Project Ideas

Garden Toolkit and curriculum provided by Back to the Roots® . Visit backtotheroots.com/curriculum to download all unit materials and view source listings.
6
Chapter 3: How do mushrooms grow?
Once mushrooms start pinning, they grow very quickly. When you see this happening in your
Mushroom Farm, start to record what you see in your Daily Growth Log. In a matter of days, you will
have fully formed mushrooms that are releasing their spores. In nature, these spores re-enter the
soil and the cycle begins again. With your Mushroom Farm, this means it’s time to harvest!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Our oyster mushrooms are safe to cook and eat, but never do this in nature as
not all mushrooms are safe to eat.
9
6
In nature this happens under the soil where the mycelium searches for woody food to eat. In your
classroom Mushroom Farm the same thing is happening, but we went ahead and gave the myceli-
um all the food it needs in a substrate, or growing substance. The bag inside your Mushroom Farm
includes woodchips, sawdust, and wheat bran for your mycelium to eat.
7
When it rains, the mycelium springs into action! Using the water, hyphal threads to grow towards the
light to make a mushroom tower to fire off spores so it can reproduce. To mimic the rain in nature,
the Mushroom Farms needs to be soaked overnight to trigger the mycelium.
8
In nature, mushrooms grow in the humid environment aer a rain. By spraying the Mushroom Farm
every day, you will create a similar environment in your classroom for the mushrooms to grow. Aer
a few days, tiny mushroom caps called pinheads begin to form, this stage is called pinning.
Understanding Mushroom Growth cont’d.
NEVER EAT WILD MUSHROOMS
NEVER EAT WILD MUSHROOMS
OK