Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms

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cultivation, catastrophia can be viewed as a positive event, at least in terms of providing new economic opportunities for those who are mycologically astute. Most ecologists now recognize that a forest's health is directly related to the presence, abundance and variety of mycorrhizal associations. The mycelial component of top soil within a typical Douglas fir forest in the Pacific Northwest approaches 10% of the total biomass. Even this estimate may be low, There are different ways to grow mushrooms, some more complicated than others. First, it helps to understand the most important terms related to mushroom growing.

Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms - PDF Free Download Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms - PDF Free Download

marriages that result in harvestable crops, I hesitate to recommend mycorrhizal mushroom cultivation as an economic endeavor. Mycor- When hiking through the mountains, I encountered so many mushrooms. Each was a mystery until I could match them with descriptions in a field guide. I soon came to learn that a mushroom was described as “edible,”“poisonous,” or my favorite, “unknown,” based on the experiences of others like me, who boldly ingested them. People are rarely neutral in their opinion about mushrooms—either they love them or they hate them. I took delight in striking fear into the hearts of the latter group, whose illogical distrust of fungi provoked my overactive imagination. Paul wrote his book based on years of hard earned experience and thoughtful research in the realm of mushroom cultivation. He is well known and well regarded in the industry, and his book serves as the most comprehensive guide to growing gourmet mushrooms available anywhere. The Global Environmental Shift and The Loss of Species Diversity Studies in Europe show a frightening loss of species diversity in forestlands, most evi- Figure 8. Scanning electron micrograph of an emerging root tip being mycorrhized by mushroom mycellum.

In addition to the cultivation instructions, the book also explores the health benefits of various mushrooms, including their potential as natural medicines. The author also discusses the role of mushrooms in the ecosystem and how they can be used to restore damaged environments. Whichever method you choose, there are several reasons that make it worth growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms.

Paul Stamets - Fungi Perfecti Books By Paul Stamets - Fungi Perfecti

ential mushrooms have been in affecting the course of human evolution. Mushrooms have played pivotal roles in ancient Greece, India and Mesoamerica. True to their beguiling nature, fungi have always elicited deep emotional responses: from adulation by those who understand them to outright fear by those who do not. The historical record reveals that mushrooms have been used for less than benign purposes. Claudius II and Pope Clement VII were both killed by enemies who poisoned them with deadly Amanitas. Buddha died, according to legend, from a mushroom that grew un- Christian era. In 1977, at a mushroom conference on the Olympic Peninsula, R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Montana State University researchers. This new species is called Taiomyces andreanae for one notable feature: it produces minute quantities of the potent anti-carcinogen taxol, a proven shrinker of breast cancer. (Stone, 1993). If this new fungus can be grown in suffi-To see further, we stand on the shoulders of giants. Knowledge is power. Why try to reinvent the wheel when we can learn from the failures, successes, and triumphs of others? Tertiary Decomposers: An amorphous group, the fungi represented by this group are typically soil dwellers. They survive in habi- zones of likely candidates is another avenue that costs little in time and effort. Habitats should be selected on the basis of their parallels in nature. For instance, Chanterelles can be found in oak forests of the midwest and in Douglas fir forests of the west. Casting spore mass of Chanterelles into forests similar to those where Chanterelles proliferate is obviously the best choice. Although the success rate is not high, the rewards are well worth the minimum effort involved. Bear in mind that tree roots confirmed to be mycorrhized with a gourmet mushroom will not necessarily result in harvestable mushrooms. Fungi and their host trees may have long associations without the appearance of edible fruitbodies. (For more information, consult Fox (1983)).