As crazy at it sounds, we have been growing mushrooms in our upstairs shower. No, not because there is mold there because I need to scrub my shower....I'm talking real, live, mushrooms. :)
Its a science unit we are doing, all about mushrooms. We have been doing spore prints, taking classes and workshops, making charts, going on hunts, scavenger hunts, mushroom "stamping" and more. I did a class and there I built a take-home kit to grow Oyster mushrooms on straw. In a bag. Swinging in my shower. Well several times a day, then we move them right outside the shower. They do best there, because they need humidity, 95% in fact, and we can mist them several times a day.
It took about eight days, and then we saw them start to spring to action. First, the bag turned white, as the innoculated mycelium (on sterilized rye berry) began to spread throughout the straw and ripped up cardboard pieces. Next, the holes in the bag (evenly spaced, that we had poked in the bag) filled, and the mushrooms POKED right on out of the holes!
They doubled in size every day. At times I would stop in my tracks, as I re-entered the room after only a few hours...and they had POPPED out even more. Jaw-dropping! Truly amazing! Wonderful and a bit freaky.
Well today is the day of harvest. We will carefully cut the biggest ones off, and fry them in oil and garlic. Then they will have another "fruiting" and up to three more after that.
Doncha love science?
5 comments:
Oh, my! This is just fascinating! I can't believe you grew those beauties in your shower!!! I wonder how they would do in Florida??? Probably well with the humidity. I am so impressed with your experiment!
XO,
Sheila :-)
That is science that is yummy! Very cool experiment!
How fun Geri!!! This is such a great experiment and such a wonderful learning opportunity. I want to come over and be in your 'class' too! :-)
That's awesome! I wanted to grow mushrooms to and didn't know how. Thanks for the info!
Cool! I don't think I've ever had oyster mushrooms.
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