A shiitake mushroom grow kit should be in every home on the planet as far as I’m concerned. Not only is this mushroom variety one of the most popular, it also has many other potential benefits for those willing to give them a try.
Second only to white button mushrooms, shiitake are one of the most popular mushroom varieties, due to their delicious earthy flavors, and also due to their abundance. It’s commercially grown around the world and that gives them an edge over other species.
Not all mushrooms grow commercially. It is only a few varieties, which means whenever you go down to your local supermarket or fresh food shop, there’s a very good chance that shiitake mushrooms will be available. Being commercially grown, shiitake mushroom lovers don’t have to worry about a mushroom growing season, or trying to hunt for them in the wild. Most stores already have them in vast supplies.
But going to a shop and buying a bag full is very different to growing your own. I guess it’s the same reason people grow apple trees and orange trees. The fruit are widely available in most fresh food stores and yet people choose to grow their own. There’s something special about the produce one grows themselves.
There is an abundance of grow kits available for you to purchase. You can buy them online from any number of sites, as well as local specialty stores and plant nurseries. While they may seem the same thing, make sure you find out a little about the history about the brand. You’ll want to make sure you buy from a reputable supplier. While most are, if you find out that most people haven’t had success with a particular brand, there may be a reason for it.
There’s a Shiitake Mushroom Grow Kit for Everyone
Many different options exist when it comes to shiitake mushroom grow kits. While you may just want to buy some simple shiitake mushroom spores via these plugs, a shiitake mushroom log is also a great choice.
Shiitake mushrooms favor growing on logs because they are a saprotroph variety. This means they feed on decaying matter, such as dead logs and they prefer the hardwood varieties. A shiitake mushroom growing kit featuring a hardwood log is the best start you can give your mushroom and ensure it a successful start in life.
If you decide to buy some spores and build your own set up, make sure you research the specific needs of your mushrooms, as they will need nurturing through their life-cycle. Here’s a great article that shows you some of the reasons growing mushrooms yourself is so fun.
Whether you decide on a pre-made shiitake mushroom grow kit, or simply some spores which you intend to plug into your own hardwood log, there’s a lot of excitement when it comes to waiting for that first sign of life. I know from personal experience that the anticipation with waiting for one of these grow kits to spring into life can be incredibly rewarding.
Learn with Your New Grow Kit
Most people know mushrooms as being the little white ingredients they add to their soups and stews. Their knowledge doesn’t extend much further than the paper bag they come in and yet, these incredible organisms offer us so much. The research into the many mushroom species alone is mind boggling.
Despite some people thinking that mushrooms are vegetables, they are in fact an organism from the fungi kingdom. Yes, I said kingdom. Just like the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom, mushrooms hail from a vast kingdom of organisms that number in the millions. Millions. Scientists are only just barely scratching the surface when it comes to understanding the mushroom varieties that exist around us.
The amazing thing is that these mushrooms aren’t just a source of food, as many people believe. They also contain vast amounts of beneficial nutrients that modern scientists still try to unlock today. Ancient cultures used mushrooms for much more than just food, using them for many health benefits to ease injuries, diseases and sickness.
Just having a grow kit in your possession is enough to inspire you to dig a little deeper into the history of your chosen variety. And I promise the shiitake won’t let you down. Learn how to grow shiitake mushrooms. There’s a ton of information to read on these incredible organisms. And it’s all waiting for you to discover. All you have to do is find it.
Reap the Rewards of your Mushroom Grow Kit
There is so much to enjoy about a shiitake mushroom grow kit. Firstly, it’s one of the most exciting things to grow, as far as I’m concerned. Maybe it’s because I have had a life-long passion and interest for mushrooms, but something tells me it goes deeper than that. And it’s not always the obvious reasons that prove correct.
Growing shiitake mushrooms indoors is different to growing plants. While both may seem similar in appeal, the mushroom is an organism that will eventually feed you, heal you, replenish some important nutrients in your body. The mushroom absorbs the sunlight streaming in through your kitchen window and increases its Vitamin D levels, which is vital for healthy living.
The other thing that always intrigues me is that you have your own version of mother nature growing right in your own home. Scientists believe mushrooms are environmental vacuum cleaners, absorbing bad elements in the ground and air around them and turning them into harmless bi-products.
As you watch your mushrooms grow from tiny spores, into small organisms and finally into fruiting bodies ready for picking, you begin to understand them more and more. I know that whenever someone gets their first growing kit, it is never their last. Many other options exist and I always have at least 3 or 4 kits growing around my home. Because they make for wonderful conversation pieces when friends pop over.
The rewards from these growing kits is far more than simply ending up with a mushroom you can pick and eat. It’s an entire journey that you witness; a journey that takes you through various stages of its existence.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve tried a shiitake mushroom grow kit, why not give some other varieties a try? There are so many options to consider and here are a few for you to try. Mushroom species to try include Puffballs, Morels, Porcini and even Black Truffles. Once you’ve tried one of these incredible grow kits, I know that the chances of you trying more are almost a given certainty.
Mushrooms are so much more than simple produce. They offer the world an abundance of beneficial nutrients and health benefits that researchers still discover on a daily basis. As a food source, they fill the pantries and kitchens the world over, for incredible tastes and wonderful flavors.
And now, with these fantastic grow kits, you have the opportunity to grow some of the world’s best-known mushrooms in your own home.
