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Growing gourmet medicinal mushrooms free download
It also summarizes a study comparing four different treatment methods to prepare straw for oyster mushroom cultivation.
This book is for anyone looking for a fast method of mushroom cultivation that can be done year round with minimal initial inputs.
The process of indoor shiitake cultivation on supplemented sawdust follows the steps below. Fourteen steps may seem like a lot, but when this process is looked at in depth, fourteen is a simplification of all the steps along the way. When really zoomed in, this process has around 65 unique steps to turn raw substrate into raw cash all while using vegan methods.
Our objective in this process is to efficiently transform substrate into fully colonized mycelial blocks that then produce copious amounts of mushrooms. To do this, careful analysis of each step is needed, and continued trial and error on different steps is encouraged and fun. Choosing the best strain and substrate formula is a critical first step to shiitake cultivation.
Based on Fungi Ally trials, either or should be used for indoor cultivation on supplemented sawdust. This is a mixture of hardwood sawdust, wheat bran, and gypsum. At Fungi Ally, this equated to seven gallon totes of sawdust, two and a half lb bags of wheat bran, and 1 gallon of gypsum. Weights were calculated once and then placed into volume which could be easily repeated without constantly weighing.
Other farms use home-built mixers which weigh out both substrate and water for each bag through a process known as dry bagging. Cordyceps is a genus of mushrooms located in the ascomycota phylum. Inline Feedbacks. Steve Weller. Nick Ritar. Reply to Steve Weller. Last edited 1 month ago by Nick Ritar. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Bookings for our next class of Home Mushroom Cultivation are open this week. Join us! Explorar E-books.
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Escolhas dos editores Todas as revistas. Once passed, the forest may not ever recover without direct and drastic counter-action: the insertion of multi-age trees, of different species, with varying canopies and undergrowth. Even with such extraordinary action, the complexity of a replanted forest can not match that which has ated, and the judicious use of saprophytic fungi by homeowners as well as foresters may well prevent widespread parasitic disease vectors.
Selecting and controlling the types of saprophytic fungi occupying these evolved for thousands of years. Little is understood about prerequisite microflora—yeasts, ecological niches can benefit both forester and forestland.
When hurricane-force winds rage across woodlands, enormous masses of dead debris are generated. The older trees are especially likely to fall. Once the higher canopy is gone, the growth of the younger, lower canopy of trees is triggered by the suddenly available sunlight. The continued survival of young trees is dependent upon the quick recycling of nutrients by the saprophytic fungi.
Every time catastrophes occur—hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, floods, even earthquakes—the resulting dead wood becomes a stream of inexpensive substrate materials. In a sense, the cost of mushroom production is underwritten by natural disasters.
Unfortunately, to date, few individuals and communities take advantage of catastrophia as fortuitous events Figure Scanning electron micrograph of the for mushroom culture. However, once the eco- mushrooms grown in these environments nomic value of recycling with gourmet and medicinal mushrooms is clearly understood, and with the increasing popularity of backyard cultivation, catastrophia can be viewed as a positive event, at least in terms of providing new economic opportunities for those who are mycologically astute.
Mushrooms and Toxic Wastes In heavily industrialized areas, soils are of- ten contaminated with a wide variety of mycelial network. Recently, a visitor to a city about 60 miles Chernobyl, the site of the world's Temobyl, from worst nuclear power plant accident, returned to the United States with ajar of pickled mushrooms.
The mushrooms were radioactive enough to set off Geiger counter alarms as the baggage was being processed. The mushrooms were promptly confiscated by Customs officials. Unfortunately, most toxins are not so readily detected. A number of fungi can, however, be used pollutants, particularly petroleum-based compounds, polychlorinated biphenols PCB's. Mushrooms to detoxify contaminated environments, a process called "bioremediation". The white grown in polluted environments can absorb toxins directly into their tissues.
