"Growing Mushrooms" Growing mushrooms at home is very do-able, with the right growing conditions, to produce a bumper crop. Fungi are just as nutritious as vegetables and don't have to be treated as a luxury crop. They have their own particular seasons, and different species of fungi require different conditions to thrive. They taste good too :-) and can be grown in kit form throughout the year. Add them to the family meal every night .. mm, how good is that! .....................................
NB: Never eat any form of fungi without a positive identification first. Some wild varieties really are highly dangerous and should not be eaten. However, once you know what to look for, collecting wild food is a rewarding and tasty experience! As a family, we have collected and eaten chanterelles, giant puff balls, shaggy ink caps, field mushrooms, and, my particular favourite, 'chicken-of-the-woods'. The chicken-of-the-woods fungi lives on the bark of trees like the beefsteak fungi. One sizeable 'chicken-of-the-woods' will feed a family for 2 days. And it really is delicious!  Growing mushrooms - Life cycle: Mushrooms are the fruit of a fungi, as a pear of a pear tree. The fungi lives under leaves, in grassland, under the bark of trees and anywhere else that suit them! When conditions are right fungi will produce its fruit -which starts to deteriorate almost as soon as it's fully grown and therefore should be picked and eaten while still young. Wine growers have to be very precise in the timing of their harvest of grapes and fungi enthusiasts need to develop that same skill. But luckily it's not that hard! Watch how they develop and decay. It all happens over a couple of days. A scientific experiment and a little research won't take up much of your time and will benefit you and your family in the long run. Using a kit will demonstrate the life cycle beautifully... the three stages are: -spawning: the spawn is established in a growing medium Growing Mushrooms: If you've never grown them before, a kit really will help with the fungi learning curve! Each stage of development requires different conditions. Button varieties will develop without light, while other species may require light during one or more of its stages of development. They can also be grown in those out of the way dark corners in the garden, where nothing else will grow. Many varieties can be grown outside in mild climates. They rarely cope with very low temperatures though and should be grown indoors during cold weather conditions. Growing mushrooms for Nutrition: Growing mushrooms not only adds a special taste to every meal, mushrooms also have plenty of nutritious qualities! They are relatively high in protein, low in fat, high in fibre, and they also contain a range of vitamins. Lots of great reasons to grow your own. They have been found to have anti-cancer properties and can help with all kinds of medical conditions, from menopausal problems to immune system deficiencies.If you are really getting into growing mushrooms you may want to find out more about them.. try The Mushroom Council - Their factsheets are fascinating. Happy Gardening! More "Growing Mushrooms and Fungi" Reading
Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy.  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Back to Home and Garden Back to Gardening Flower and Garden Tips Homepage Click here to subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - your FREE monthly ezine! http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growingmushrooms.html |
Gourmet Collection. 
Lion's mane. 
Shitake Mushroom Kit.
