Starting a mushroom business with no cash can be done using household items and Mother Nature.
Mushroom cultivation and farming has exploded in the United States, although the practice has been common in many areas of the world for hundreds of years. A mushroom business can be started with no money, using items readily available around your house. The only cash many people spend when launching a mushroom cultivation business -- or a mushroom-growing plot or garden -- is for the spawn or spores, which serve as the "seeds" needed to grow mushrooms. But you can avoid even this nominal cost ($20) by harvesting your own spores. Sterility and humidity are the keys to any mushroom cultivation.
Instructions
1. Find a wild mushroom that you can use as your spore donor. You want to be careful that you identify an edible, nonpoisonous species. Morels, which are among the most expensive and sought-after mushroom species, are found in virtually every U.S. state. They're found in damp, wooded areas, usually in spring. Even among morels, there are several types, including false morels. Research morels (or another safe, edible species) or take along a veteran mushroom hunter to help in identification. Harvest as many mature morels as you can find, using several as spore donors and eating the rest.
2. Sterilize a glass by filling it with water and placing it in a microwave oven. Wear surgical gloves during the entire spore-removal process. Heat the water to a boil, allow it to boil for five minutes and remove. Empty the water and allow the glass to cool to room temperature on a piece of eyeglass or deli tissue paper, both of which are sterile. Sterility is key to spore harvesting.
3. Remove the stem from the mushroom. This is not as important with morels as with other species, which tend to have flat bottoms on their caps, which is where the spores are released. Morels release spores all around their more cylindrical caps.
4. Place the cap -- bottom or gill side down -- on a piece of paper. Place the inverted glass over the mushroom, making sure the entire glass is on the paper. Do this in a cool (40 to 60 degrees F), dark place. The glass protects the mushroom from airborne bacteria and promotes a humid environment.
5. Allow the mushroom and glass to sit for 24 to 48 hours. Depending on the mushroom species, you may have to use a piece of paper other than white. Some mushroom spores are white and will be difficult to see. Morel spores are brownish. The morel spores will appear around and under the mushroom; most other species appear under the cap in a pattern resembling lipstick-covered lip prints.
6. Remove the glass and mushroom. If you've got a good spore print, gently fold the paper in two to envelop the spores. Tape the edges closed. Place a desiccant (like those little packets that you find in new clothing to remove moisture) at the bottom of a black plastic film roll canister. Add of cotton ball on top of it and place the spores envelope on the cotton. Place the cap on the film canister and store in a cool, dark place. Spores will remain viable up to 18 months.
7. Inoculate the spores into compost or other growing medium when you're ready to begin your mushroom cultivation. Different mushrooms call for different growth media. Typical mushroom compost consists of straw (not hay), manure and gypsum, but many organic formulas -- even kitchen scraps -- have proven successful. Again, the key is sterilizing the compost before introducing the spores, usually through steaming or boiling. Some species, like oyster mushrooms and shiitakes, prefer wood-based composts or even the introduction of spawn onto logs or other wood.
Related posts
Starting a drywalling business can be a great way to earn a steady income and build wealth. A successful drywall contractor runs his business both for financial efficiency and quality. The busines...
With mushroom substrate, you can grow nutritious and tasty mushrooms.If you love mushrooms, consider growing your own delicious and nutritious varieties. Your first step is to make some mushroom c...
Most mushroom species prefer a specific growing medium.Mushrooms are nutritious, healthy and have many medical and culinary uses; however, they are often expensive to purchase in stores, so some m...
Proper mushroom compost is essential for the cultivation of edible or medicinal mushrooms. Although, according to the American Mushroom Institute, mushrooms are one of the most difficult commoditi...
Business Development Director Job DescriptionA director of business development has the challenging task of identifying business opportunities for an organization and managing key client relations...
