Mushrooms in the Market Garden

Growing mushrooms in the garden has been a topic of conversation in many no-till, no-dig, permaculture, etc. groups for many years. And I've tried to incorporate mushrooms physically into our commercial gardens for quite a while. So in this video I kind of try to break that down a bit and give some insight into how to grow mushrooms in the garden, what kinds of mushrooms do and don't make sense in the garden, and so on.
Things I tackle: How to grow mushrooms, how mushrooms are grown, growing wine cap stropharia (king stropharia) in the garden, growing almond Agaricus in the garden, are mushrooms beneficial to the garden, etc..
Field and Forest: fieldforest.net/
🚨 Support our work at 🚨
notillgrowers.com/support
or
Patreon.com/notillgrowers
The Living Soil Handbook 📚
www.notillgrowers.com/livings...
OUTSIDE OF United States: just get the book from local retailer because shipping is outrageous and you can instead, support our work through one of these methods 👇

[@barronriverblues4462]

We get spent oyster substrate from a local mushroom producer and spread it in our pathways as well , it is the most prolific mushroom we’ve found. But as far as marketability I don’t think it compares to the flavor and cleanliness as local producer’s. A good trick to multiply your bag of spawn is to fill a 5gal bucket with cardboard or chips , fill it with water , let it sit overnight , dump the water and mix your spawn. It’ll spread incredibility fast!

[@user-nk8xg4rl2l]

I've been growing several different mushrooms in my tiny urban garden for about 3 years now. The first time I got Winecaps and they went bonkers, I mixed them with hardwood mulch and a little compost on top of my perennials and tomatoes, I easily got 20 or so burger patty sized ones that first spring. I've also used golden and pink oysters to decent success with my tomato mulch last year, as well as more Winecaps. This year I got a chestnut mushroom bed that had a half decent flush but I think it's been excessively dry this spring cause the Winecaps have done unusually terrible. I like to experiment and I like to eat mushrooms so it's been a fun time. The almond agaricus is the only one I had the issues with, the mycelium never seemed to take off. I've gotten all my spawn from a company called NorthSpore and have been happy with them.

[@Stormblessed72]

My mulberry trees have shaded the ground underneath them to the point where grass doesn't grow I ended up using wood chips under them to stop it from being so muddy figured I'd try these (wine caps) last year and in an area of about 150-200 square feet I got over 100 lbs of mushrooms

[@homesteadedman4784]

"My substrate is Beer" I tapped the like button for that one! cheers

[@nchomestead7860]

Wine caps are amazing in my food forest. They chew up woodchips and have created the richest soil ever. I honestly don't even really eat them very often (I Agree, bland and not interesting flavor wise), but it's just a great mushroom to create beneficial fungal networks and turn woodchips in to soil.

[@jameskniskern2261]

I dry them for winter soups. I make stock using the stems. And use the bases to inoculate other pathways. But the aromas they impart to stocks is amazing!

[@nchomestead7860]

@@jameskniskern2261 Nice, yea I've been spreading the ones that are coming up this year to all my newly mulched areas. I imagine in 2-3 years I will just swimming in them.

[@rufia75]

I find they have a subtle flavour, but also we eat them for food resiliency/lowering our carbon footprint one nanometer at a time (just one more thing I don't buy from the store, etc). And of course, benefits to soil which in turn reduce carbon footprint and produce more food which again reduces carbon footprint, etc.

[@msms4659]

They are meant to be eaten younger when they have more flavor.

[@nchomestead7860]

@@msms4659 Still pretty meh even when eaten at the "prime" maturity level.

[@sethl3702]

My pathways grow so many none edible mushrooms I don't know why I haven't thought of this. You are raising the bar in my opinion! Thank you for your content!

[@connormurphy3085]

One of my favorite practices is to inoculate logs with oyster, shiitake, lion’s mane, or maitake spawn plugs and then use them as the sides of my raised bed, this helps keep the logs moist and limits how much space the logs take up in your growing area

[@VictoriousGardenosaurus]

I've been putting a small mushroom lab together for the past year or so. I've been taking a break on the growing aspect for the past few months, as my fruiting area has been far too hot. However, I've incorporated lions mane, oysters, and Tiger Sawgill into two areas of my garden, 8 straw bales I've used as a raised bed, and a 12'×24 squash bed, heavily mulched with compost and straw. We had a large flush earlier this year, before our summer heat set in. Interested to see if anything will survive to fall time. Edit: I also recommend making your own spawn. Anyone with a pressure cooker and some mason jars can be a scientist.

