Did you know that you can actually grow edible gourmet mushrooms in your garden right alongside your tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, herbs, and veggies?

You can! And by doing that, you can improve your soil health, support your garden ecosystem, and add another delicious crop to harvest and enjoy throughout the growing season.

This is the second episode in our Mushroom Mini Series. Last week, we re-released our episode on growing mushrooms indoors, and this week, we’re talking all about how to grow mushrooms outdoors in your garden.

Louis from North Spore joins me and my husband Billy for such a fun conversation about growing mushrooms outdoors right alongside your vegetables, herbs, and even cut flowers.

We talk about beginner-friendly ways to start growing edible mushrooms at home without a fancy setup required! If you’re a plant lover, gardener, or curious plant parent, this episode will open your mind to just how easy and rewarding mushroom gardening can be.

I can’t wait to see what kinds of mushrooms you grow, how you cook them up, and how they support both your garden and your health.

In this episode, we learn:

[05:35] Benefits of Lion's Mane mushroom supplements for improved focus and energy
[09:15] Why should you grow mushrooms in your garden?
[10:45] Specific vocabulary in mushroom cultivation
[12:43] Is mushroom DNA diverse or uniform across different areas?
[15:30] Why you can't simply grow any mushrooms in soil alone
[17:15] Are mushrooms annuals or perennials?
[20:14] Where can you find full spectrum plant lights to bring the beauty of outdoors inside this April?
[22:16] Where can you find a healthy meal delivery program?
[24:52] What protections exist for preventing other mushroom species from colonizing a bed of ripe food and confusing the farmer?
[26:29] Can you harvest mushrooms immediately after inoculating your garden beds?
[27:35] What mushrooms are best for beginners to grow in the garden?
[29:30] Do you need a lot of space to grow a good harvest?
[30:29] Do worms compete or work with mycorrhizal?
[32:25] What materials do you need for growing mushrooms in your garden?
[34:44] Where can you find a wind chime that would make the perfect gift these holidays?
[36:21] How can you grow mushrooms in your mulch?
[41:04] Does a denser, ground-level plant provide better shade for the mushrooms??
[44:00] Is there a general rule for spacing the insertion points when inoculating a bale of hay?
[44:49] How do mycorrhizal networks and mold coexist in nature, particularly in damp and dark environments?
[48:09] How to create a mushroom container for small gardening spaces
[52:49] What are the required maintenance tasks for growing mushrooms during the season?
[57:03] What is the difference between cutting and pulling mushrooms during harvesting?
[58:23] Best beginner mushroom varieties that are resilient to temperature and humidity changes
[59:40] Different mushrooms that you can grow in different garden zones or different climates
[01:00:56] What is the process of inoculating logs for growing mushrooms?
[01:03:48] What's the purpose of wax capping your mushrooms?
[01:05:29] Can mushroom inoculation be done before or after the frost date?
[01:10:12] Where can you find mushroom spawns and learn more about mushroom growing?

Mentioned in our conversation:

Are you officially tempted to start a mushroom bed now?

Check out the full show notes and blog for mushroom-growing tips and everything we mentioned in this episode!

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