As a result, Gloephyllum fungi particularly Phanerochaete chrysosporiuin and brown rot fungi notably rot species are the most widely used. These extracellular enzymes have evolved to break down plant fiber, primarily lignin-cellulose, the structural component in woody plants, into simpler forms.
By happenstance, these same enzymes also reduce recalcitrant hydrocarbons and other man-made toxins. Bioremediation of toxic waste sites is especially attractive because the environment is treated in situ. The contaminated soils do not have to be hauled away, eliminating the extraordinary expense of handling, transportation, and storage. Since these fungi have the ability to reduce complex hydrocarbons into elemental compounds, these compounds pose no threat to the environment.
Indeed, these former pollutants could even be considered as "fertilizer", helping rather than harming the nutritional base of soils. Dozens of bioremediation companies have formed to solve the problem of toxic waste. Most of these companies look to the imper- fect fungi The higher fungi should not be disqualified for bioremediation just because they produce fruitbody.
Indeed, this group may hold answers to many of the toxic waste problems. The most vigorous rotters de- scribed in this book are the Ganoderina and 15 Pleurotus mushrooms. However, mushrooms grown from toxic wastes are best not eaten as residual toxins may be concentrated within the mushrooms. Mushroom Mycelium and Mycofiltration The mycelium is fabric of interconnected, interwoven strands of cells. A colony can be the size of a half-dollar or many acres.
A cu- bic inch of soil can host up to a mile of myceium. This organism can be physically separated, and yet behave as one. The exquisite lattice-like structure of the mushroom mycelium, often referred to as the mycelial network, is perfectly designed as a filtration membrane.
Each colony extends long, complex chains of cells that fork repeatedly in matrix-like fashion, spreading to geographically defined borders. The mushroom mycelium, being a voracious forager for carbon and nitrogen, secretes extracellular enzymes that unlock organic complexes.
The newly freed nutrients are then selectively absorbed directly through the cell walls into the mycelial network. In the rainy season, water carries nutritional particles through this filtration membrane, including bacteria, which often be- come a food source for the mushroom mycelium.
Only recently has the classic saprophyte, the voracious Oyster mushroom, been found to be parasitic against nematodes. The use of mycelium as a mycofilter is cur- rently being studied by this author in the removal of biological contaminants from surface water passing directly into sensitive watersheds.
By placing sawdust implanted with mushroom mycelium in drainage ba- sins downstream from farms raising livestock, the mycelium acts as a sieve which traps fecal bacteria and ameliorates the impact of a farm's nitrogen-rich outflow into aquatic ecosystems.
This concept is incorpo- rated into an integrated farm model and explored in greater detail in Chapter 5: Permaculture with a Mycological Twist. Who would not want a patch of Matsutake, Shaggy Manes, giant Puffballs or the stately Prince gracing their property? As the different seasons roll along, gourmet mushrooms would arise in concert. Practically speaking, however, our knowledge of mushroom cultivation is currently limited to species of the 10, thought to exist throughout the world.
Through this book and the works of others, the number of cultivatible species will enlarge, especially if amateurs are encouraged to boldly experiment. Techniques for cultivating one species may be applied for cultivating another, often by substituting an ingredient, changing a formula, or altering the fruiting environment.
Ironically, with species never before grown, the strategy of "benign neglect" more often leads to success than active interference with the natural progression of events. I have been particularly adept at this non-strategy. Many of my early mushroom projects only produced when I left them alone.
However, I believe tech- niques for their cultivation will soon be perfected, given a little experimentation. This list is by no means exclusive, and will be much amended in the future. Many of these mushrooms are described as good edibles in the field guides, as listed in the resource section of this book.
See Appendix IV. Gardening with gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. After mycological landscapes are constructed and inoculated, the forces of Nature take over. I also call this "laissez-faire" cultivation —in other words the mushroom patch is left alone, subject to the whims of Nature; except for some timely watering.
Once prepared, the cultivator launches the selected mushroom species into a constructed habitat by spawning. In general, native mushroom spe- cies do better than exotic ones. However, even those obstacles to growing exotic species are easily overcome with some forethought to design, and the helpful suggestions of an experienced cultivator.
Every pile of debris, whether it is tree trimmings, sawdust or wood chips, or a mixture of these materials will support mushrooms. Unless selectively inoculated, debris piles become habitats of miscellaneous "weed" mushrooms, making the likelihood of growing a desirable mushroom remote. When inoculating an outdoor environment with mushroom spawn, the cultivator relinquishes much control to natural forces.
There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to natural culture. First, the mushroom patch is controlled by volatile weather patterns. This also means that outdoor beds have the advantage of needing minimum maintenance. The ratio of hours spent per lb.
The key to success is cre- ating an environment wherein the planted mycelium naturally and vigorously expands. A major advantage of growing outdoors compared to growing indoors is that competitors are not con- centrated in a tight space.
When cultivating mushrooms outdoors you have entropy as an ally. The rate of growth, time to fmiting, and quality of the crop depends upon the spawn, substrate materials, and weather conditions.
Generally, when mushrooms are fruiting in the wild, the inoculated patches also produce. Mushrooms that fruit primarily in the summer, such as the King Stropharia Stropharia rugoso-annulata require frequent watering. Shaggy Manes Coprinus comatus prefer the cool, fall rains, thus requiring little attention. In comparison to indoor cultivation, the outdoor crops are not as frequent.
However, outdoor crops can be just as intense, sometimes more so, especially if one is paying modest attention to the needs of the mushroom mycelium at critical junctures throughout its life cycle. While the cultivator is competing with molds indoors, wild mushrooms are the major competitors outdoors.
You may plant one species in an environment where another species is already firmly established. This is especially likely if you use old sawdust, chips or base materials. Starting with fresh materials is the simplest way to avoid this problem.
Piles of aged wood chips commonly support four or five species of mushrooms within just a few square feet. As the patch ages, it is normal to see more diverse mushroom varieties co-occurring with the planted mushroom species.
Jam constantly fascinated by the way Nature re-establishes a polyculture environment at the earliest opportunity. Some mycologists believe a pre-determined, sequence of mycorrhizal and saprophytic species prevails, for instance, around a Douglas fir tree, as it matures. In complex natural habitats, the interlacing of mycelial networks is common. Underneath a single tree, twenty or more species may thrive.
I look forward to the 21St century, when mycotopian foresters will de- sign whole species mosaics upon whose foundation vast ecosystems can flourish. I hope these con- cepts will be further developed by imaginative and skilled cultivators. In one of my outdoor wood chip beds, I created a "polyculture" mushroom patch about 50 x feet in size.
In the spring I acquired mixed wood chips from the county utility company— mostly alder and Douglas fir—and inoculated three species into it. One year after inoculation, in late April through May, Morels showed. From June to early September, King Stropharia erupted with force, providing our family with several hundred pounds. In the late September through much of November, an assortment of Clustered Wood lovers Hypholoma-like spe- cies popped up. With non-coincident fruiting cycles, this Zen-like polyculture approach is limited only by your imagination.
Species succession can be accomplished indoors. Here is one example. After Shiitake stops producing on logs or sawdust, the substrate can be broken apart, re-moistened, re-sterilized, and re-inoculated with another gourmet mushroom, in this case, I recommend Oyster mushrooms. Once the Oyster mushroom life cycle is completed, the substrate can be again sterilized, and inoculated with the next species. Shiitake, Oyster, King Stropharia and finally Shaggy Manes can all be grown on the same substrate, increasingly reducing the substrate mass, without the addition of new materials.
The majority of the substrate mass that does not evolve into gases is regenerated into mushrooms. The conversion of substrate mass-to-mushroom mass is mind boggling. These concepts are further developed in Chapter The following list of decomposers are wild mushrooms most frequently occurring in wood chips in the northern temperate regions of North America.