[@tracycrider7778]

King Stropharia & Almond Agaricus❤

[@dennistaylor3796]

Overripe mushrooms I rebury in a new area to spread. It works great.

[@stevenbekkering4323]

I've been growing shitakis and oysters on logs in my shaded garden for the last 7 years

[@suffling505]

I think they can be delicious sauteed. Rough chop mushrooms, I like to leave them a bit chunky since they will reduce so much. Heat olive oil over high heat, add mushrooms, salt generously, stir. Continue cooking over high heat, as mushrooms release their liquid. Be brave and continue cooking on high until the mushrooms re-absorb the liquid and gain color and texture. Great on toast or salad!

[@peterv3216]

Love it!

[@choltslag]

Hi Jesse, Great video! We have a small mushroom company here in Finland called Helsieni, and we just started selling King stropharia spawn. For some years now we are selling our oyster mushroom substrate, marketed as a 'mushroom bed'. As a previous person commented it works great on the paths but you have to lay it down thick. We also tried shiitake and Lions mane substrate with similar results but in the summer quite often the bugs get to them first so for home gardeners it seems to be the best option. Keep up the good work!

[@Marshall_Weber]

Awesome Video as Always!!

[@abugman]

You're awesome, thanks.🍄

[@mariamountain6718]

6:46 + made my day. God, how I needed that little moment. Thank you so much.

[@rebeccajohnson4232]

I love all your videos, I like seeing all your yields.

[@Paula_T]

I like your sense of humour. Oh, and the content too. And the kitty.

[@TheVigilantStewards]

I'm loving these next level topics like living pathways and mushroom cultivation intercropped or in path that you're getting into . I still remember how you said how to do worm extract to get the hormones out when you visited the rose lady

[@PerfectGardensTV]

Great conversation! I really enjoyed this one bro

[@growingwithfungi]

Hi Jesse! Went out this morning and they were pushing through! 😁🍄🙌🙌🙌🙌 Did yours pop up yesterday out of curiosity? I'm in Ireland 🇮🇪 Rad chief! Thank you so much 😁🌱💚🙏✨🍄🐝🔥✌️

[@wannabefarm8831]

Thank you for this video. I attempted Mushrooms pre covid and failed. Definitely reinspired a fellow garden nerd

[@robertling9872]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@growingwithfungi]

👌

[@Kittens_Cats_Karma]

Cutest kitty cat also contributing to production! Thanks!

[@growingwithfungi]

Iv tried a separate 2x6 deeper bed on a bank below a sycamore i hope will fruit too. thank you so much chief 😁🌱💚🙏✨🍄

[@charlesbale8376]

I'm interested in growing mushrooms for the health benefits so I appreciate the information you shared.

[@SeeStuDo]

Have such limited space in my container and fenceline gardens , but I've grown a few of the Mini Oyster kits this last year and after they're spent I add them to an area I'm composting woody material. Hope for even a small flush this year and really need to add Wine Cap.

[@wildherring3988]

Smart work

[@billlund2755]

Great info, I haven't grown my own Mushrooms yet but we do harvest Elm Oyster Mushrooms every year off the trees in our area. They are delicious.

[@dougreynolds2813]

my wife planted some last year in her strawberry bed, some shade available; she had a decent first flush, i bought some spawn from Nothspore and started a new spot. they also had a couple of flushes, i bought 15 cy of hardwood sawdust; and used a good portion that so i hope our harvest this year will be better yet. thanks for this content.

[@nicholaslima4008]

I grow shiitakes on logs under a patch of spuce trees, and wine caps are in the garden (they pop up everywhere in the yard now). I inoculated my pile of woodchip mulch, so it's getting around.

[@mrod954]

You’re awesome.

[@breahnalawrence6725]

I am pretty certain I have them wild here but also have toadstools and various other natives fungi. Hadn't thought about seeding in my mulched paths.

