taught me how to shred newspaper and then soak it in water overnight. 

Next, layer the spawn and newspaper in a container and seal it up in a plastic bag.  Remove this from sunlight and wait 2-3 weeks. 

Open the bag and you should see this.  It is mycelium that has colonized the wet newspaper.  After a while the colony will decide to rise up and create delicious oyster mushrooms.  I can't wait. 

Olga says they will double in size every day.  When they stop growing is when they should be picked and eaten.  Yummy!  So, if you are inclined to learn how to grow mushrooms, please visit Mushroom Mountain.  They are simply the best.