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Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation: Simple to Advanced and Experimental Techniques for Indoor and Outdoor Cultivation
An in-depth exploration of organic mushroom cultivation practices, groundbreaking research and myriad ways to incorporate mushrooms into your life "A clear, comprehensive guide that is a gift to amateur as well as professional mushroom growers. This book opens the doors wide to a diverse and fascinating fungal world." ―Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden What would it take to grow mushrooms in space? How can mushroom cultivation help us manage, or at least make use of, invasive species such as kudzu and water hyacinth and thereby reduce dependence on herbicides? Is it possible to develop a low-cost and easy-to-implement mushroom-growing kit that would provide high-quality edible protein and bioremediation in the wake of a natural disaster? How can we advance our understanding of morel cultivation so that growers stand a better chance of success? For more than twenty years, mycology expert Tradd Cotter has been pondering these questions and conducting trials in search of the answers. In Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation , Cotter not only offers readers an in-depth exploration of best organic mushroom cultivation practices; he shares the results of his groundbreaking research and offers myriad ways to apply your cultivation skills and further incorporate mushrooms into your life―whether your goal is to help your community clean up industrial pollution or simply to settle down at the end of the day with a cold Reishi-infused homebrew ale. Inside, you’ll The book first guides readers through an in-depth exploration of indoor and outdoor cultivation. Covered skills range from integrating wood-chip beds spawned with king stropharia into your garden and building a “trenched raft” of hardwood logs plugged with shiitake spawn to producing oysters indoors on spent coffee grounds in a 4×4 space or on pasteurized sawdust in vertical plastic columns. For those who aspire to the self-sufficiency gained by generating and expanding spawn rather than purchasing it, Cotter offers in-depth coverage of lab techniques, including low-cost alternatives that make use of existing infrastructure and materials.
Cotter also reports his groundbreaking research cultivating morels both indoors and out, “training” mycelium to respond to specific contaminants, and perpetuating spawn on cardboard without the use of electricity. Readers will discover information on making tinctures, powders, and mushroom-infused honey; making an antibacterial mushroom cutting board; and growing mushrooms on your old denim jeans.
Geared toward readers who want to grow mushrooms without the use of pesticides, Cotter takes “organic” one step further by introducing an entirely new way of thinking―one that looks at the potential to grow mushrooms on just about anything, just about anywhere, and by anyone. "This comprehensive introduction to growing and utilizing fungi has something for all mushroom-inclined readers . . . . Both practical and passionate, Cotter offers extensive and detailed information.” ― Publishers Weekly
Cotter also reports his groundbreaking research cultivating morels both indoors and out, “training” mycelium to respond to specific contaminants, and perpetuating spawn on cardboard without the use of electricity. Readers will discover information on making tinctures, powders, and mushroom-infused honey; making an antibacterial mushroom cutting board; and growing mushrooms on your old denim jeans.
Geared toward readers who want to grow mushrooms without the use of pesticides, Cotter takes “organic” one step further by introducing an entirely new way of thinking―one that looks at the potential to grow mushrooms on just about anything, just about anywhere, and by anyone. "This comprehensive introduction to growing and utilizing fungi has something for all mushroom-inclined readers . . . . Both practical and passionate, Cotter offers extensive and detailed information.” ― Publishers Weekly
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2014
103 people are currently reading
776 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 16, 2015
I've been lucky enough to hear Tradd speak in person a few times, and his lectures are always visually appealing, intellectually revealing, and completely inspiring. His book is more of the same --- which is to say awesome!
I've been particularly wanting more information on rafts, totems, and propagating mushrooms on cardboard, and this book form of the lectures I'd attended didn't disappoint. In addition to providing step-by-step directions (with great diagrams and photos) on those topics, the text provided additional home-scale experiments that I'm itching to try, including propagating shiitakes using stacked rounds, raising oyster mushrooms on old clothes and coffee grounds, and producing homegrown morel spawn/microbe slurry for outside inoculation. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry --- the beginning of the book has great information to bring beginners up to speed.)
