Mushroom spawn is simply any substance that has been inoculated with

mycelium, the vegetative growth of a fungus. Mycelium, a thread-like collection of cells,

is to a mushroom like an apple tree is to an apple. You need to have one as the base
for producing the other.

Mushroom spawn is used to transfer mycelium onto any material from which
mushrooms will grow, called a substrate. There are many different kinds of substrates,
with straw, cardboard, logs, and wood chips just being a few examples. For more
information on mushroom substrates see this page.

Can we grow mushrooms straight from spawn, without

using a substrate? Well, sometimes but it's not ideal. A
certain amount of spawn can inoculate a much greater
amount of substrate; resulting in many more
mushrooms than if you used spawn alone.

The rest of this article explains some of the ins and outs
of mushroom spawn. First we'll take a look at types of
spawn, and then move on to which type of spawn you
should use. We'll end with how to acquire and store it.

Types of Mushroom Spawn

 

Any material with mycelial growth used to propagate mushrooms is considered 'spawn'.
However, you'll usually find that spawn comes in one of these forms:

Sawdust

Sawdust Spawn is sterilized sawdust that has been inoculated with mycelium, often by
grain spawn. The sawdust is usually made out of some type of hardwood with pieces
neither too large nor too fine (a few mm in diameter).
Sawdust spawn can be used to inoculate logs, outdoor mushroom beds, pasteurized
straw, cardboard, and a variety of other substrates. It's also used to inoculate wooden
dowels to create plug spawn.

One of the main advantages of mushroom spawn in the form of sawdust is the size of
the particles. Because they are so small and numerous, there are many more
inoculation points for the mycelium to grow into the substrate. This results in faster
mycelium colonization with less time for contaminants to take hold.

A disadvantage of sawdust spawn is that, on its own, its not as nutritious for mushroom
growing as one would like. Thus you may be disappointed with your yield if you try to
grow mushrooms from straight sawdust. Mushroom growing kits made from sawdust
are usually enriched with bran or some other source of nitrogen to increase yields.

Grain

Grain spawn is sterilized grain that has been inoculated with spores or a sterile culture
of mycelium. Many types of grain can be used with rye and millet being some of the
most common. Other choices are corn, wheat, and different cereal grains. I've even had
good luck with popcorn!

Grain spawn can be used to create sawdust spawn, more grain spawn, or inoculate all
sorts of pasteurized substrates such as straw.

A big advantage of using grain is that it's much more nutritious than sawdust, making it
ideal to create more spawn or to inoculate indoor substrates.

A disadvantage is that it's not as good a choice for inoculating outdoor beds. The
yummy grains are a big target for birds and rodents.

Plug/Dowel

Plug spawn is a collection of small wooden dowels that have been inoculated with
mycelium. This can be done with sawdust spawn, or even with stems of live
mushrooms.

An advantage of plug spawn is that it's very effective for inoculating substrates made
from wood or fibers. It easily colonizes cardboard, wood chips, paper, stumps, and logs.
 A disadvantage is it's not always the best choice for straw or grain based substrates.

 
Other Types of Mushroom Spawn

You may see spawn in many other forms as well. A few examples are:

 Woodchip spawn - Made from woodchips of various hardwoods

 Straw spawn - Pasteurized straw inoculated with mycelium

 Sawdust spawn plugs - Sawdust spawn in the shape of a plug with Styrofoam on
the end

 Liquid spawn - Water enriched with mushroom spores/mycelia slurry

Return to top

The Best Mushroom Spawn

 

So which type of mushroom spawn is best for your project? The answer depends on
what you're doing.

A general rule of thumb is to match your

spawn to your substrate. For example, if you
want to grow mushrooms on logs, a wood-
based spawn such as plugs or sawdust is
best. The argument is that the mycelium is
already familiar with this material, reducing
colonization time.

Certain mushrooms also grow better on

certain substrates. Before starting, research
the types of mushrooms you want to grow to
see which substrate to use.
 Below lists which substrates are best for which spawn. This is just a general guideline,
nothing is set in stone.

 Sawdust - Logs, wood chip beds, enriched sawdust, cardboard, and outdoor
beds of non-pasteurized straw (see the above pic)

 Grain - Pasteurized straw (not used in an outdoor bed) and enriched sawdust

 Plug/Dowel - Logs and wood chips

A little research regarding your mushroom and spawn type in the beginning can save
you a lot of time and hassle in the long run. If you're overwhelmed, it's best to start with
some easy mushroom growing kits to help you understand the fungal life cycle.

Return to top

Acquiring and Storing

 

So you've done some research on how to grow mushrooms and now you're ready to get
some spawn. Awesome! Let the fun begin.

Mushroom spawn can be purchased from a variety of different producers, either over
the Internet or offline. There are many companies out there, so do a little research to
find one highly recommended. Quality varies greatly so take your time to find
someplace good.

Spawn should come to you with a date of inoculation

on it. Pay attention to this date, as degradation due to
mold, bacteria, and waste products will happen
quickly. See the yellow spots on the pic to the right?
That's the waste product of the mycelium in a spawn
bag.

Mushroom spawn is a "use it or lose it" product,

and rarely lasts beyond 2 months.

