DIY Network

Homegrown Hint: Growing Mushrooms Mushrooms are easy to grow at home. Here are Joe Lamp'l's tips for putting the "fun" in fungus! From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-204

Figure A

Mushrooms (figure A) aren't vegetables or fruits but are in fact an edible fungus. Best of all, they're easy to grow at home. Here are Joe's tips for putting the "fun" in fungus!

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There are many kinds of mushroom kits available at garden centers, in catalogs and on the Internet. The two basic kinds of kits are outdoor kits and indoor kits.

• Outdoor mushroom kits allow you to grow mushrooms outside on logs or compost piles. You put the spoors outside, water them and leave them alone. Outdoor kits are easy, but it usually takes nine to 12 months before you can harvest your first crop.

• Indoor kits are also available. Here's how to use an indoor kit for shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes). Shiitakes have a unique flavor that tends to intensify as they cook, and they are excellent in stir-fries and other Asian dishes.

  After opening the bag according to the kit directions, submerge it in a large bucket of water (figure B). Chlorine kills mushroom spores, so avoid tap water; use bottled spring water instead. Soak the bag in the cool water for 24 hours, then remove it and drain off the excess water. Next set the bag where it will get some indirect natural light and where temperatures will stay between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the optimal temperature range for growing shiitakes.

  The next step is adding the humidity tent that comes with the kit. Stick skewers or bamboo stakes into the bag, then drape the tent over the entire thing (figure C). With the tent in place, begin misting the bag with water three or four times a day until the mushrooms begin to develop.

  When the mushrooms reach about 3" wide, remove the humidity tent and let them continue to grow. When most of the shiitakes are 5" or 6" in diameter (figure D), you can harvest them by snipping them off at the base with scissors.

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D