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Mycelial Mayhem: Growing Mushrooms for Fun, Profit and Companion Planting
Most supermarket mushrooms are bland and boring; products of an industrial process which typically relies on expensive equipment and harmful pesticides. Many people would like to add more flavorful and diverse fungi to their diets, but lack the knowledge or confidence to gather their own. Do-it-yourself cultivation is a fun and exciting way to incorporate a variety of mushrooms into a sustainable lifestyle. Mycelial Mayhem is a straightforward, no-nonsense resource for the aspiring mushroom grower. This practical guide cuts through much of the confusion surrounding methods and techniques, helping the hobbyist or farmer Many people find that DIY mushroom cultivation is not nearly as complicated as they expect, but a knowledgeable and experienced mentor is crucial to success. Whether your goal is to harvest homegrown gourmet mushrooms for your table, supplement your income by selling to friends and neighbors, or start a full-fledged niche business, Mycelial Mayhem is packed with the advice and resources you need to succeed with this rewarding and valuable crop. David Sewak and Kristin Sewak are the owners of Berglorbeer Farma, which specializes in edible mushrooms, heirloom vegetables, native landscape plants, and sustainable landscape design. They speak on mushroom gathering and indoor and outdoor cultivation techniques at regional and national green living events.
- GenresGardening
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 23, 2020
Summary:
I never used to eat mushrooms until travelling to Japan. Soon after which I became plant-based and now I eat mushrooms regularly. However, this book really emphasises the variety of edible mushrooms available and the detriment of eating mushrooms from stores. There's in depth information on cultivation, how to establish a mushroom business and some great anecdotes along the way. There's some assertions about the health properties of mushrooms that I don't doubt for the most part, but the research referenced doesn't make a strong case for these points and would have been strengthened with more research and stronger references. Additionally, fish is listed as being good at preventing cancer and all the recipes in the book contained animal products. Hardly good information or examples for promoting good health practices.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mushrooms, of course.
The main message I took from this book is to eat more mushrooms, but apparently portobello and button mushrooms often have a potentially cancer causing compound in them. So eat more "gourmet" mushrooms.
Some notable points:
- If no one ate death, where would we get life and light?
- A honey fungus in Oregon is believed to be the largest living organism in the world, spanning over two miles in the Blue Mountains.
- Wine caps are a good mushroom to start cultivating as you learn.
- Straw is a great growing medium for mushrooms, but should be pasteurised first.
- Learning should only stop when they close the lid on the coffin.
- The dormant season is the best season to collect wood for growing mushrooms.
- If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.
- Ecology and economy contain the same root, eco, from the Greek word oikos which means house.
- Bio-mimicry has three components: nature as model, nature as measure and nature as mentor.
- All mushrooms should be cooked before being eaten and people should only try small portions of new mushrooms to begin with.
- A good rule of thumb is to sell mushrooms within two days of harvest. If they do not sell in that time frame, eat, dehydrate, or compost them.
I never used to eat mushrooms until travelling to Japan. Soon after which I became plant-based and now I eat mushrooms regularly. However, this book really emphasises the variety of edible mushrooms available and the detriment of eating mushrooms from stores. There's in depth information on cultivation, how to establish a mushroom business and some great anecdotes along the way. There's some assertions about the health properties of mushrooms that I don't doubt for the most part, but the research referenced doesn't make a strong case for these points and would have been strengthened with more research and stronger references. Additionally, fish is listed as being good at preventing cancer and all the recipes in the book contained animal products. Hardly good information or examples for promoting good health practices.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mushrooms, of course.
The main message I took from this book is to eat more mushrooms, but apparently portobello and button mushrooms often have a potentially cancer causing compound in them. So eat more "gourmet" mushrooms.
Some notable points:
- If no one ate death, where would we get life and light?
- A honey fungus in Oregon is believed to be the largest living organism in the world, spanning over two miles in the Blue Mountains.
- Wine caps are a good mushroom to start cultivating as you learn.
- Straw is a great growing medium for mushrooms, but should be pasteurised first.
- Learning should only stop when they close the lid on the coffin.
- The dormant season is the best season to collect wood for growing mushrooms.
- If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.
- Ecology and economy contain the same root, eco, from the Greek word oikos which means house.
- Bio-mimicry has three components: nature as model, nature as measure and nature as mentor.
- All mushrooms should be cooked before being eaten and people should only try small portions of new mushrooms to begin with.
- A good rule of thumb is to sell mushrooms within two days of harvest. If they do not sell in that time frame, eat, dehydrate, or compost them.
July 18, 2019
This book is incredibly useful for its intended audience, that being small business owners eager to get into the mushroom growing sphere. If you’re a beginning companion grower like myself, there’s still useful run-downs in a variety of inoculation methods, just not as much as I would like.
If you are a small business owner though, you’ve come to the right place.
If you are a small business owner though, you’ve come to the right place.
December 24, 2022
Well written introductory book. Not all of the parts were relevant to me (I skipped most of the last chapter about how to sell mushrooms commercially) but the ones that were relevant I really appreciated.
March 5, 2022
Super useful book! So much better than glib 1-sheet guides in mushroom grow log packs or online.
December 11, 2018
Chapters 8 & 9 have good info on business and marketing
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews