Usually when it comes to growing mushrooms, the most important thing you’ll need to get started is the mushroom seed itself – that’s what mushrooms grow from, so it’s an essential ingredient. Without it, it would be like trying to grow an apple tree without the apple core: it will never work. Mushroom seed will usually be specially created by a mycologist, and will typically consist of some kind of grain that has been impregnated with mushroom mycelium (mycelium is what mushrooms come from).
You can create your own mushroom seed in a number of ways, but what most people don’t realize is that you can actually grow your own mushrooms from old stems, allowing you to reuse old mushrooms and start your own cycle. mushroom cultivation.
All you need to do is cut a small section off the stem end of the mushroom, no larger than an inch long. It’s important to try to use the lower part of the stem, with the bulbous part of the stem intact (this part is usually removed before the mushroom is prepared for cooking and packaged before it is sold in stores). However, if you’ve already grown some of your own mushrooms from some kind of seed, then you won’t have a problem getting the healthiest variety of stem stalks. You can still try using the stem of mushrooms brought in from the store, but you may not be as successful.
It is important to note that not all fungi have this ability to grow from the stem, and only a few varieties are known to be able to regenerate 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 ends and get some corrugated cardboard. Soak the cardboard and then try to peel it down the middle, to make the paper as thin as possible. Next, lay the cardboard out on a surface and place some of the stem ends on top. Try to leave about 6 inches of cardboard per stem end. Cover the stems with the rest of the corrugated cardboard, then soak them again for a few minutes. Put the folded pieces of cardboard in an old box (cardboard, wood, or anything else that will keep the box moist) and then place it in a shady spot 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 tips of the stems, using the cardboard materials as food (fungi grow naturally on wood, so cardboard is ideal to use and is easier to decompose). ). After a few months you will have your own cardboard spawn, and you can use it 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 transferring the spawn to other substrates.