Thus you should use it as soon as possible after it arrives. If not, refrigerate it to prolong
its life span. Keep in mind that you're still working against the clock, so bust out that
spawn as soon as you can!
Purchasing spawn is just fine for the occasional mushroom grower, but what if you want
to continuously grow a lot of mushrooms? Or start growing on a commercial level?

In this case buying spawn from afar isn't worth it. The expense and lack of control of
quality won't suit your needs.

So is it possible to make your own mushroom spawn? Of course! Making your own
grain or sawdust spawn isn't too difficult, but it does require more sterile procedures.

That's a little beyond the scope of this article, so I'll refer you to the excellent
book Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms by Paul Stamets. This book contains
loads of information on how to grow mushrooms, along with detailed instructions on how
to make your own spawn. If you're serious about cultivation, it's a must have.

- See more at: http://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/mushroom-

spawn.html#sthash.MK9P5JuW.dpuf
The answer to this question depends on several things, including the stage of
mushroom growing you want to start with, the method of inoculation, the temperature,
the kind of substrate you are using, the mushroom species, and the specific mushroom
strain. Starting at the very beginning, mushroom spores can take from a few hours to
several days to germinate. A culture of mushroom mycelium growing on a petri dish
of nutrient agar can take 24 hours (for morels) to upwards of a month (for Agaricus
species and Stropharia Rugosa-annulata, for example) to spread across the better part
of the plate. Using a chunk of agar culture to inoculate small jar of spawn, it can take
2-4 weeks for the spawn to reach maturity (1-2 weeks if you inoculate the spawn with
other spawn). If you start with a quantity of spawn and fresh bulk substrate, it takes
about two to three weeks for standard oyster mushrooms to reach fruiting stage, and a
similar length of time for Lions Mane (although I prefer to incubate them longer
before letting them fruit), whereas the Elm Oyster takes six weeks, and shiitake can
take longer. (This all can be accomplished more quickly using liquid inoculation
techniques). If you start with a ready-made kit, already grown-through with
mushroom mycelium, it can take from a week to a month for mushrooms to form,
depending on the species. (Thicker, fleshier mushrooms tend to form and mature more
slowly than others.) In general, of course, the more optimum the substrate, the
temperature, and any other relevant growing conditions, the faster the mushroom
mycelium and the forming mushrooms will grow

Growing Mushrooms the Easy Way

Home Mushroom Cultivation with Hydrogen Peroxide
An instruction manual in two volumes based on the use of peroxide in mushroom
cultivation, 
by R.R. Wayne, Ph.D.

Now joined by a third volume:

Non-Sterile Mushroom Cultivation

Mushroom growing - a great pastime, but...

Mushroom growing has the potential to be a fun and fascinating pastime. Our forests
have provided many species of fungi that are both beautiful and delicious, and
learning to cultivate them can revive our connection to nature and the earth. But if we
have to buy a lot of equipment to sterilize substrate and clean the air of contaminants,
growing mushrooms can lose its romance. And it can get absurdly complicated when
cultures keep spoiling, despite our most elaborate precautions.

Simplify! 
So why use hydrogen peroxide in mushroom growing? Hydrogen peroxide simplifies
the whole process of growing fungi. There's no need to build a sterile laboratory, buy
a special giant pressure cooker, or even construct a glove box. A low concentration of
peroxide keeps out the contaminants, while allowing healthy growth of mushroom
tissue. And as the mushroom tissue grows, it converts the peroxide to water and
oxygen, leaving a clean, vigorous mushroom culture.

Growing Mushrooms the Easy Way

I performed my first experiments to test the peroxide idea in 1993, and it worked.
Although the invention was patentable, I decided instead to offer the information to
the public in the form of an instruction manual. The manual, now in two parts, is
entitled Growing Mushrooms the Easy Way, Home Mushroom Cultivation with
Hydrogen Peroxide. It is the product of nearly seven years' experimentation to perfect
the procedures and find new applications for the peroxide method. The manual in all
editions is now in the hands of mushroom growers in 90 countries around the world.
In stepwise directions, the peroxide manual explains how to:
 Grow mushroom cultures in an ordinary room.
 Handle cultures in the open air in a kitchen or non-sterile workshop.
 Protect cultures from bacteria, yeast, mold, and mushroom spores.
 Prepare mushroom cultures without an autoclave.
 Prepare bulk fruiting substrate at room temperature, without heating and
cooling.
 Do away with costly filter-patch culture bags; use ordinary trashbags
instead.
 Prepare sawdust-based mushroom spawn medium with just a ten minute
steaming.
 Grow mushroom spawn and agar cultures on a bookshelf or in a closet.
 Some Mushroom Growing Basics for Beginners
If you are completely new to mushroom growing, I recommend that you skim through
a copy of Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms by Paul Stamets. Many
libraries have the 2nd Edition, or you can order the expanded 3rd Edition through my
link to Amazon.com (click on the title). Paul's book will give you a good overview of
growing mushrooms of all kinds. It has plenty of pictures, and there are descriptions
of most of the mushroom species that can be reliably cultivated. It is also a valuable
reference volume, and I use it regularly. (Paul's earlier book with J.S. Chilton, The
Mushroom Cultivator, is also a good overview, focusing more on Agaricus and other
compost-grown species.) Don't be put off by all the talk about contamination and
sterile procedure, though--that's where the peroxide method comes in!

