The essential guide to cultivating mushrooms : simple and advanced techniques for growing shiitake, oyster, lion's mane, and maitake mushrooms at home

From the basics of using mushroom kits to working with grain spawn, liquid cultures, and fruiting chambers, Stephen Russell covers everything you need to know to produce mouthwatering shiitakes, oysters, lion’s manes, maitakes, and portobellos. Whether you’re interested in growing them for your own kitchen or to sell at a local market, you’ll soon be harvesting a delicious and abundant crop of mushrooms. Learn To Grow The Most Popular Species - Oyster, Shiitake, Lion's Mane, And Maitake - In Controlled Indoor Environments At Home. Beginning With The Best Ways To Ensure Success With A Kit And Proceeding Through Advanced Techniques For Creating Sawdust Spawn, Working With Liquid Cultures And Fruiting Chambers, And Much More, Stephen Russell Covers Everything The Home Grower Needs To Know. A Trusted Reference For Market Growers, This Book Is Also The Perfect Companion For Hobbyists Craving A Steady Supply Of Dinner-table Mushrooms.--cover. Getting To Know Mushrooms -- Basic Growing Options -- Combating Contaminants -- Your First Grow -- Pressure Cookers And Flow Hoods -- Pressure Cookers And Flow Hoods -- Grain Spawn -- Casings -- Liquid Cultures -- Working With Sawdust -- Mid-size Fruiting Chambers -- Agar Cultures -- Large-scale Grain Spawn -- Bulk Substrates. Stephen Russell. Includes Bibliographical References (page 228) And Index. "Learn to grow the most popular species - oyster, shiitake, lion's mane, and maitake - in controlled indoor environments at home. Beginning with the best ways to ensure success with a kit and proceeding through advanced techniques for creating sawdust spawn, working with liquid cultures and fruiting chambers, and much more, Stephen Russell covers everything the home grower needs to know. A trusted reference for market growers, this book is also the perfect companion for hobbyists craving a steady supply of dinner-table mushrooms"--Back cover Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 Part 1: Basics for Beginners 11 1. Getting to Know Mushrooms 12 2. Basic Growing Options 26 3. Combating Contaminants 43 4. Your First Grow 56 Part 2: Intermediate Methods 87 5. Pressure Cookers and Flow Hoods 87 6. Grain Spawn 101 7. Casings 128 8. Liquid Cultures 146 9. Working with Sawdust 153 10. Midsize Fruiting Chambers 166 Part 3: Advanced Methods 173 11. Agar Cultures 173 12. Large-Scale Grain Spawn 200 13. Bulk Substrates 208 Resources 229 Index 229 Helps beginners learn the best way to use a mushroom kit, as well as how to maintain the sterile procedures and controlled environment that cultivation requires. This book also helps advanced readers gain knowledge of how to work with large-scale grain spawn, agar, bag cultures, bulk substrates, and large fruiting chambers to produce mushrooms.