In general, these natural competitors are easy to distinguish from the gourmet mush- 23 room species described in this book. This list is by no means comprehensive. Mushrooms from these genera can inhabit the same plot of ground where a cultivator may lay down wood chips, even if the host tree is far removed. The Sweaters Clitocybe spp. Some species in the genus Psilocybe contain psilocybin and psilocin, compounds which often cause uncontrolled laughter, hallucinations, and sometimes spiritual experiences.
Outdoor cultivators must hone their skills at mushroom identification to avert the ac- cidental ingestion of undesired mushrooms. Recommended mushroom field guides and mushroom identification courses are listed in the Resource section of this book.
Methods of Mushroom Cultivation Mushrooms can be cultivated through a variety of methods. Some techniques are exquisitely simple, and demand little or no technical expertise.
Others—involving sterile tissue culture—are much more technically demanding. The simpler methods take little time, but also require more patience and forgiveness on the part of the cultivator, lest the mushrooms do not appear according to your time-table.
As one progresses to the more technically demanding methods, the probability of success is substantially increased, with mushrooms appearing exactly on the day scheduled. The simpler methods for mushroom cultivation, demanding little or no technical expertise, are outlined in this chapter.
They are: spore mass inoculation, transplantation and inoculation with pure cultured spawn. Spore Mass Inoculation By far the simplest way to grow mushrooms is to broadcast spores onto prepared substrates outdoors.
First, spores of the desired species must be collected. Spore collection techniques vary, according to the shape, size, and type of the mushroom candidate. For gilled mushrooms, the caps can be severed from the stems, and laid, gills down, on top of clean typing paper, glass, or similar surface.
See Figure A glass jar or bowl is placed over the mushroom to lessen the loss of water. After 12 hours, most mushrooms will have released thousands of spores, falling according to the radiating symmetry of the gills, in an attractive outline called a Spore Print.
This method is ideal for mushroom hunters "on the go" who might not be able to make use of the spores im- mediately. After the spores have fallen, the spore print can be sealed, stored, and saved for future use. It can even be mailed without harm. By collecting spores of many mushrooms, one creates a Species Library. A mushroom hunter may find a species only once in a lifetime. Under these circumstances, the existence of a spore print may be the only resource a cultivator has for future propagation.
I prefer taking spore prints on a pane of glass, using duct tape as binding along one edge. The glass panes are folded together, and masking tape is used to seal the three remaining edges. This spore book is then registered with notes written affixed to its face as to the name of mushroom, the date of collection, the county and locality of the find.
Spores collected in this fashion remain viable for years, although viability decreases over time. They should be stored in a dark, cool location, low in humidity and free from temperature fluctuation.
Techniques for creating cultures from spores are explained further on. Collecting the spores of the delicious Lepiota rachodes, a Parasol Mushroom, on two panes of glass which are then folded together, creating a Spore Booklet. For those wishing to begin a mushroom patch using fresh specimens, a more efficient method of spore collection is recommended.
This method calls for the immersion of the mushroom in water to cre- ate a spore mass slurry. Choose fairly mature mushrooms and submerge them in a 5-gallon bucket of water. A gram or two of table salt inhibits bacteria from growing while notsubstantially affecting the viabil- ity of the spores. By adding 50 ml. After four hours of soaking, remove the mushroom s from the bucket.
Most mushrooms will have released tens of thousands of spores. Allow the broth to sit for hours at a temperature above F. In most cases, spores begin to germinate in minutes to hours, aggressively in search of new mates and nutrients. This slurry can be expanded by a factor of ten in 48 hours. I have often dreamed, being the mad scientist, of using spore mass slurries of Morels and other species to aerially "bomb" large expanses of forest lands.