As Paul's books explain, the process of growing mushrooms can be divided roughly
into four steps:
1) Acquiring and maintaining a culture of mushroom tissue (called mycelium) of the
mushroom strain you want. (A tissue culture is somewhat like a cutting of a plant.
Starting with a tissue culture assures that you have a mushroom strain genetically
identical to the one you want. Some growers start with spores, which are more like
seeds. Spores may or may not give you a mushroom strain with the fruiting properties
of the parent. Since spores cannot be grown in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, I
always work with a tissue culture of mycelium. Tissue cultures--also called agar
cultures or test tube cultures--of various species of mushroom can be purchased from
commercial suppliers or they can be started from fresh mushrooms).

2) Using a bit of the tissue culture to begin some spawn (a kind of mushroom starter),
which is usually grown on a small quantity of sterilized grain or sawdust.

3) Using the spawn to introduce mushroom mycelium into an organic material

(substrate) chosen to support the formation of mushrooms.

4) Getting the actual mushrooms to form and grow once the substrate has been
completely colonized by mushroom mycelium.

Starting with a kit

If you buy a mushroom kit, you are generally starting at step four. The commercial
mushroom grower has already completed the earlier steps for you, and provided you
with the mushroom culture ready to form mushrooms. You provide a proper
environment, usually cool and moist. Getting mushrooms to form can be easy or hard,
depending on the mushroom strain you are growing. Oyster-style mushrooms of the
Pleurotus and Hypsizygus families are among the easiest to fruit. Lions Mane
(Hericium erinaceus) is also quite easy. Maitake (Grifola frondosa) and Morels
(Morachella species) are among the most difficult to get to form mushrooms. Shiitake
(Lentinula edodes) falls somewhere in the middle. Button mushrooms are easy if you
can keep the temperature steady around 65 degrees F.

Starting with purchased spawn

It is also possible to start at step three, by purchasing the "starter" (spawn) from a
supplier and using that to introduce the growing fungus into an organic material that
you have prepared yourself. There are a variety of possible substrates: straw, compost,
logs, wood chips, and sawdust are common ones, but people have also used things
like newspaper, cardboard, sterilized grain, coffee grounds, etc. depending on the
mushroom species they want to grow.

Kinds of mushrooms and the substrates they prefer

In general, there are two broad classes of cultivated mushrooms: those that prefer to
grow on compost, and those that prefer to grow on woody material. The common
button mushroom and other Agaricus species fall into the first class, growing readily
on compost, but they will also grow on straw. Oyster mushrooms, shiitake, reishi,
maitake, and Lions Mane, all prefer woody materials such as sawdust, wood chips, or
sometimes straw.

Compost
Each organic material requires a different procedure to render it free of competing
organisms. Compost is the most time-consuming material to prepare, requiring a
couple of weeks to mature. It needs to be allowed to heat to a temperature that
neutralizes harmful species, without letting it get so hot that it kills beneficial
microbes. The compost is not allowed to go completely through its natural cycle.
Instead it is harvested somewhat early, when it is full of white actinomycetes bacteria
that provide the nutrients that mushrooms love. The grower cools the compost, adds
some gypsum (calcium sulfate) and mixes in the mushroom spawn.

Woody materials
Woody materials and straw can be prepared much more quickly than compost.
Traditionally, these materials required a heat treatment, such as pressure sterilization,
steam pasteurization, or hot water steeping, to eliminate competing organisms.
The peroxide method has now added ways to prepare some substrates without heating.
It can also prevent later contamination by airborne molds and bacteria, so using a
material that is compatible with hydrogen peroxide addition can save a lot of trouble.
For wood-decomposing mushrooms, wood pellet fuel, which disintegrates into
sawdust when treated with boiling water, works very well in this regard, and so does
wheat straw.
Getting Mushrooms to Form
The compost-loving species require a different procedure from the wood-loving
mushrooms when it comes time to get the mushrooms to form. The compost-lovers
usually need to have a soil-like layer called "casing," applied to the top of the culture,
once the mushroom tissue has fully colonized the compost. The soil-like layer
provides a reservoir of moisture, and it creates a low-nutrient zone (compared to the
compost), signaling the mushroom tissue to start forming the fruiting bodies. The tiny
mushroom buttons then begin to form in the casing layer. The grower keeps the casing
moist by lightly watering it as the mushrooms enlarge.

With wood-loving species, the procedure for getting mushrooms to form varies a bit
from one species to another, but it usually involves a shift in environmental conditions
such as a drop in temperature, an increase in air circulation, and/or an increase in light
levels.

The whole nine yards?

