A detailed and comprehensive guide for growing and using gourmet and medicinal mushrooms commercially or at home. “Absolutely the best book in the world on how to grow diverse and delicious mushrooms.”—David Arora, author of Mushrooms Demystified With precise growth parameters for thirty-one mushroom species, this bible of mushroom cultivation includes gardening tips, state-of-the-art production techniques, realistic advice for laboratory and growing room construction, tasty mushroom recipes, and an invaluable troubleshooting guide. More than 500 photographs, illustrations, and charts clearly identify each stage of cultivation, and a twenty-four-page color insert spotlights the intense beauty of various mushroom species. Whether you’re an ecologist, a chef, a forager, a pharmacologist, a commercial grower, or a home gardener—this indispensable handbook will get you started, help your garden succeed, and make your mycological landscapes the envy of the neighborhood.

Yes, you can grow mushrooms from scratch! Why grow mushrooms? Mushrooms are a joy to grow—for food, as a garden feature, or just for fun—and it’s easier than you think! How to Grow Mushrooms from Scratch covers 19 varieties, from button (always versatile) to reishi (a medicinal powerhouse). Plus, here are delicious recipes, preserving methods, and more. Where can you grow mushrooms? Mushrooms will thrive in your garden, on your windowsill, and even in your basement. The key is to pick the right growing medium for your mushroom—a log, a bale of hay, or a simple pot of dirt—and give it a little shade. How to grow mushrooms! Experts Magdalena and Herbert Wurth explain every step of cultivation—whether starting from a kit, a culture, or a grown mushroom you’d like to propagate. From protecting mushrooms in extreme weather, to troubleshooting pests, here is expert advice for beginners and experienced growers alike!

Mushroom is an important crop of fungal origin that can be cultivated on several agricultural residues. There are about twenty mushroom species grown commercially all over the world, specifically known for their attractive flavours and textures that make food delicious. Mushrooms not only contain protein, vitamins and minerals, but also have low calorie content with little fat and sugar. They provide a high amount of qualitative nutrition required for our growth and strong immune system. This is a complete manual on the cultivated edible mushrooms covering all the information from their morphological features to post-harvest preparations. The structure, natural diversity, food and medicinal values, impact of climatic factors on their cultivation and cultivation methodologies are all explained in an easy-to-understand way. The economics of mushroom cultivation and ancillary information about mushroom centres, sources of spawn and machineries as well as addresses of leading mushroom farms and exporters have been elaborated in the text. The text is intended for the undergraduate students of Agriculture, Biotechnology, Botany and Microbiology. Besides, it will serve as a handy compendium for those engaged in mushroom development programmes as well as those interested in establishing their own mushroom farms.

A fully illustrated and user-friendly reference book that tells where and when to find edible mushrooms--with delicious recipes for each