This idea, as crazy as it may initially sound, warrants serious investigation. During this stage of frenzied spore germina- tion, the mushroom patch habitat should be designed and constructed. Each species has unique requirements for substrate components for fruiting. However, mycelia of most species will run through a variety of lignin-cellulosic wastes. Only at the stage when fruitbody production is sought does the precise formulation of the substrate become crucial.
Oyster Pleurotus ostreatus, P eryngii and allies , King Stropharia Stropharia rugoso-annulata , and Shaggy Mane Coprinus coniatus mushrooms thrive in a broad range of substrate formulations. Transplantation: Mining Mycelium from Wild Patches Transplantation is the moving of mycelium from natural patches to new habitats. Most wild mushroom patches have a vast mycelial network emanating beneath each mushroom. Not only can one harvest the mushroom, but portions of the mycelial network can be gathered and transferred to a new location.
This method ensures the quick establishment of a new colony without having to germinate spores or buying commercial spawn. When transplanting mycelium, I use a paper sack or a cardboard box.
Once mycelium is disturbed, it quickly dries out unless measures are taken to prevent dehydration. After it is removed from its original habitat, the mycelium will remain viable for days or weeks, as long as it is kept moist in a cool, dark place.
Gathering the wild mycelium of mycorrhizal mushrooms could endanger the parent colony. If done properly, transplanting the mycelium of saprophytic mushrooms is not threatening to naturally occurring mushroom colonies. Some of the best sites for finding mycelium for transplantation are sawdust piles.
Mycelial networks running through sawdust piles tend to be vast and relatively clean of competing fungi. Fans of mycelium are more often found along the periph- ery of sawdust piles than within their depths. When sawdust piles are a foot deep or more, the microclimate is better suited for molds and thermophilic fungi. These mold fungi benefit from the high carbon dioxide and heat generated from natural composting. At depths of inches, mushroom mycelia runs vigorously. It is from these areas that mushroom mycelium should be collected for transplantation to new locations.
One, in effect, engages in a form of mycelial mining by encouraging the growth and the harvesting of mycelium from such environments. Ideal locations for finding such colonies are saw- mills, nurseries, composting sites, recycling centers, rose and rhododendron gardens, and soil mixing companies.
In my opinion, Inoculating Outdoor Substrates with Pure Cultured Spawn mycorrhizal species should not be transplanted unless the parent colony is imminently threat- mycelium was collected from the wild and Be sure you cover the divot with wood debris and ened with loss of habitat—such as logging, construction, etc. Digging up mycelium from the root zone of a healthy forest can jeopardize the symbiotic relationship between the mushroom and its host tree.
Exposed mycelium and roots become vulnerable to disease, insect invasion, and dehydration. Furthermore, transplantation of mycorrhizal species has a lower success rate than the transplantation of saprophytic mushrooms.
In the early history of mushroom cultivation, transplanted into new substrates with varying results. Soon compost spawn for the Button Mushroom Agaricus brunnescens evolved with greater success.
In , spawn technology was revolutionized by Sinden's discovery of grain as a spawn carrier medium. Legions of creative individuals embarked and then only when deemed necessary. Certain limitations prevail in the expansion of mycelium and its ability for colonizing new substrates.
The intensity or rate of inoculation is extremely important. If the spawn is too dis- on the path of exotic mushroom production. In other words, if you gather a 5- gallon bucket of natu- bags, collars and filters. The advantage of using commercial spawn is in acquiring mycelium of higher purity than can be harvested from nature. Commercial spawn can be bought in two forms: grain or wood sawdust or plugs. For the inoculation of outdoor, unpasteurized substrates, wood-based spawn is far better than grain spawn.
When grain spawn is introduced to an outdoor bed, insects, birds, and slugs quickly seek out the nutritious kernels for food. Sawdust spawn has the added advantage of having more particles or inoculation points per lb. After reading the book from cover to cover, I seem to have come up with twice as many questions as I started with, but at least my original questions got answered.
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