Satisfying the Desire to Cultivate with Fruit-at-Home Mushroom Blocks


The Sun's warming rays are becoming stronger and Winter is releasing its frozen grip on the land. The arrival of Spring is filled with anticipation and excitement, especially for the gardeners and growers. This is a time to have started our tomatoes, melons and even eggplants if you're feeling brave. The wild leeks and mushrooms are making appearances around the woods. While the majority of people wait for the snow to melt, your local mushroom growers have been cultivating all throughout the Winter. It's simple for you to bring that into your home. 

Growing mushrooms can be very easy and a rewarding experience. With a thoughtfully prepared fruit-at-home kit, growing your own gourmet mushrooms is one of the best ways to explore the rich world of fungi and experience their many flavors and benefits.

Fruit-at-home kits, also known as mushroom blocks can be started at any point in the year, provided there is a comfortable space for them to exist in. They do a wonderful job this time of year in satisfying the desire to cultivate while we wait for the frost to melt. From start to the first harvest of delicious mushrooms is about 2 weeks. These blocks will often create a second and sometimes a third crop of mushrooms over its life. When the block has finished producing, it can be crumbled into your garden or a compost pile where it will help nourish the soil.

Luckily for us, the mushrooms do all of the hard work of growing. We create the environment for them to thrive. Like a cool, damp forest floor in the Spring, we to try to provide moisture, fresh air and light. Make a shallow cut along the front of the back, about 80% the width of the bag works well. Place the bag by a window where it will get indirect sunlight. If that's not available, any room where the lights are turned on often is fine. The last ingredient is to provide moisture. We do this by misting the cut in the bag several times a day with a spray bottle, set to the finest mist setting. Twice per day is about as low as you want to go. I like to put my block in a spot that I pass by many times during the day, so I get in the habit of giving them a quick spritz whenever I walk by.

Growing mushrooms in your home is a really fun way to engage kids and adults alike in gardening. 

 

Written by Shane O’Donnell, Heartwood Mushrooms