[Diana in Wisconsin]

I have grown the Porta Bella mushrooms from a kit. I had a fieldstone basement at the time and it stayed at 55 degrees down there year-round, so it was a perfect spot for growing them.

Only tried it the once. I got one BIG one and a bunch of smaller ones. They were delicious.

But that’s the extent of my mushroom-growing knowledge. ;)

[Pollard]

I’ve tried shiitake a couple of times but let the logs get too dry both times. They were far away in the woods and hard to get water to.

I figured out a setup I can do that can be kept closer and will give the 80% shade they need. Pallets with small gaps between the boards on the South, West and top. One on the ground, four for sides and one as a roof. Then I just need a dedicated water tank, pump and misters on a controller.

The easiest to grow are Red Wine Cap. All you need is hardwood chips. You can put the wood chips under shrubs and that also creates shade, though they don’t need as much shade as some shrooms. Helpful if you happen to water those shrubs or other plants too.

https://www.fieldforest.net/product/wine-cap-instruction-sheet/instruction-sheets

[Pollard]

Oh boy

The Almond Agaricus(cousin to the white button mushroom, crimini and portabella) is a heat loving Portobello mushroom variety that grows quickly and can fruit as soon as one month after planting. This mushroom pairs perfectly with garden beds, container gardens, or landscape pots as it loves regular watering. We like to companion plant ours in a high tunnel along with leafy vegetation such as bell peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes.

https://www.fieldforest.net/category/growing-mushrooms-in-beds

https://www.fieldforest.net/product/almond-agaricus-on-compost-instruction-sheet/instruction-sheets

It can be incredibly fast and prolific resulting in large clusters with individuals growing to over 1 lb. in as soon as 4 weeks after planting.

Pic from here: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2019/07/the-abcs-of-almond-agaricus-mushrooms/ Author is a founder of Field & Forest

[Pollard]

Field & Forest mushroom catalog just came in the mail yesterday.