[@jenniferfisher1743]

Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

Thank you so much! 🙌

[@user-ru9qy9ih1x]

Great video. I’ve made got a lasagna style bed in my back yard with some wine caps and oysters in it. Rarely see the oysters but the wine caps pop up ever once and a while.

[@richardvanasse9287]

My wife and I have been talking about growing mushrooms. Maybe try next year.

[@thetobaccoguy1751]

I'm growing Chestnut and oysters from spawn from Field and Forest. Doing great so far.

[@TheVigilantStewards]

Share: The only company I've seen and only video on this was from North Spore... great video

[@dtroystopper2]

Dry Sautéed is the way to go with wine cap. Get a cast iron pan nice and hot, no oil.. put sliced mushies and salt in, cook until all the water comes out of the mushrooms, and then cooks back in. It takes a while, but it's worth it. Once the water cooks back in completely, add your fat and other spices.

[@krishnarchanavlogs7445]

I liked your videos from India.

[@jerichoeagle830]

Great video! I love wine caps and they’ve been such a beneficial addition in my garden in terms of more food and beautiful soil production. I get all my spores from North Spore and they have excellent customer service

[@growingwithfungi]

North Spore have an amazing yt channel and i loved their vid on winecap

[@megm.c4026]

YEEHA!!! This is exciting. Im just looking in to cultivating mush. Its facinating!

[@megm.c4026]

what about Morels? Maybe poor shelf life, but grow in woodchip etc I believe. Ive not grown them.Ill be interested to hear if you try others and how you find them.

[@notillgrowers]

Morels are not easily cultivated, though there are a lot of folks working on changing that

[@growingwithfungi]

Absolutely love it! Im hoping for a fruiting soon 😃🌱💚🙏✨🍄🔥🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 edit; Wine cap in two of the beds hoping to expand, looks colonized and mycelium smells like winecap but not fruiting here yet chief I am in Ireland chosen as its a heliotrope and bad bacteria in soil in area. Out back i am using oyster in a mycofiltration trench incase any nasties come down from conventional ag field behind. Both ideas from Mycelium Running Paul Stamets. Another great vid Jesse thank you so much 😁🌱💚🙏✨🍄

[@manolopapas]

Interesting

[@Green.Country.Agroforestry]

The first time our wine caps flushed, it was in a sunny area, and the brown caps threw me off .. I wasn't sure WHAT we had just grown. Now, a year or so down the road, I have no problem identifying a brown or even bronze capped Stropharia flush .. They dehydrate nicely for adding to dishes later on in the year.

[@just_alex]

"my substrate is beer" 😂😂😂

[@gchrom]

Thanks for sharing and reminding me, I planned on trying King Stropharia for the first time this year but didn't get around to it

[@notillgrowers]

There's still time if you want to try it. Can establish at basically any point in the summer (though earlier is recommended to get fruit that same year).

[@gchrom]

@@notillgrowers yessir, ordered today and will try growing in a couple of spots, one being last year's static compost pile since I won't be using it until next spring anyways to give the woody bits more time to decompose.

[@abigailjacob4043]

Actually, I ordered some oyster mushroom spawn last year and never got around to spreading it in the garden. I tossed the bag aside by my deck assuming I had killed the spawn.....and just yesterday, nearly a year later, I saw a huge group of oyster mushrooms growing out of a puncture in the side of the bag! We ate them, they were delicious, and now I know oyster mushroom spawn is tougher than one would think. I'm totally just going to spread the remainder of the spawn bag around my garden and see what happens. (FWIW, I'm down in Lexingon, KY, not too far from you!)

[@quinto190]

Yummy :)!! I tried to grow king stropharia in a straw bed in my home once, but the fungus gnats coming from indoor plant pods found it much too tasty. So, the experiment failed :/.

[@gaylebills803]

I grow shiitake on logs and oyster on woodchips. I have a hard time with wine caps because squirrels dig up the bed. I have to protect logs with chicken wire A-frame.

[@dionvh]

Great information. Can you also share your experience with shittake and oysters? Thanks

[@notillgrowers]

Possibly in a video one day! Generally, I love growing shiitakes on logs and their shelf life is really good. I'm less enthusiastic about oysters because the shelf life is low, but they grow extremely fast (like fruiting in 8 weeks or less depending on the substrate) and are prolific.

