Usually when it comes to Magic mushrooms for sale, the most important thing that you will need to begin with is the mushroom spawn itself – this is what the mushrooms grow from, so it is an essential ingredient. Without it, it would be like trying to grow an apple tree without the apple pip – its never going to work. Usually the mushroom spawn will be especially created by a mycologist, and will normally consist of some kind of grain that has been impregnated with mushroom mycelium (mycelium is what the mushrooms come from).
You can create your own mushroom spawn several ways, but what most people don’t realise is that you can actually grow your own mushrooms from old stem butts, enabling you to re-use old mushrooms and start your own cycle of mushroom cultivation.
All that you need to do is to cut off a small section of the mushroom stem butt, no bigger then an inch long. It is important to try and use the bottom of the stem, with the bulbous part of the stem intact (this part is usually removed prior to preparing the mushroom for cooking and for packaging before being sold in stores). However if you have already grown some of your own mushrooms from some kind of spawn then you will have no problem getting hold of the healthiest variety of stem butts. You can still try using the stem from shop-brought mushrooms, but you may not have as much success.
It is important stating that not all mushrooms have this stem growth capability, and there are only a few varieties that are known to be able to re-spawn from their stems. These include Oyster mushrooms (Pleutrous Ostreatus), Parasol mushrooms, Morels, Prince, and many more.
All you need to do is remove a section of the stem butts, and get some corrugated cardboard. Soak the cardboard and then try to peel it in half, so that the paper is as thin as possible. Next, lay the carboard on a surface and place some of the stem butts on top. Try and leave around 6 inches of cardboard per stem butt. Cover the stems with the rest of the corrugated cardboard and then re-soak for a few minutes. Place the folded pieces of cardboard into an old box – cardboard, wood, or anything else that will keep the box moist, and then place it in a shady position in your garden before covering it with leaves.
What will happen is that the mycelium will start to grow through the pieces of cardboard, from the stem butts, using the materials in the cardboard as a food (mushrooms naturally grow on wood and so cardboard is ideal to use and is easier to break down). After a few months you will have your own cardboard spawn, and you can either use this to grow mushrooms on more cardboard, or you can mix this cardboard spawn with straw, creating an outdoor bed or mushroom patch, or you can try and transfer the spawn to other substrates.
Here is a project that will keep the gardener busy during this time of year .Have you ever given consideration to growing mushrooms? Just think your very own mushrooms whenever you needed them for cooking and salads. You can easily grow mushrooms outdoors but I think you are better off growing mushrooms indoors. You completely avoid the insects and diseases that are prevalent outdoors. I am not entertaining growing wild mushrooms but growing mushrooms that you know are safe to consume like shiitake, oyster or portabella.
It would be wise to try your hand at growing mushrooms inside in the beginning and maybe later you can graduate to the outdoors. You can learn to be a mycologist by researching and studying the different species so that you have the ability to identify the poisonous wild mushrooms that find their way into your patch of cultivated fungi. Incidentally a mycologist is one who makes a study of fungi.
I think it best to cover just growing mushrooms indoors. The first method of growing mushrooms would be buy spawn, germinated mushroom spores, and using a growing medium such as sawdust, compost or newspaper to begin your growing mushrooms. Spawn can be procured from numerous websites selling mushrooms and should be accompanied by very detailed instructions. Always check to make sure that complete instructions, helpful information or supplies are included. You should never purchase from any vendor if you are not going to receive the complete package.
Now my approach in growing mushrooms, at least in the beginning, is to purchase a mushroom kit which is designed to immediately allow starting with the growing phase. A kit will include all the required components to grow several crops of mushrooms. There are many types of mushroom kits available but the most popular are the shiitake, oyster and portabella. These kits will allow you to grow several crops over an eight to twelve week period.
The benefits of growing mushrooms is not only from the satisfaction of a successful crop but can be good for the health.Mushrooms are very nutritious and are low in calories, with a very small amount of fat and cholesterol. A basic serving of five small mushrooms contains 2 grams of protein, just about as much potassium as a banana and three B vitamins. Mushrooms also are a valuable source of selenium, a nutrient found in meats that may be in short supply in vegetarian diets.
The other benefits in growing mushrooms comes from the delicious and innovative ways you can prepare them for consumption. They are outstanding in salads or how about cooking up some portabella on the stove with some port wine and Worcestershire sauce and then fill them with a mixture of onions,garlic,peppers,more mushrooms,and spinach all chopped and bake in the oven
for about 10 minutes. It is truly almost like eating a small steak. If you purchase the same mushrooms in your local store, they are already 5-6 days old. Growing mushrooms can be a great hobby which could also become a small business