Friday, January 25, 2008

mushrooms update


mushrooms
Originally uploaded by jamesandthebluecat
An update for Jane.

The photo may look like the surface of an alien planet, but is in fact the contents of my mushroom tray after two weeks.

Which is annoying, because according to the instructions:

'Mist the surface of the peat to keep moist until tiny white 'pinheads' appear after about a week, then stop spraying water until the mushrooms are about the size of a pea. Once the mushrooms are about 3cm in diameter they are ready to harvest"

It's all going rather more slowly than anticipated, and although there are definite white specks of proto-mushroom visible, they seem to be outnumbered by a more ominous grey mould across the surface.

Although possibly the tub/tray/thing was too high up in the airing cupboard so I've moved it down a bit, closer to the radiator at the bottom. But not right at the bottom, as that's where the cat sleeps, and there's a very real concern she might view it as a new and interesting place to poo.


11 comments:

Sean McManus said...

We got one of those mushroom crate thingies after I read about it here. We haven't started it off yet. Following a disastrous year in the garden last year, it'll be nice to grow something that doesn't need stuff like sunshine and proper seasons. Hope your mushrooms get with the programme soon.

Jane Perrone, Horticultural blog said...

Ooh ... thanks for the update!

You're right, the mould is a worry. Not much you can do about it though. Best off avoiding the cat/litter tray combo, as you say.

Was going to try growing some myself, but am just about to take delivery of my long-awaiting wormery, and don't think I can stretch to caring for a baby, hundreds of worms AND fungi at the moment. And I am still not convinced it's worth the effort. Lettuce, beans, tomatoes - yes, the resulting flavour and freshness are definitely worth the bother of growing at home. But mushrooms? Are they any tastier when just-picked? I have no idea.

James Henry said...

I'll be honest, from previous experience, they don't taste any different from shop-bought ones a couple of days old.

Still, free mushrooms! Good luck Sean...

Anonymous said...

Yummers. How appetising... :/

(P.S. Anyone remember the mushroom growing storyline on Johnny Briggs?)

Anonymous said...

One of our neighbours told us that there is an unused length of U-bahn tunnel, near Cologne Zoo, which, after being built in the 80s, was found to be too small for the trains.

It is now apparently one of the largest underground mushroom farms in the world.

Stef the engineer said...

I bought wifey the same thing as a Christmas present. Nothing, after 3 weeks careful tending as per instructions, except flies. The house is full of them, that swarm wildly over us when we spray the compost. They cling to our clothes, and leave us at work. My colleagues are starting to wonder about me...

Anonymous said...

Ohhh stef are they fruit flies? You can make fruit fly traps out of plastic pots, clingfilm and bananas.

What happens to a mushroom if you don't pick it when it's reached 3cm - does it explode!

Anonymous said...

Even in my current one-eyed state (the other being splendiferously black and swollen shut - long story, let us never speak of it) this looks ominous James. That mould will take over your airing cupboard, then your house and then someone (probably played by Daniel Craig in the film) will have to nuke Falmouth to prevent it from taking over the world.

I'd take a flamethrower to it asap if I were you...

Anonymous said...

sounds like the abstract of my dissertation.


I don't own a cat though

llewtrah said...

You've given me an idea for doing bulletins on my fig tree :) It lives in the kitchen until the danger of frost has passed, then I will plant it. Hopefully next year I will have figs - yay!

Anonymous said...

"there is an unused length of U-bahn tunnel, near Cologne Zoo, which, after being built in the 80s, was found to be too small for the trains."

Repeat after me, German tunnellers - measure twice, cut once.