[@jameskniskern2261]

I've been growing Stropharia both in my food forest and anywhere a wood chips has fallen on the ground. It is quite a hunt to find them sometimes. :) I've found that dehydration of the caps makes them much easier to concentrate the flavor, as your awesome jerky showed. Also as you suggested, they are amazing in soups and stocks, and having them dehydrated makes them easy to store long term. I've also found that having them in dishes, not as a main ingredient, but a supporting element seems to be the best way to use them. As far as culture, I am a fire and forget type person. I put a whole bunch out there in all they places they may be happy and see what happens. No irrigation, just whatever rain happens to fall on them. I also haven't monetized them, but do share with friends and neighbors.

[@growingwithfungi]

tfs

[@jonstachowicz8778]

Mushroom Jerky....I think we need more details on this!! Wonder if you could grow mushrooms like microgreens inside to help with the keeping clean aspect...of course it wouldn't be that profitable with the cost of lights, but inside a greenhouse/hoophouse might be doable.

[@amypulley240]

#mushrooms dont need light

[@carvedwood1953]

So a couple notes here on Windcaps. I personally find that most of what you described is....less than accurate haha. I think Winecaps have great flavor, they taste like asparagus. My preferred method of eating them is not in soups and stocks but sauteed like every other mushroom for the most part. For soups and stocks you want something with a more robust flavor like shiitake or porcini and dried is better for stocks. Winecaps are watery but since you cannot overcook a mushroom due to science reasons, you can just dry sautee them or roast until the texture tightens up a bit. This is obviously just my personal culinary opinion. That being said I have a small yard so I have to maximize my space and being a fungi head I have some experience and thoughts on the subject. Strawberries tend to benefit from a heavy mulching, and are the perfect place for winecaps as a companion plant. This year I am trialing growing oysters and lions mane in my potato towers (which are filled with straw). I wish I would have got an early start on those or started the potatoes from the top of a fully filled tower to work their way down instead of planting at the bottom and continuously mulching up with straw as they grow.

[@akselknudsen4949]

Is anyone using inoculated logs as a trellis medium? An option I'd love to explore some day.

[@roguesgarden]

I use pine chips in my chicken coops and brooders and probably change it out far before it’s really used up. Would chicken poopy wood chips be good for wine cap spawn? Or should it still be composted down further first?

[@jeffengel2607]

I'm not worried about the winecaps in the middle of walkways, as I can watch my step and step around them, and when they come up, they're only a couple days from not above ground yet to being picked, so there's not so much surface at a time that must not get stepped on. But if you had vastly more than I get or a slower fruit development time, that may not work for you.

[@G4mefr3akFPS]

Wait stropharia is a mycorrhiza right? Great video non the less learning a lot from you thank you

[@DirtyBanjo]

Don't pick a few of the almond agricus and let them drop their spores. Afterwards scoop some of the substrate into a tote and bring it inside. Maybe add some fresh substrate and make sure gas exchange can occur (cut a few holes near the upper rim tote and a few inches above the substrate then fill the holes with polyfill). Try to keep it from drying out over the winter by checking it and misting some water into the tote every now and then. Next spring spread the substrate like you would the spawn.

[@tracycrider7778]

That’s what I did with my Winecaps❤

[@jamesrichey]

I occasionally toss Bella mushrooms from the store on to the compost whenever they turn a little black. Does that count as mushroom propagation?

[@jenniferjsaracino]

I’m allergic to mushrooms 🍄 so I just find this information interesting and funny keep dissing the flavors 😂 it’s great! Oh an loved the kitty cameo 💕

[@josuejb3461]

Maybe get a sample of your wine caps tested for any possible ground contamination of any kind of bad stuff like heavy metals and harmful chemicals that could be consumed through the soil, if you can get a clean result their is absolutely no reason why you can not do well in market. or just eat em if they are safe. Your wine cap spores from fruiting could be used for the next seasons batch instead of buying more spawn, you might not even need to collect any spores, you may only need to add wood pellets after the final frost of the season. enjoy!

