The recent popularity of Mycelium Running by mycologist Paul Stamets has set off a flurry of activity around here. Suddenly, the idea of cultivating mushrooms, specifically Morels has gone from "crazy," to "logical," and is rapidly approaching "imperative." Swell.
Mushrooms require consistently moist conditions and deep mulch, so growing them fits right in with raising worms, but that's another story. The important point is that cultivating fungi is consistant with the practice of organic gardening, and a great human-scale method of carbon sequestration. Given that mushroom varieties other than the common Agaricus bisporus are typically gourmet items, cultivating these valued delicacies is a practical way to put some variety into your cooking, or possibly even starting a sideline business.
By all accounts, the two "must have" books for mushroom cultivation are Stamets' Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms and Mushroom Cultivator: A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home (with J. S. Chilton). That being said, there is every possibility that you can get acceptable results with far less research. Your local agricultural extension office should have some basic materials, and after all you are just facilitating a natural process. Just as anybody can put some seeds in the ground and enjoy a beginner's gardening experience, there's a good chance that you can put down some appropriate wood chip mulch or log, (see 100 Edible Mushrooms), get a mushroom kit, and stand back!
Now obviously the more you know the better your results will be, but don't let an obsessive desire for immediate perfection become an obstacle to getting started! The worst that can happen is that you'll have to start from scratch and try again. You might also be interested in:
- Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms
- Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web
- Medicinal Mushrooms: An Exploration of Tradition, Healing, & Culture
- Maitake Magic
- The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms
