Here is a project that will keep the gardener busy during this time of year.Have you ever given consideration to growing mushrooms? Just think your very own mushrooms whenever you needed them for cooking and salads. You can easily grow mushrooms outdoors but I think you are better off growing mushrooms indoors. You completely avoid the insects and diseases that are prevalent outdoors. I am not entertaining growing wild mushrooms but growing mushrooms that you know are safe to consume like shiitake,oyster or portabella.

It would be wise to try your hand at growing mushrooms inside in the beginning and maybe later you can graduate to the outdoors. You can learn to be a mycologist by researching and studying the different species so that you have the ability to identify the poisonous wild mushrooms that find their way into your patch of cultivated fungi. Incidentally a mycologist is one who makes a study of fungi.

I think it best to cover just growing mushrooms indoors. The first method of growing mushrooms would be to buy spawn,germinated mushroom spores,and using a growing medium such as sawdust,compost or newspaper to begin your growing mushrooms. Spawn can be procured from numerous websites selling mushrooms and should be accompanied by very detailed instructions. Always check to make sure that complete instructions,helpful information or supplies are included. You should never purchase from any vendor if you are not going to receive the complete package.

Now my approach in growing mushrooms,at least in the beginning,is to purchase a mushroom kit which is designed to immediately allow starting with the growing phase. A kit will include all the required components to grow several crops of mushrooms. There are many types of mushroom kits available but the most popular are the shiitake,oyster and portabella. These kits will allow you to grow several crops over an eight to twelve week period.

The benefits of growing mushrooms is not only from the satisfaction of a successful crop but can be good for the health.Mushrooms are very nutritious and are low in calories, with a very small amount of fat and cholesterol. A basic serving of five small mushrooms contains 2 grams of protein, just about as much potassium as a banana and three B vitamins. Mushrooms also are a valuable source of selenium, a nutrient found in meats that may be in short supply in vegetarian diets.

The other benefits in growing mushrooms comes from the delicious and innovative ways you can prepare them for consumption. They are outstanding in salads or how about cooking up some portabella on the stove with some port wine and worcestershire sauce and then fill them with a mixture of onions,garlic,peppers,more mushrooms,and spinach all chopped and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. It is truly almost like eating a small steak. If you purchase the same mushrooms in your local store,they are already 5-6 days old. Growing mushrooms can be a great hobby which could also become a small business. There is a great deal of information concerning the growing of mushrooms at http://www.gardenersgardening.com/growingmushrooms.html

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We visited with the Oregon mycological society to see how they grow different types of delicious mushrooms for the home garden.

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I have been a gardener for over 20 years. I have decided to publish what i have learned for both beginners and experienced gardeners. My web site is at http://www.gardenersgardening.com

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Coffee may be the favorite stimulant of people all over the world, but they may not know how those coffee beans and granules are cultivated. Some even think that they come out like the powdered instant drinks that we are so used to. 

Coffee granules actually come from the beans of a coffee plant. Whatever coffee drink you love, be it plain black or those with whipped creams on top, they all come from the same plant. Many countries grow coffee plants in their fields. They are usually situated in the regions between the tropic of Capricorn and Cancer. Some of these regions are South and Central America and Middle East. Brazil is the largest producer, accounting for about 30 -35 percent of the market. Columbia follows, having 12 percent market share.

There are actually two leading coffee varieties. One of them, the Arabica makes up about 70 percent of the whole market in the world. This actually considered as the best in the world… when it is good quality. Incompetence and poor quality control has lessened the appeal of the Arabica to consumers. In fact, many are choosing Robusta, which makes up the rest of the 30 percent, shared with other much rare varieties.

Essentials of a good cultivation. Coffee plants are cultivated on plantations, so much like those that cultivate cotton. It is however not so easy to grow a coffee plant. There is a specific temperature, which will suit cultivation About 15-24 Celsius. Fluctuations in the temperature can even affect the taste.

The soil where the coffee grows should also be well aerated. This is because the plants need to have a constant supply of oxygen in the roots.

Water is another important thing when it comes to growing coffee plants. The plantations need about 1500 mm to 2000 mm of rainfall every year. If these figures aren’t reached, then irrigation needs to be instituted.

Some believe that altitudes also play a role in cultivating the best coffee plants. Most of the best coffees in the world are grown at over 3000 feet. This is perhaps because it takes longer for the coffee plants to mature at these level, thus flavor are developed over time in the seeds of the berries.

However, those that are produced at lower altitudes are healthier and stronger. They are more sickness and disease-resistant compared to other coffee plants.

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3 days – 1 frame per 15 minutes

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Learn about raspberry leaf tea and green tea benefits at the Types Of Tea site.

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One of the easiest plants to grow and from which you can reap fast rewards is the ever popular tomato.