The last third of the book consists of species-by-species cultivation accounts, and I'll save that for more intensive reading later. For now, this book is one of the few titles --- about three to five per year --- that contains such a breadth and depth of information that it merits a permanent place on my bookshelf.
For those of you new to mushrooms, this is probably the book I'd recommend reading first. It's like a combination of the inspiring accounts of Mycelium Running with the hands-on information of Stamets' older text, but with a more homestead-scale appeal. But I should warn you that you'll need to commit serious time to reading Tradd's chapters slowly and in order since my initial skim was a bit disappointing --- raising more questions than it answered. Only after I read every word did the true wonder of the book gel together into a beautiful whole. So even if you're an intermediate mushroom growing, start with chapter one and prepare to be inspired!
I've been particularly wanting more information on rafts, totems, and propagating mushrooms on cardboard, and this book form of the lectures I'd attended didn't disappoint. In addition to providing step-by-step directions (with great diagrams and photos) on those topics, the text provided additional home-scale experiments that I'm itching to try, including propagating shiitakes using stacked rounds, raising oyster mushrooms on old clothes and coffee grounds, and producing homegrown morel spawn/microbe slurry for outside inoculation. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry --- the beginning of the book has great information to bring beginners up to speed.)
The last third of the book consists of species-by-species cultivation accounts, and I'll save that for more intensive reading later. For now, this book is one of the few titles --- about three to five per year --- that contains such a breadth and depth of information that it merits a permanent place on my bookshelf.
For those of you new to mushrooms, this is probably the book I'd recommend reading first. It's like a combination of the inspiring accounts of Mycelium Running with the hands-on information of Stamets' older text, but with a more homestead-scale appeal. But I should warn you that you'll need to commit serious time to reading Tradd's chapters slowly and in order since my initial skim was a bit disappointing --- raising more questions than it answered. Only after I read every word did the true wonder of the book gel together into a beautiful whole. So even if you're an intermediate mushroom growing, start with chapter one and prepare to be inspired!
December 20, 2025
I appreciated the breadth of technicality that this book had to offer. Compared to the more pop-science sensationalism many authors (and speakers) have regarding fungi, this one logically approaches the cultivation aspect from least to most complex. While it contained many things I may have already known, it approachably broke down the more complex concepts in a way that I appreciated. Hidden among the topics I'm already familiar with there were some good nuggets of wisdom from Tradd's own personal experiences of cultivation. I found that very pleasant.
May 18, 2019
Mushrooms are amazing. They breath oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide just like humans. They can "digest" all kinds of extremely harmful chemicals back into inert compounds. They express different enzymes in different environments and it was stunning to discover how little science knows about these wonders of nature. Mycology represents, in my opinion, an exciting and relatively unexplored frontier with exciting implications for pharmacology, material science, and more.
I bought a few books on the subject and ended up returning all but this one. It's comprehensive. It has chapters appealing to educators, farmers, scientists, and biologists. I learned a ton and highly recommend this book.
I bought a few books on the subject and ended up returning all but this one. It's comprehensive. It has chapters appealing to educators, farmers, scientists, and biologists. I learned a ton and highly recommend this book.
April 2, 2015
set out in 4 sections: fundamentals (like seven stages of cultivation) ; innovations (like mushroom beer ) ;advanced (growing morels?! yes) ; meet the mushrooms (agaricus protabella, rametes turkey tail)
super good pictures and personable text has glossary, sources, list of suppliers, index.
for the reference shelf, just above the lasagna dish.
super good pictures and personable text has glossary, sources, list of suppliers, index.
for the reference shelf, just above the lasagna dish.
November 16, 2014
very helpful! I recommend this book over Stamets to new cultivators. much more accessible and the info is more up to date. also, beautiful pictures!