[@mountaintroll7864]

fungus knats can be a huge problem. neem soaks work but beneficial nematode treatments work best but are expensive

[@paxtianodirtfrog8947]

I'm a huge mushroom nerd but haven't tried the wine caps or the almonds yet. I do love Field and Forest and have to add that I've actually called them with questions and got a real person real fast. Who was super helpful. Mushrooms seem unpredictable in production and timing for me in general but a farmer in north Arkansas told me that when she did get a big flush it was a huge draw to her booth. Has that happened when yall offered them, people being drawn in by the sight of mushrooms? As far as log grown mushrooms (I'm getting off topic I know) I strongly believe shiitakes are the best bet because they handle better than oysters and others, aaand they are great quality(my opinion). Great video, I love fungi!

[@notillgrowers]

Love shiitakes. Definitely my favorite for both flavor and cultivation.

[@rufia75]

To note, wine cap mushrooms seem to have one of the longer/longish storage times as fresh produce compared to other fungi from a video by a grower/cultivator of a multitude of mushrooms recently. So that may be beneficial in terms of offloading them/profit.

[@rufia75]

Soooooo uhm, no recipe to share for this amazing king stropharia jerky you made?!

[@alexeng19]

How do you guys deal with the bugs? My mushrooms are full of them.

[@FarmerCheryl]

Have you used mushroom compost? Ten months ago in my growing spaces mushroom compost was applied. Vegetables were grown in the beds from summer through winter. Now, I have mushrooms (of the button kind) growing in clumps in my beds where vegetables should be growing. How can I remediate the beds of these mushrooms and mushroom compost. The mushroom compost should have decomposed by now, so other composts can be applied.

[@jamesrobinson8907]

mushrooms know hot to party lol

[@annewhitson403]

Do you find adding mushrooms to your beds changes the pH of that bed?

[@brendan5232]

Hmm. Almond agaricus is native to the northeast and even Canada. It can definitely overwinter in cold climates. It's possible there is some other issue at play with the cultivation.

[@notillgrowers]

Fairly certain this strain is native to Brazil where it’s widely cultivated (synonymous with Agaricus brasiliensis and Agaricus blazei)

[@brendan5232]

@@notillgrowers ahhhh ok my mistake I was under the assumption you meant agaricus subrufescens, in the mushroom hunting community we call that almond agaricus. Interesting, any particular reason you opted for a tropical variety? I am a longtime forager who finally has a garden, your videos are great thank you.

[@notillgrowers]

Ahh, right. I don't know that there are other cultivated varieties on the market, honestly! That's the only one I've seen commercially available, but perhaps there's a market for a more cold tolerant version.

[@haynerbass]

How do you avoid stomping all over your mushrooms?

[@glassbackdiy3949]

I tried the grain spawn thing, but without a liminar flow filter, and a house full of dogs means contam city (even with a SAB & anal level sterilisation) so I chuck the spores in a watering can, cover the whole garden (heavy use of woodchip) and let nature take over, some success, some surprises, but no gaurentees!

[@mikaellindqvist5599]

Build a simple glovebox! Works awesome. I live with three cats and the glovebox never failed me.

[@glassbackdiy3949]

@@mikaellindqvist5599 Cheers Mikael, I've got the outdoor thing down pretty well now, I've got a woodlovers section (many edibles too) and a poolovers section, much more than I could handle!

[@fatalserpent3493]

You should grow morels. They are a very good mushroom and chefs love to buy them up. But I would always remember never eat them raw always fry morels

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Lol morels are a lot more difficult to grow.

[@BlueSpoonFarm]

I planted winecaps and had no nada zero luck :( I prepared beds ahead of time. I spent $$$$$ to get spawn and nothing

[@fran1942]

you look exactly like Matthew McConnaughy

[@22086106]

cool cat...

[@fatherofchickens7951]

I seeded two beds of wine caps into straw in my garden beds. A pink oyster bed in a shady corner. And inoculated a bale of straw in a shady spot in my front yard. I hope my entire property gets “infested” with mushrooms galore!

[@81jayrock]

I have heard you shouldn't eat wine caps more than 2 days in a row because on the 3rd night they can give you a upset stomach?