With just a little planning and not much hard work, you’ll find growing tomatoes will satisfy your sense of achievement. They can be grown almost anywhere, in containers, greenhouses, balconies or the garden bed.

You can start them from seed easily; the varieties and choices you have to suit your tastebuds are endless, and you can expect abundant harvests, with few guidelines to follow. Home-grown tomatoes taste a lot better than commercially grown ones because you can pick and eat them fresh from the plant. You can get a better quality, tasting tomato from the seed catalogues and they give you a much wider range of tomatoes than any supermarket could possibly offer. The descriptions will help you find tomatoes that are exceptional and suited to your taste and environment.

You can start from seed or seedlings, why not experiment with both if you’re a novice. If you are starting from seed then sow them indoors several weeks before you expect the last frost in your area and they will be ready to transplant outdoors when the soil warms up. Aim to give them a minimum six hours of sunshine. Prepare the soil, ensuring that it is well drained. To give a flying start to your season adding mushroom compost to the soil which works wonders for the seedlings.

When transplanting seedlings, bury all the seedling stem below the ground, leaving only the top leaves exposed. This encourages roots to grow the full length of the stem, which is below soil level, giving you a large root system. This in turn gives you larger healthier fruit and is a little trick my grandfather taught me; works fantastic too.

If your particular plant requires staking, put the stake in the hole first to save damage to the rooting system. Be sure to water your plants as soon as you have transplanted them, you can use a seaweed fertilizer at this point.

When growing tomatoes make sure the conditions remain constant throughout the growing season, that means maintain a moist soil and do not let them dry out as you risk them being exposed to the disease blossom end rot, or you may find that the fruit will crack. Check the soil regularly; cheap gauges are readily available for this purpose. On the other hand don’t over water as waterlogged soil causes fungal diseases.

When growing tomatoes keep a sharp eye out for the first flowers to appear, you can then use a liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks and a little potash can be added at this stage. Do not make the mistake of thinking the more fertilizer the better; this will only result in excess foliage growth and reduced fruit production.

When the weather warms up use organic mulch around your plants to save precious water; to encourage more root growth and a stronger plant you can build the level of the mulch right up to the level of the bottom leaves.

If you have no garden or limited space then all is not lost; you can grow tomatoes in pots or containers; there are many miniature and cherry varieties to choose from. A 16 – 20 inch pot is about right, just use a potting mixture instead of soil. Remember to check your pots regularly for water as they will dry out quickly, especially in summer. A self watering container makes the job easier and if you can install a tap on the balcony, it would save carrying water through your apartment. Don’t limit yourself to tomatoes, with a little thought you can grow lots of other things like herbs, lettuce, egg plants, etc. just by using containers.

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Some mushrooms growing over a period of about 4 days. The video was cut short because a shroom started growing in front of the camera and knocked it over. This is the MYG casing kit in action available at www.mushbox.com

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Colin Price has been very successful in all types of gardening over many years. Find out how you can take advantage of his knowledge and success and create your own beautiful and productive garden at => http://www.EquipYourGarden.com

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Hunting for morel mushrooms typically runs from early April and runs through June depending on your geographical location.  The Great Lakes region in the United States is the most popular hunting grounds for morel mushrooms but they have also been found in almost all of the lower 48 states. 

Morel Mushrooms

Most hunters will agree that the weather has the most effect on the availability and quality of these elusive mushrooms.  Typically the day time temperature around 60 to 70 degrees, night time temperatures not less than 40 degrees and the soil temperatures of about 50 to 60 degrees with good ground moisture levels are ideal for moral growing.

Moral mushrooms are found in small patches under dead or dying elms, ash, apple and even pine trees.  The seem to like to hide under or near thickets or other plant small plants growing in the area but since the ground cover varies a lot each patch of mushrooms you come upon may be growing in totally different conditions.  Once you find a good spot you will need to check it year after year.

Young Morel Mushrooms

After a forest fire the moral mushroom seems to grow abundantly for the next two or three years and a lot of commercial pickers will follow the forest fire reports and first hunt in these recently burned areas.

Morel mushrooms can last for about two weeks before it starts to decay if the weather is good.  Morels have been known to grow as much as one half of an inch in 24 hours.  Since the shrooms do not have a use-by-date on them it is necessary that you examine each one collected for any decay.  Look under the caps for any signs of decay.  Many collectors will use the 50 percent rule when dealing with these mushrooms; if 50 percent is still good then bag it.  It is also recommended that you do not keep them for more than three or four days before eating.

To harvest simply pinch or twist of the mushroom at ground level.  It is recommended that your collection bag be a large open weave design.  Some hunters believe that the open bag will facilitate the spoors falling to the ground, during your travels, allowing for a crop next year.   Others think this is an old wives tell but at the very least the open weave design will allow tiny nasty forest critters to fall off the mushroom.

After harvesting, take them to a sink and rinse them in cold water to remove any foreign particles which include bugs.  Then cut then lengthwise and rinse them again.  Sore the clean mushrooms in a bowl with a cloth draped over them.

If this is your first time hunting, you should always go with someone who has several years shroom hunting experience.  They can show you how and where to hunt successfully and in addition they can show you what a good moral looks like.  Never eat a mushroom before you check to see if it is poisonous or not.  Many good web sites exist that have very good pictures and description of the edible and poisonous verities of mushrooms.
Attending a Moral Mushroom Festival are excellent sources of information for the newbie and seasoned hunter alike.  Muscoda, Wisconsin is the self-styled Morel Mushroom Capital of Wisconsin and this may be a good place to start. 

Some of the other festivals are:

Mansfield, Indiana
April 28-29, 2007

Irvine, Kentucky
April 28-29, 2007

May 4, 5, 6, 2007
Richmond, Missouri

 May 4-5, 2007
Magnolia, Illinois

Mesick, Michigan
May 11 thru May 13, 2007

Lewiston, Michigan
May 12th, 2007

Boyne City, Michigan
May 17 – 20 2007

Happy Treasure Hunting.

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An instructional video on some basic casing techniques for growing mushrooms

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David Cowley has created numerous articles on Treasure Hunting. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Treasure Hunting. Visit Treasure Hunting

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Medical practices treat the symptoms of disease. They do not prevent the illness itself. Alternative medicine offers a complement to the traditional methods. More and more physicians are realizing this and responding to it in their own practices.

It is becoming more common for physicians to enlist the aid of the natural world in treating their patients. Often, along with traditional medicine, doctors will suggest using a natural product in conjunction with a prescription. One such natural healer is the mushroom.

The Maitake and Other Mushrooms

Mushrooms come in many different varieties and species. They contain a large number of compounds that offer potent healing properties. One of the most useful species of healing mushrooms being recognized for its effectiveness is the maitake mushroom. This mushroom is being tested for its ability to enhance the production of infection-fighting cells in the human body.

Mushrooms are found in wooded areas all over the world and cultivated by both professionals and amateur collectors. If you wish to harvest your own mushrooms, it is vital to your health and safety that you research what each species looks like. Some mushrooms are poisonous to the point of being life-threatening.

These spongy fungal foods are used to make certain immune system enhancing extracts, either alone or in combination with other members of the healing mushroom family.

Mushrooms contain compounds known as alpha and beta glucans. These glucan phytonutrients are actually long-chain polysaccharide molecules. They consist of millions of glucose molecules that are chemically bound to each other.

The beta-glucan compound has been found to have great abilities to enhance the function of the human immune system. Lab studies are finding that the beta-glucans activate production of T-cells and NK (natural killer) cells. These are the cells that fight viral and bacterial infection and, in some cases, even cancer.

A healthy immune system is the only sure way for a human being to remain disease free. When the body’s immune system is not in optimal shape, infections attacking the body are much more serious and can even be life threatening.

The Different Healing Mushrooms

There are many different mushrooms that are studied and used for their medicinal properties. Of the many species of mushrooms, the most common and most used by alternative medicinal healers are:

* Maitake. The maitake mushroom can be found growing on oak trees all over the world. The maitake mushroom is best known for its ability to stimulate the production of T-cells in the blood.

* Shitake. The shitake mushroom is the best known and most widely used as an immune system booster.

* Cordyceps. The extract from the cordyceps mushroom has proven to be effective in fighting various forms of bacteria. It is also known to increase physical stamina. The sports world took notice of the possible benefits of cordyceps mushrooms in 1993 when nine women who were taking cordyceps reportedly broke world records at the Chinese National Games.

* Reishi. This mushroom has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years as an immune system enhancer.

Safety and Effectiveness

A consumer warning states that consumers should be aware of false advertising of mushroom extracts. Many beta-glucan products on the market are not 100% pure. A large number of them only contain about 1% beta-glucan. It is wise to always speak with a trained and knowledgeable store employee before purchasing any product you are unfamiliar with. It is also important that you read the labels of any product you are considering purchasing.

Although not widely recognized yet, the maitake mushroom is fast becoming a leader in the mushroom world for its immune boosting properties. Physicians and consumers are becoming more open to and educated about the medicinal uses of mushrooms. They are in abundant supply all over the world and are waiting to be discovered.

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Visit us at www.the-shroom-room.com to learn how to grow your own mushrooms very easily from home

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More information on maitake mushrooms is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How Does Maitake Mushroom Boost The Immune System?

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