Once you have tried growing mushrooms from a kit and from spawn you've
purchased, you will have a better idea whether you want to get involved in keeping
agar cultures and growing your own spawn. These procedures require somewhat more
commitment and attention to detail. Before the invention of the peroxide technique, it
was generally only possible to keep agar cultures and grow spawn if you constructed a
sterile work space, such as a glove box at the very least. With peroxide, it becomes
possible to perform these steps in an ordinary kitchen, and grow the cultures just
about anywhere that an appropriate temperature and light level can be provided. You
still need to learn some basic "sterile technique"--simple procedures for handling
cultures to keep them pure. But you won't need a sterile facility or a spotless house
How Mushrooms Grow
Mushrooms grow from spores -- not seeds -- that are so tiny you can't see individual
spores with the naked eye.
Because the spores don't contain chlorophyll to begin germinating (as seeds do), they
rely on substances such as sawdust, grain, wooden plugs, straw, wood chips, or liquid
for nourishment. A blend of the spores and these nutrients is called spawn. Spawn
performs a bit like the starter needed to make sourdough bread.
The spawn supports the growth of mushrooms' tiny, white, threadlike roots, called
mycelium. The mycelium grows first, before anything that resembles a mushroom
pushes through the growing medium.
The spawn itself could grow mushrooms, but you'll get a lot better mushroom harvest
when the spawn is applied to a substrate, or growing medium. Depending on the
mushroom type, the substrate might be straw, cardboard, logs, wood chips, or compost
with a blend of materials such as straw, corncobs, cotton and cocoa seed hulls, gypsum,
and nitrogen supplements.

Where to Grow Mushrooms

Mushrooms prefer dark, cool, moist, and humid growing environments. In a house, a
basement is often ideal, but a spot under the sink may be all you need.
Test the proposed location by checking the temperature. Most mushrooms grow best in
temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees F, away from drying, direct heat and drafts.
Enoki mushrooms prefer cooler temperatures, about 45 degrees F. Many basements are
too warm in summer to grow mushrooms, so you might consider growing mushrooms
as a winter project.
Mushrooms can tolerate some light, but the spot you choose should stay relatively dark
or in low light.
Some mushroom types grow outdoors in prepared ground or logs, a process that takes
much longer (six months to three years) than in controlled environments inside.

Types of Mushrooms to Grow

There are many kinds of mushrooms. One of the beauties of growing your own instead
of wild-harvesting them is that you can be sure you're not picking a poisonous
mushroom.
These mushrooms are the types most commonly grown at home:
Crimini
Enoki
Maitake
Portobello
Oyster
Shiitake
White button
Each type has specific growing needs. Grow white button mushrooms on composted
manure, shiitakes on wood or hardwood sawdust, and oyster mushrooms on straw, for
example.

Growing Mushrooms
If you are growing mushrooms in your home, you have a couple of options for materials.
You can buy mushroom kits already packed with a growing medium that's inoculated
with mushroom spawn. Buying a kit is a good way to begin your knowledge of
mushroom growing. If you start without a kit, the type of mushroom you choose to
grow determines the substrate you grow the mushrooms on. Research each
mushroom's needs.
Button mushrooms are among the easiest types to grow. Follow Kansas State
University's directions for growing button mushrooms. Use 14x16-inch trays about 6
inches deep that resemble seed flats. Fill the trays with the mushroom compost material
and inoculate with spawn.
Use a heating pad to raise the soil temperature to about 70 degrees F for about three
weeks or until you see the mycelium -- the tiny, threadlike roots. At this point, drop the
temperature to 55 to 60 degrees F. Cover the spawn with an inch or so of potting soil.
Keep the soil moist by spritzing it with water and covering it with a damp cloth that you
can spritz with water as it dries.
Button mushrooms should appear within three to four weeks. Harvest them when the
caps open and the stalk can be cut with a sharp knife from the stem. Avoid pulling up
the mushrooms, or you risk damage to surrounding fungi that are still developing.
Harvesting every day should result in a continuous crop for about six months.
Volvariella
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Volvariella

V. bombycina

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Fungi

Division: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Pluteaceae

Genus: Volvariella
Speg. (1898)

Type species

Volvariella argentina
Speg. (1898)

Volvariella is a genus of mushrooms with deep salmon pink gills and spore prints. They lack a ring,

and have an Amanita-like volva at the stem base. Some species of Amanita look similar,
but Amanita has white spores and often have a ring. Since the gills of young Volvariella are white at
first, they are more easily mistaken for Amanita. The genus is estimated to contain about 50 species.
[1]

Many sources list Volvariella as a member of the Pluteaceae family, but recentDNA studies have

revealed that Pluteus and Volvariella evolved separately and have very different DNA. These studies
show that Volvariella is very closely related to "schizophylloid" mushrooms like Schizophyllum
commune. [2]
Some species of Volvariella are popular edibles in Europe, accounting for 16% of total production of
cultivated mushrooms in the world.
Volvariella volvacea, well known as the paddy straw mushroom, is cultured in rice straw in
the Philippines and Southeast Asia. This species also favors wood chip piles. Unfortunately, it is
easy to mistake the death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides), as well as some
other Amanita species, for this edible species due to similarities in appearance. This mistake is the
leading cause of lethal mushroom poisoning in the United States. Volvariella and Amanita cannot be
distinguished in the early "button stage", that, for many, is considered the best stage to
collectVolvariella for consumption. Like Amanita, the paddy straw mushroom has a volva,
or universal veil, so called because it is a membrane that encapsulates the entire mushroom when it
is young. This structure breaks apart as the mushroom expands, leaving parts that can be found at
the base of the stalk as a cup-like structure.
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the garden
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What kind of tomato grower are you?

