SALISBURY — Have you ever wanted to grow your own mushrooms but didn’t know where to start? This is a common question most horticulture Extension agents receive since growing your own mushrooms has really taken off.
There are quite a few varieties of mushrooms people can grow, but for North Carolina, shiitake mushrooms seem to be the most prevalent. This may be in part due to the shiitake mushroom program at North Carolina A&T State University. N.C. A&T has helped teach people how to grow their own shiitake mushrooms and have hosted numerous shiitake mushroom workshops across the state.
Mushrooms can be grown in many different substrates, but for small growers and home owners, they are commonly grown in logs. If the growers inoculate and tend to the logs properly, they can grow mushrooms for many years, sometimes lasting as long as 10 years. Inoculating logs is not an extremely difficult task; it just takes time and preparation.
There are typically many classes held throughout the state teaching people how to inoculate their own logs. Rowan County, along with Davidson County, will host a shiitake mushroom workshop Tuesday, March 4 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Rowan County Agriculture Building, 2727 Old Concord Road.
This workshop will teach students how to grow their own shiitake mushrooms using logs. Participants are asked to bring up to four logs of white or red oak or sweet gum. Logs cannot be longer than 4 feet and must be 4-8 inches in diameter. Do not use logs that have been cut longer than two weeks before the workshop. The fee for the workshop is to provide one of the four inoculated logs to N.C. A&T.
N.C. A&T will provide the mushroom spawn, wax and tools to prepare the logs. There are two parts of the program: The first part is indoors, and the second is outdoors, so participants must wear proper clothing and footwear. All participants are required to RSVP by Friday, Feb. 28 since the class is limited to the first 60 participants. For more information or to RSVP please contact Danelle Cutting at 704-216-8970.
Or for more information on growing mushrooms visit this website: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/herbs/crops/mushrooms/