September 4, 2022
Awesome. Checked this out of the library after my first flush of outdoor grown blue oyster mushrooms came in, and read it sporadically as the blue oysters flushed again and now Italian brown oysters are coming in...about 40 pounds of gourmet mushrooms later, grown on straw and refuse, I'm o-ficially sold on mushrooms as the wisest investment we can start making immediately in our future. There's so much in here virtually anyone, in any setting, can try. The author is a great guide. When short on hope, tune in to mushrooms.
June 6, 2017
This book was instrumental in getting me further down the mushroom growing rabbit hole started at an afternoon talk in February. Until then I'd been curious but not planning on setting anything up.
After the talk and picking up this recommended book I have friends donating cardboard, fire ashes and coffee grounds so I can get various experiments started (and they can share in the outcome, of course!) I've already grown enoki mushrooms and inoculated my chicken's coop with King Stropharia based on the info in here. It's a great resource and a good place to start for anybody looking to getin to mushroom culturing!
After the talk and picking up this recommended book I have friends donating cardboard, fire ashes and coffee grounds so I can get various experiments started (and they can share in the outcome, of course!) I've already grown enoki mushrooms and inoculated my chicken's coop with King Stropharia based on the info in here. It's a great resource and a good place to start for anybody looking to getin to mushroom culturing!
November 21, 2018
Many mushroom growing books are written by folks who don't seem to have long-term experience growing many species. On the flip side, those books who do have lots of growing experience are too technical. This book bridges the gap, good for both beginners and those who have more experience.
December 2, 2025
If you want to learn to grow mushrooms at home or start an organic mushroom growing operation, this is the only book you need. My wife and I have been growing shiitake, oyster, lion's mane and wine cap mushrooms for years and most of what we know we learned from this book. An excellent resource
October 31, 2018
Humor and passion intertwined in helpful advice about encouraging this essential aspect of nature's plan. I would like to read more from this author.
August 14, 2020
Incredible book. The best most comprehensive reference for mushrooms I've seen anywhere
April 26, 2021
A wonderfully comprehensive guide to start growing mushrooms at home! Not ready for a that yet but I know which book I'll check out again if I ever want to.
December 29, 2021
We really enjoyed this book! Great overview while also getting into some advanced techniques.
January 18, 2022
I enjoyed this book. The writing style of Tradd Cotter is easy to read and get enveloped in. The topic is fascinating and put forward to inspire everyone from novice to expert cultivators.
September 25, 2022
A fascinating and essential reference book for those actively exploring this subject.
August 4, 2025
Read this for a class. It was very approachable and informative. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in growing mushrooms at home.
September 21, 2025
Perfect and detailed guide for anyone looking to grow mushrooms
December 3, 2019
Skimmed. Reads and feels like a textbook, as it's packed full of info. But somehow manages to not be boring. Will def revisit when I'm ready to tackle mushroom farming.
April 22, 2016
This book comes endorsed by some very big names in self-sufficiency including Ben Falk, Sandor Katz, Eric Toensmeier and my personal favourite, permaculture expert Toby Hemenway. And deservedly so. The style is clear and concise, and there is plenty to learn and be inspired by. There are full-colour photographs or illustrations on nearly every page.
I was particularly interested in the section about disaster relief with mushroom rescue modules in places such as Haiti, on page 117. I've also started an experiment growing oyster mushrooms on an old cotton jumper (page 99) - you can also try using pizza boxes, which can't be recycled if they have food scraps on them, so you'd be saving them from landfill.
Highly recommended.
I was particularly interested in the section about disaster relief with mushroom rescue modules in places such as Haiti, on page 117. I've also started an experiment growing oyster mushrooms on an old cotton jumper (page 99) - you can also try using pizza boxes, which can't be recycled if they have food scraps on them, so you'd be saving them from landfill.
Highly recommended.
May 19, 2015
Excellent reference for growing mushrooms.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews