We are experienced worm farmers and responsible managers of our own mini CSA(or V for Vermiculture). We are proud of the avocado, lemon, and mandarin orange trees started from seeds salvaged from our compost container. We have successfully rooted pineapple tops, rosemary, lavender, jade plants, ficus prunings, and Celeste fig saplings. We have even regrown the bulbs of green onions on our winter windowsill, harvesting and reharvesting the fresh grown tangy greens to enhance countless salads. We viewed the mushroom kit as a delightful invitation to the world of mycology. The idea was right up our alley: using kitchen debris to produce food.
In mid March, we excitedly embraced our new agricultural venture (mycogriculture?). We followed the package direction: inside and out. We dutifully cut an + (even though an "X" would have better suited our intuitive sense and aesthetic sensibility) in the plastic bag holding our used-coffee-ground growing medium presumably coated in mushroom spores itching to grow. We also performed the additional instructions recommended "for Best Results": soaking the bag in a cold, tap water filled bucket for 24 hours, appropriately weighted to ensure full submergence; shaking off the excess water; placing in an properly ventilated and illuminated location; and spritzing as directed. Our wok anxiously awaited our first harvest. A couple of days ago--near the end of April, we admitted defeated and acknowledged our lack of fungi fingers. We don't know how or why this went wrong, but we are open to advice. For now, we are sticking with worms and purchasing our mushrooms in their fully grown state.
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