View Photos
If you are into watching gardening “types,” there is nothing quite as revealing or entertaining as
matching the tomato prop to its inventor, writes columnist Adrian Higgins.
Caption
If you are into watching gardening “types,” there is nothing quite as revealing or entertaining as
matching the tomato prop to its inventor, writes columnist Adrian Higgins.
 Where do you fit in our gallery? The tomato vine, in all its forms, is a floppy creature that needs the
gardener’s help.The plant’s sprawling nature is no weakness: It forces the person behind it to find
wonderfully low-tech methods of supporting it. The resulting props reflect the utilitarian beauty of the
summer vegetable garden, the creative ingenuity of every gardener and, best of all, the idea that
there is no one way to raise a perfect tomato. (Or much else in the garden.) 

There are two basic approaches to the enterprise: You can stake your vine or stick it in a cage. The
cage is about two steps above just letting the thing sprawl. That too is an option. But if you choose
the cage, make it tall enough and secure it with a stake. Vidhya Nagarajan/For The Washington Post
Buy Photo
Wait 1 second to continue.

By Barbara Damrosch and Adrian Higgins March 28, 2012  

If you have a wood stove or a fireplace, one of spring’s rituals is shoveling out
the ashes. And if you’re in tune with the philosophy of recycling plant residues
back into the natural cycle of soil fertility, you’ll want a better destination for
those ashes than the trash bag.

Unlike the decomposed remains of leaves, stems and other green plant parts,
burned wood doesn’t contain nitrogen. But it does provide phosphorous,
potassium, calcium, boron and other elements that growing plants need. It’s
also very alkaline and useful for raising the pH in gardens. You’ll need about
twice as much of it as lime, but it will supply nutrients at the same time, and if
you’re a wood-burner it’s free.

Barbara Damrosch’s latest book is “The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook.” View Archive

Before you go scattering the ashes about, get a soil test done, so you know
whether it will benefit you. If your yard or garden soil has a pH of 7 or higher,
give the ashes to a friend with a more acidic soil. Don’t use it around acid-
loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas, or on potatoes, which get scab
disease if the pH is too high.

Use only wood ashes, not ash from coal, charcoal briquettes or fake logs. Keep
it away from green foliage, especially that of young seedlings, which it can
burn. Ashes are caustic, hence their traditional use in making lye soap or in
turning corn kernels into hominy. I also keep them out of the compost pile,
where they can become overly concentrated.

Wood ashes are a great homemade source of potassium, whose name comes
from the word “potash,” literally the substance made from soaking ashes in a
pot. Ever wonder why potassium is represented by the letter K in the periodic
table of elements? Phosphorous got there first and claimed the P? Actually, K
stands for the Latin word for potassium, kalium, derived from the Arabic al
qali (alkali).

 The ash heap is history: Ashes from the wood stove can be used to enrich soil.
(istockphoto/istockphoto)

Here are three intelligent things you can do with that full ash bucket.

1. Sprinkle some ash on the lawn. Applied lightly and followed by a good

watering, the ash will benefit the grass and also foster the growth of clover in
the lawn, an attractive soil-improver that provides nectar for the bees.

2. Use the ashes to make tea for tomatoes. Put five pounds of ashes in a
permeable cloth or burlap bag, tie it shut and lower it into a 50-gallon garbage
can filled with water, as if it were a giant tea bag. Let it sit for about four days,
then dip the tea out with a watering can and pour a cupful around your tomato
plants once a week, as soon as the plants begin to flower. Most crops can use a
potassium boost, but especially tomatoes.

3. Spread ashes around the base of hardwood trees, returning this

valuable product to its source. Apples in particular love this treatment.
Not everyone has an orchard, a woodlot, or a major wood-burning habit. But
even a bit of ash from the occasional fire on cold nights makes a good end-of-
winter gift for a favorite tree.
Growing Mushrooms at Home
You can easily grow mushrooms at home and enjoy their rich flavors and nutritious
benefits in everyday recipes.
By Biz Reynolds 
March 26, 2010
172
inShare

These budding caps will mature into a harvestable crop of oyster mushrooms.
PHOTO: BIZ REYNOLDS
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Comments

Fresh tomatoes, healthy green beans, sweet potatoes — these are all good edibles that
make “growing your own” a positive and nutritious experience. But what about fresh,
homegrown mushrooms? Shiitakes, oysters — even morels?

Believe it or not, with a few purchased tools, some freshly cut logs and a little patience,
you can easily grow fresh mushrooms at home, either to sell for a profit, or to enjoy
them yourself.

The easiest way to grow mushrooms at home is to order “spawn” from a reputable
online company. Spawn is a big loaf of moistened sawdust knitted together with
mycelium — the vegetative tissue of the fungus, similar to the root system of a perennial
plant.
In March 2009, our son Robbie ordered his first mushroom spawn from Field and
Forest Products, a great company in Wisconsin with a knowledgeable staff and lots of
spawn choices suited for various climates and conditions. Robbie chose to grow a variety
of shiitakes called Native Harvest, and Grey Dove oyster mushrooms. He ordered about
$150 worth of supplies — two 51/2 pound packages of spawn; a special tool for
thumping the spawn into small holes drilled into fresh oak logs; cheese wax to seal the
holes to prevent moisture, stray mold or fungal spores from invading; and an
educational book with all the information needed to successfully propagate, harvest and
sell homegrown mushrooms.