[@scotthuey1981]

Paul Stamets says same abd he knows 👌

[@santafoulds7532]

I am in South Africa. How can I get these mushrooms

[@Frog13799]

Google the following, Funguys, mushroom guru and mushrush, all South African spawn suppliers

[@rebelheart8446]

poor kitty😂

[@jkmcdonnell1]

the biggest drawback i have found in growing mushrooms outdoors is the BUG factor

[@erikoberndorfer6790]

Pickle them!

[@K.G.2]

My wood paths keep spawning a fungi called "dog barf". It's highly irritating and I'd like to get rid of it. Any natural suggestions?

[@notillgrowers]

I don't but it's a very beneficial fungus (unfortunately haha)!

[@K.G.2]

@@notillgrowers I suppose I'll just let it do its thing then. 🤷 Thanks for the reply.

[@Ben.McNeilly]

Adding something like wine caps might out-compete them as they are quite vigorous growers

[@TheSamba37]

Dog vomit is a slime mold, not a fungus. It's SO beneficial! They actually seem to mostly consume fungi and bacteria, but can be fairly open in what they consume. It is also speculated that they might be good at bioremediating heavy metals.

[@Ben.McNeilly]

@@TheSamba37 no way! That's so cool 😱

[@dwardodwardo643]

What if you make one mistake, if you poison one person?

[@BaltimoresBerzerker]

The vast majority of mushrooms sold for human consumption are grown indoors. But there's not many poisonous look alikes of wine caps. Once you know how to identify them with spore prints, etc, an accidental poisoning is very unlikely.

[@notillgrowers]

With any mushroom you need to learn how to identify it before you sell it, absolutely.

[@81jayrock]

I have heard you shouldn't eat them more than 2 days in a row because on the 3rd night they can give you a upset stomach?

[@heatherbottoms5813]

M

[@Blank13539]

So sad wine caps are illegal to grow in louisiana….

[@BaltimoresBerzerker]

Say what? Why's that?? Never heard of such a thing other than islands trying to keep invasive species out.

[@Blank13539]

@@BaltimoresBerzerker I guess some Stropharia sp. are hallucinogenic so they just banned the whole genus…This happened in 2005 and LA is the only state I know of with this law. Very dumb

[@BaltimoresBerzerker]

@@Blank13539 wow that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. I have to look this up now. I'm about to offer free spores to Louisiana residents lol

[@michaelmiller861]

A liquid culture will grow faster than spores

[@Frog13799]

Spawn is not spore, it is actively growing mycelium.

[@vladoba100]

In my country in Europe you are not allowed to grow mushrooms, if you don't cooperate with certified mykologist.

[@mariabentele7909]

Ha, ha, you are a Fungi !

[@kynknaturals]

So Farmer Jesse is married right...? Because he just said "profiteroles" out loud on national internet... 😶🤩😶

[@middleway1885]

Boop

[@catmovies1476]

CO2 output is meaningless. When you say months to harvest, IMHO your spawn drop is far more than what is needed assuming you paid $20 for brick in video. Surface area wood chips inoculated 10 days later and moist enough to not dry out is far more important than size chunk Fully colonized medium is when caps come mostly. For the nost part collony growth doesn't need light until flowering. Chips in 5 gal bucket comment below is gold.. I'm going to do that this week and 100% confidence it'll work. I'm guessing redwood is a hard no Oyster fruits grow from sides. All mushrooms like undisturbed after inoculation. This is a case for not using chlorinated tap water and 1-2 days off gassing. Sun degrades chlorine faster. Caps are 90% water so very light mist water on cap and 6 inches around is rocket fuel for production. Don't drown them. 😁

[@skepticalgenious]

Mushrooms make CO2... Coolness sir.

[@yourfu73r35]

Its a mushroom that don’t know what he wanna be 😂

[@LegacyFarmandFiber]

Man anything that smells fruity and almondy makes me nervous. Smells like hydrogen cyanide. And there are several types of mushrooms that create cyanide

[@lihndanpeioils]

Fungi 😂 .

[@BaltimoresBerzerker]

My wife and I are launching a mushroom genetics company and research group, MycoGenTampa. We have a website, Facebook, and Instagram page up with pics of the lab and all. We'll have liquid culture syringes of gourmet mushrooms and spore for medicinals. Our focus is breeding and developing new commercially viable production techniques.