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Growing Mushrooms at Home Using Straw and/or Manure Bookmark ThisArticle to Delicious

By: Stephen enn

 There are some species o! mushrooms that will "ene#t !rom using straw ormanure as a "ulk su"strate to ma$imi%e !ruiting potential& '! you would liketo grow orta"ellas( all o! the )yster mushrooms( Shaggy Manes( the addyStraw mushroom( or the *ing Stropharia mushroom you should use yourcoloni%ed su"strates as spawn to inoculate straw and/or manure& The "ulksu"strate only needs to "e pasteuri%ed to "e used&Spawning to Straw

reparing the straw part ':+irst you will need to chop your straw into ,-. pieces& '! you need straw itwill "e a0aila"le in our su"strate section& Straw only needs to "e pasteuri%ed

!or use as a "ulk su"strate& 1oad your straw into a pot and #ll with water&

 2ou will need to place something hea0y on the straw to keep it su"merged& 2ou will also need a pro"e thermometer& 'nsert the thermometer into themiddle o! the straw layer& asteuri%ation occurs "etween ,34-,54 degrees& 2ou want to lea0e it su"merged !or , hour "etween these temperatures&6hile your straw is "eing pasteuri%ed you can prepare your coloni%edsu"strate to "e ready when the time comes&

reparing the su"strate:'! you are using grain spawn you can "reak up the contents "y slamming the

 7ar against a tire or using your hand& '! you are using hal!-pint su"strate youwill need to remo0e it !rom the 7ar and put it into a 8iploc "ag& Using yourhands( care!ully crum"le the cake !rom the outside o! the "ag& Be care!ul inthis step or the "ag will rip& '! it rips( trans!er to a new one& )nce the cake isin smaller sections( while keeping the "ag closed( "reak up the cake !rom theoutside o! the "ag& Try to "reak the cake into pieces the si%e o! 6hoppercandies& repare all o! your su"strate and set these aside while you wait !oryour straw to #nish pasteuri%ing&

reparing the straw part '':A!ter one hour has passed in the desired temperature range !or

pasteuri%ation( we will need the straw to cool& 9lean out your sink with 1ysoland put the drain catcher in& 6ash your hands with anti-"acterial soap&9are!ully empty the pot with the straw into the sink and let it cool to a"out4 degrees&

;ow we are going to mi$ our spawn with the newly pasteuri%ed straw&Alternate "etween a layer o! straw and a layer o! su"strate and mi$ it well& 2ou don

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coloni%ed su"strate and straw across the "ottom o! a grow cham"er& 2ou willneed to place your grow cham"er in a dark( warm place so that the su"stratecan coloni%e the straw& This should take appro$imately > weeks&

)pen your "ag o! casing soil and spread it e0enly o0er your straw layer& Try

to pour to a depth o! a"out ,/> to ?/.& A!ter the casing layer has "eenapplied( put the grow cham"er "ack into a dark( warm place !or a"out .-3days& A!ter this time( relocate your grow cham"er to a %one in your housewhere the temperature is @4-54 degrees& The drop in temperature triggerspinning& 2ou will also need to e$pose the casing layer to light !or at least ,>hours daily&

Spawning to dehydrated manure

 2ou will need:5 $ . $ ,5 > Mil Gusseted oly Bags These are not autocla0a"le

A 3 gallon "ucket or large trayDehydrated manure or compostro"e Thermometer1arge ot

Hydrating the Manure:1oad your large tray with dehydrated manure or compost& 6hate0er you areprocessing& Soak the su"strate down with a garden hose and mi$ it aroundthoroughly& 6hen !ull saturation has "een reached and water "egins poolingin the "ottom mi$ it around some more and stop adding water&

1oad your Gusseted oly Bags >/? !ull&

'mportant:6hen you load the manure "y hand( gently sCuee%e each hand!ul& 2ou wantthe su"strate to "e moist not soaking and dripping& 6hen sCuee%ed gently(only a !ew drops will come out o! the su"strate&

EAM1: Su"merge a household sponge in water F !ully saturate it&emo0e the !ully saturated sponge& And( gi0e it a gentle sCuee%e& 6AT)US )UT '; A STAM( 'GHT& 2ou do not want a su"strate THAT 6T&9ontinue to slowly sCuee%e the sponge 0ery gently( until

);12( A +6 D)S A ST'11 D'';G )UT )+ 'T&

 That is the same saturation point( you want a SUBSTAT AT&close to I5/@>J moisture capacity

;ow( its time to pasteuri%e the "ag( or multiple "ags& Seal the "ags with aru""er "and or twist tie "ut allow it to remain loose so steam can escape&

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Using a large pot( #ll with water until it