Shortly after Robbie’s order arrived in early April, our weather turned sunny and cool,
and temperatures climbed to the 60s — perfect for getting out a chainsaw and cutting a
big pile of oak and maple logs. (Most mushroom supply companies sell logs, too.) There
are a variety of ways to grow mushrooms, but log cultivation imitates nature most
closely. It is also low-cost (albeit physically demanding). The logs used must be live and
healthy, and it’s best to cut the nursery (spawning) logs in spring before the leaves
emerge. The instructions suggest cutting 3- to 8-inch-diameter logs about 3 feet long.
After they are cut, the logs should be inoculated with the spawn right away, before they
start to dry out or become contaminated with competing organisms.

Soon after we cut the logs, we set up a lab on our picnic table with an old two-burner hot
plate, a Folgers’s coffee-can “kettle” with my expensive candy thermometer clipped to
the side (half-submerged in melting wax), and a nearby pile of waiting logs. Robbie
carefully sealed the spawn in with hot wax, after having punched it into small holes
drilled in diamond-patterned rows, just as the instructions specified. The purpose of
daubing wax over each spawn-filled hole is to protect it from moisture loss and bacteria
infiltration.

Finally, loading the logs into the bed of the farm truck, Robbie hauled them out back
and soaked them with the garden hose. He stacked them in neat rows in the corral,
which is shaded by our 100-year-old barn and protected from wind and sun — two of
mushroom growers’ worst enemies because the logs must remain damp. A grower can
purchase optional “fruiting blankets” to cover and protect inoculated logs from the
elements and to increase the humidity that sprouting mushrooms love.
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The Health Benefits of Mushroom
Consumption
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Story at-a-glance+
By Dr. Mercola
Mushrooms contain some of the most potent natural medicines on the planet. Of the
140,000 species of mushroom-forming fungi, science is familiar with only 10 percent,
according to world-renown mycologist Paul Stamets, who has written six books on the
topic.
About 100 species of mushrooms are being studied for their health-promoting benefits.
Of those hundred, about a half dozen really stand out for their ability to deliver a
tremendous boost to your immune system.

It's important to eat only organically grown mushrooms because they absorb and

concentrate whatever they grow in — good OR bad. This is what gives mushrooms their
potency. Mushrooms are known to concentrate heavy metals, as well as air and water
pollutants, so healthy growing conditions is a critical factor.
While it may sound strange, we're actually more closely related to fungi than we are to
any other kingdom, as we share the same pathogens, meaning bacteria and viruses.

As a defense against bacterial invasion, fungi have developed strong antibiotics, which
also happen to be effective for us humans. Penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline all
come from fungal extracts.

The Many Health Benefits of Mushrooms

The FASEB Journal recently published nine studies on mushrooms that were also
presented at Experimental Biology 2013, which detailed a wide variety of health
benefits,1 including:
 Weight management: One study2 3 found that substituting red meat with white
, 

button mushrooms can help enhance weight loss. Obese participants with a mean

age of just over 48 years ate approximately one cup of mushrooms per day in
place of meat. The control group ate a standard diet without mushrooms.
At the end of the 12-month trial, the intervention group had lost an average of 3.6
percent of their starting weight, or about seven pounds. They also showed
improvements in body composition, such as reduced waist circumference, and
ability to maintain their weight loss, compared to the control group.

 Improved nutrition: One dietary analysis4 found that mushroom consumption

was associated with better diet quality and improved nutrition.
 Increasing vitamin D levels through your diet: Consuming dried white button
mushroom extract was found to be as effective as taking supplemental vitamin D2
or D3 for increasing vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D).5
 Improved immune system function: Long chain polysaccharides, particularly
alpha and beta glucan molecules, are primarily responsible for the mushrooms'
beneficial effect on your immune system. In one study, adding one or two servings
of dried shiitake mushrooms was found to have a beneficial, modulating effect on
 immune system function.6 Another study done on mice found that white button
mushrooms enhanced the adaptive immunity response to salmonella.7

Parasitic Fungi Showing Promise for Immune Disorders and Cancer

Cordyceps, also called caterpillar fungus or Tochukasu, is a favorite of athletes because
it increases ATP production, strength and endurance, and has anti-aging effects.8 

This parasitic mushroom is unique because, in the wild, it grows out of an insect host
instead of a plant host. It has long been used within both traditional Chinese and
Tibetan medicine.
It has hypoglycemic and possible antidepressant effects, protects your liver and
kidneys, increases blood flow, helps normalize your cholesterol levels, and has been
used to treat Hepatitis B.

Cordyceps has antitumor properties as well. Scientists at The University of Nottingham

have been studying cordycepin, one of the active medicinal compounds found in these
fungi,9 and the one identified as a potential cancer drug. More recent studies suggest it
also has potent anti-inflammatory characteristics that may be helpful for those suffering
from:
 Asthma

 Rheumatoid arthritis

 Renal failure

 Stroke damage

A question that was begging for an answer was how cordycepin could produce so many
different beneficial effects at the cellular level. Researcher Dr. Cornelia de Moor
told Medical News Today:10
"We have shown that cordycepin reduces the expression of inflammatory genes in
airway smooth muscle cells by acting on the final step in the synthesis of their
messenger RNAs (mRNAs) which carry the chemical blueprint for the synthesis of
proteins. 

