Mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom. Neither plant nor animal, they are nonetheless truly fascinating and their lifecycle sounds like something from a sci-fi movie.
The mushrooms we eat are actually the fruiting bodies of a mycelium that grows on a substrate such as straw, sawdust, logs or even used coffee grounds.
The growing mycelium slowly colonises and consumes the substrate before the fruiting bodies, or mushrooms, emerge from the mycelium. Once mature, the mushrooms release spores that land on the substrate and begin the cycle again.
(If you’d like to read about this in more detail, the book Milkwood by Australian permaculture experts Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar has a whole chapter on mushroom cultivation, including a detailed run-through of the mushroom lifecycle.)
Mushroom foraging can be fun and rewarding, but only if you know 100 per cent what you are picking and eating. Far too many people are poisoned each year after eating misidentified wild mushrooms.
Of the estimated 10,000 mushroom species on the planet, about 30 of them are grown commercially or in home setups.
GROWING FUNGI
But how to grow mushrooms at home? Let’s start by busting the first myth that mushrooms need to grow in the dark.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Backyard & Outdoor Living #57 من Outdoor Living.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Backyard & Outdoor Living #57 من Outdoor Living.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Eco chic
Do your bit for the environment without compromising on style
Overachiever
Get the most out of your outdoor space
Backyard cabin fever
Tips on building a flatpack shed in your backyard
All decked out
What is the better building material to use around the home?
Make your garden glow
Amp up the wow factor in your backyard and extend your living after sunset
Colour chard
Though many aren't sure of the difference between silverbeet, kale and spinach, there's no mistaking rainbow chard
A savory character
This tasty Mediterranean herb has long tradition in both cooking and folk medicine
Allium invasion
Unbelievers may call it stinking rose, but cooks and gardeners have long prized fragrant garlic
Keep it natural
Elevate your outdoors with stone pavers
Get ready for spring
Winter is the perfect time to prepare for the growing season, as long as you have the right partner