Mushrooms

I'm not sure what it might say about me, but I am now growing mushrooms in my basement. That may be overly optimistic. I've got mushroom spawn, which may in time become mushrooms growing in my basement.

The girls helped me collect some sawdust. I didn't sterilize it which may come back to haunt me. Sterilizing is supposed to help get rid of "competing organisms." I always say a little competition is a good thing. We'll see.

We mixed the saw-dust with used coffee grounds (for nitrogen I guess) and the spawn. We stuffed this into an old log we had in the back yard and a couple of soy-milk containers. I'm misting these three candidates daily. There are a few other pics if you follow the link below

***edit***
This just in... Here be mushrooms!!! I added a new picture to the gallery below 30/03/10
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Mushrooms

Comments

Vincent Diakuw said…
Tracing a trajectory of Hobbits.

First a cheerfully rash Peregrin and now Bamfurlong in your basement.

The road goes ever, ever on.
8:51 am
Gus said…
Oh Michael... I know it's irrational, but it eats me up inside that you had to drill a 2x4 in order to obtain sawdust. I hope you at least used a scrap piece. :P

There's often sawdust to be had for free, but I guess you need connections and time to spare in order to tap into that. When the eco-auditors show up at your door at least you can claim that the 2x4 served a double use -- in addition to providing valuable sawdust, the girls had fun drilling it. :)

(By the way, I'm only dimly aware of the horrible hypocrisy in the role I played in helping you obtain those mushroom spores, which had to be shipped a great distance via Fossil-Fuel Express. I'm sure your crime is far worse than mine...)

Happy birthday Anwyn!
2:17 pm
captainorange said…
Yes, the 2x4 was just sitting in an indoor wood pile under my work bench. I actually had a pile of dust in the garage, but it was really an excuse to have the girls use the drill-press. We played with the drill's gearing system (we have it set to spin quite slowly) and I showed the girls how it was safe to touch the side of the spinning wood bit :0
2:42 pm
Wendy James said…
I am excited that the mushrooms have the potential to grow and think it is a great project. I would like them better if they were not in the middle of the laundry room.
9:18 am
Anonymous said…
I would like to add that mushrooms are actually the "flower" of the fungus. A flowering fungus is a healthy fungus! What species is it?
9:11 pm
captainorange said…
My sister-in-law, Greta shared half of an online order that she purchased. She kept the originating container (presumably with label). I think she said they were oyster.
9:24 pm
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