This process is called polyadenylation. Commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs either

work much earlier in the activation of inflammatory genes, such as prednisone, or work
on one of the final products of the inflammatory reaction (e.g. ibuprofen).
These findings indicate that cordycepin acts by a completely different mechanism than
currently used anti-inflammatory drugs, making it a potential drug for patients in which
these drugs don't work well. 

However, it is a surprise that cordycepin does not affect the synthesis of mRNAs from
other genes, because nearly all mRNAs require polyadenylation."
According to Dr. de Moor's research, the mechanism responsible for cordycepin's many
varied effects may stem from its ability to alter the synthesis of many classes of rapidly
induced genes that help counteract inflammatory genes, thereby slowing down
otherwise rapid cellular responses to tissue damage. It may also help prevent over-
activation of inflammatory responses.

"However, it also indicates that cordycepin could have adverse effects on normal wound
healing and on the natural defenses against infectious diseases," the featured article
states.11
"Dr. de Moor said: 'We are hoping to further investigate which genes are more
dependent on polyadenylation than others and why this is the case, as well as test the
effect of cordycepin on animal models of disease. Clinical testing of cordycepin is not in
our immediate plans, as we think we first have to understand this drug in more detail
before we can risk treating patients with it.'"

Foragers, Beware of Toxic Mushrooms

An November 2012 article in The Atlantic12 highlighted recent cases of lethal food
poisonings related to eating wild mushrooms, and the need for caution when foraging
food:
"Of the over 10,000 species of mushrooms, only about 50 to 100 are toxic. About 6,000
Americans each year end up eating them. Over half of those cases involve
unsupervised small children. So if you're considering treating that special person in your
life to a wild mushroom-based dish, take the following into consideration: Over 90
percent of deaths, including these most recent ones, are caused by amatoxins."
As mentioned in the article, the North American Mycological Association13 offers critical
information on a number of toxic mushrooms and the symptoms they cause, including
those for amanitin (amatoxins), which is one of the most serious:
 Stage 1: A latency period of 6 to 24 hours after ingestion, in which the toxins are
actively destroying the victim's kidneys and liver, but the victim experiences no
discomfort.

 Stage 2: A period of about 24 hours characterized by violent vomiting, bloody

diarrhea, and severe abdominal cramps.

 Stage 3: A period of 24 hours during which the victim appears to recover (if
hospitalized, the patient is sometimes released)

 Stage 4: Relapse, during which kidney and liver failure often occurs, leading to
death. Patients may also "bleed out" and die due to the destruction of clotting
factors in the blood. There may be more than one relapse.

Warning: If you have any reason to suspect that someone has ingested an
amanitin-containing mushroom, DON'T WAIT for symptoms to appear! There is
no antidote for amanitin poisoning, and the best hope is to rush the person to the
hospital where the toxins can be removed before being fully absorbed into the
body.
It's also important to eat ONLY organically grown mushrooms because they absorb and
concentrate whatever they grow in — good OR bad. This is what gives mushrooms their
potency, for better or worse. Mushrooms are known to concentrate heavy metals, as
well as air and water pollutants. One way to know what you're getting is to grow your
own. You can find a variety of DIY garden kits available online,14 which will eliminate
any questions about what kind of mushroom you're picking.

Improving Your Nutrition with Mushrooms

Two years ago, I interviewed Steve Farrar, who worked and studied mushrooms
professionally for the last 30 years. The first 20 years he spent growing them and
working primarily with gourmet chefs, but in the past decade, he's started applying his
expertise of mushrooms to health purposes. According to Farrar, Americans consume
about 900 million pounds of mushrooms a year, but 95 percent of that is just one
species: the common button mushroom and its relatives, the Crimini and the Portabello
mushrooms.

Granted, the button mushroom is an excellent low-calorie food, especially for diabetics.
It contains a number of valuable nutrients, including protein, enzymes, B vitamins
(especially niacin), and vitamin D2. However, there are many other types of mushrooms
worthy of consideration if you want to improve your diet. I'll review a few of my favorites
below. Farrar's focus has been on growing various gourmet mushroom species,
particularly the wood decaying mushroom species, which differ greatly from your
average button mushroom in terms of biology, nutrition and medicinal value.

Download Interview Transcript

Mushrooms are excellent sources of antioxidants in general as they contain polyphenols
and selenium, which are common in the plant world. But they also contain antioxidants
that are unique to mushrooms. One such antioxidant is ergothioneine, which scientists
are now beginning to recognize as a 'master antioxidant.' Interestingly, it's an amino
acid that contains sulfur, and if you listened to my interview with Dr. Seneff on the highly
underestimated importance of sulfur, you may recognize why this particular antioxidant
may be of particular importance for human health, as many are severely deficient in
sulfur.
A previous study in the journal Nature15 discusses the importance of ergothioneine,
which is fairly exclusive to mushrooms, describing it as "an unusual sulfur-containing
derivative of the amino acid, histidine," which appears to have a very specific role in
protecting your DNA from oxidative damage. With that in mind, it becomes easy to see
how mushrooms may be an important part of an optimal diet. If you don't like to eat
them whole, you can also find them in supplement form, either as an extract or whole
food supplement.

Examples of Mushrooms to Add to Your Diet

A few of my favorite health-enhancing mushroom species include:

 Shiitake (Lentinula edodes): Shiitake is a popular culinary mushroom used in

dishes around the world. It contains a number of health-stimulating agents,
including lentinan, the polysaccharide for which it was named. Lentinan has been
isolated and used to treat stomach and other cancers due to its antitumor
properties, but has also been found to protect your liver,16 relieve other stomach
ailments (hyperacidity, gallstones, ulcers), anemia, ascites, and pleural effusion.
One of the more remarkable scientific studies demonstrating shiitake's antitumor
effect was a Japanese animal study,17 where mice suffering from sarcoma were
given shiitake extract. Six of 10 mice had complete tumor regression, and with
slightly higher concentrations, all ten mice showed complete tumor regression.
Shiitake mushrooms also demonstrate antiviral (including HIV, hepatitis, and the
"common cold"), antibacterial, and antifungal effects; blood sugar stabilization;
reduced platelet aggregation; and reduced atherosclerosis.18 Shiitake also
contains eritadenine, which has strong cholesterol-lowering properties.19
 Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum): Reishi is known as Lingzhi in China, or "spirit
plant." It's also been called "Mushroom of Immortality" — a nickname that kind of
says it all. Reishi has been used medicinally in Asia for thousands of years. One of
its more useful compounds is ganoderic acid (a triterpenoid), which is being used
to treat lung cancer,20 leukemia and other cancers. The list of Reishi's health
benefits21 includes the following
o Antibacterial, antiviral (Herpes, Epstein-Barr), antifungal
(including Candida) properties
o Anti-inflammatory, useful for reducing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
o Immune system up-regulation

o Normalization of blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure

o Reduction of prostate-related urinary symptoms in men

 Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor): Turkey Tail is also known as Coriolis, or

"cloud mushroom." Two polysaccharide complexes in Turkey Tail are getting a
great deal of scientific attention, PSK (or "Kreskin") and PSP, making it the most
extensively researched of all medicinal mushrooms with large scale clinical trials.
A seven-year, $2 million NIH-funded clinical study in 2011 found that Turkey Tail
mycelium improves immune function when dosed daily to women with stage I–III
breast cancer. Immune response was dose-dependent, with no adverse effects.
PSP has been shown to significantly enhance immune status in 70 to 97 percent
of cancer patients.22 Turkey tail is also being used to treat many different
infections, including aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, E. coli, HIV, Herpes, and
 streptococcus pneumonia, and is hepatoprotective. It may also be useful for
chronic fatigue.
 Himematsutake (Agaricus blazei): Himematsutake, also called Royal Sun
Agaricus, is a relative of the common button mushroom. Himematsutake was not
cultivated in the East until fairly recently but is now a very popular natural
medicine, used by almost a half million Japanese.
Himematsutake mushroom is attracting many scientists worldwide due to its
remarkable anticancer properties23 related to six special polysaccharides. Like
many other medicinal mushrooms, this fungus can also protect you from the
damaging effects of radiation and chemotherapy. But its benefits don't stop there
— Himematsutake may also help decrease insulin resistance in diabetics,
normalize your cholesterol, improve your hair and skin, and even treat polio.

Usage and Dosage Recommendations for Mushroom Supplements

When it comes to mushroom supplements, there are two primary types:

 Mushroom concentrates or extracts — Most of these are so-called hot water

extracts, where either the mushroom mycelia — the fruit body — is boiled for
extended periods of time to extract the long chain polysaccharides. The end
product is a concentrated form of glyconutrients (complex sugars) thought to be
responsible for many of the health benefits of the mushroom.
 Whole food/raw mushrooms — Consuming the mushrooms raw or using a
whole food mushroom (powdered pill) product is generally a better alternative if
you're reasonably healthy and looking to maintain optimal health, as they help
maintain ideal function of your various systems as opposed to imparting a direct
effect. Most of the knowledge about mushrooms come from ancient Chinese
medicine where mushrooms are regarded as tonics. Tonics are considered to
have non-specific beneficial effects across several systems of your body that do
not decline over time.
As mentioned earlier, if you choose to eat your mushrooms raw, make sure they are
organically grown, as their flesh easily absorbs air and soil contaminants. Likewise,
you'll want to make sure any product you buy is certified organic for the same reason. In
addition to valuable nutrients, whole mushrooms also provide healthful dietary fiber that
acts as prebiotic platforms for the growth of probiotic organisms in your gut, which is
very important for digestive health. This is yet another reason to opt for a whole food
mushroom product.

Adding Mushrooms Is a Simple Way to Boost Your Health Through Your

Diet
With all the evidence supporting mushrooms as little powerhouses of potent nutrition, I
highly recommend adding some to your diet. They're an excellent addition to any salad
and go great with all kinds of meat and fish. "Let food be thy medicine" is good advice
indeed, and with mushrooms that is especially true, as they contain some of the most
powerful natural medicines on the planet.

Just make sure they're organically grown in order to avoid harmful contaminants that
mushrooms absorb and concentrate from soil, air and water. Also, avoid picking
mushrooms in the wild unless you are absolutely sure you know what you're picking.
There are a number of toxic mushrooms, and it's easy to get them confused unless you
have a lot of experience and know what to look for. Growing your own is an excellent
option and a far safer alternative to picking wild mushrooms.