GROWING BLOG

ESSENTIAL ARTICLES

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Start Here

New to mushrooms? You’ve come to the right place. At FreshCap, we know mushrooms. And we want to share that knowledge with you! Growing mushrooms can be a ton of fun. But there is so much to lear...

Glossary

Glossary

Mycelium, agar, colonization... what does it all mean? Here's a quick primer on some of the most common terms used in mushroom cultivation. Agar: A seaweed derived powder used to make a nutrified...

The 3 Levels Of Mushroom Growing

The 3 Levels Of Mushroom Growing

If you’re just starting to learn about growing mushrooms, the process can seem overwhelming. There is so much to learn! Unfortunately, that can be a turn off for some people who are looking to ge...

How To Clone Mushrooms

How To Clone Mushrooms

Remember Dolly the sheep? It’s the first thing I think of any time I hear the word “clone.” It took scientists many years, but eventually they were able to create the world's first mammal cloned...

Growing Mushrooms In Bottles

Growing Mushrooms In Bottles

One of the biggest problems facing the mushroom industry today is the reliance on plastic bags as fruiting containers. Now, don’t get me wrong… I think mushroom grow bags work great. But- these...

Getting a Second Flush from Shiitake Blocks

Getting a Second Flush from Shiitake Blocks

One of my favorite things about growing mushrooms is how they just keep giving and giving! Once you get a successful first flush, you are likely to get second, third and sometimes even fourth flu...

Using Pressure Cookers for Growing Mushrooms

Using Pressure Cookers for Growing Mushrooms

If you ‘re wanting to grow mushrooms at home, you need to get yourself a dependable pressure cooker. There’s really just no way around it. You see, fighting contaminates is a constant battle. T...

How To Inoculate Grain Jars and Make Any Grain Spawn You Want

How To Inoculate Grain Jars and Make Any Grain Spawn You Want

One of the first steps to growing mushrooms from scratch involves making your own grain spawn. Luckily the process of inoculating grain jars is pretty simple! Once you have a viable mushroom cu...

Working With Mushroom Cultures on Agar

Working With Mushroom Cultures on Agar

Growing mushrooms from scratch requires being able to store and properly propagate mushroom cultures (think mycelium) on nutrient rich agar. For the mushroom cultivator, it is an essential skill...

The Yellow Oyster Mushroom

The Yellow Oyster Mushroom

The Yellow Oyster Mushroom, sometimes called the Golden Oyster, is both stunningly beautiful and easy to grow, making it a popular choice among home cultivators. This mushroom grows fast and f...

A Mushroom Growers Guide To Preventing Contamination

A Mushroom Growers Guide To Preventing Contamination

Growing mushrooms from scratch require a sterile environment, and sterile processes for repeated success. The hard work of transferring cultures on agar, inoculating grain jars, and making fruit...

How To Use Mushroom Grain Spawn

How To Use Mushroom Grain Spawn

Growing mushrooms starting from ready-made grain spawn is one of the most accessible and beginner friendly ways to get into the hobby of mushroom cultivation. It is slightly more complicated tha...

Mushroom Yield and Biological Efficiency

Mushroom Yield and Biological Efficiency

Mushroom yield and biological efficiency are important parameters that need to be understood and optimized by the mushroom cultivator. When you first start out growing mushrooms, you might no...

Understanding Mushroom Substrates

Understanding Mushroom Substrates

Finding the perfect mushroom substrate for your grow- and getting the right substrate recipe– is one of the most important aspects of mushroom cultivation. New growers will quickly realize th...

Mushroom Grow Bags: The Ultimate Guide

Mushroom Grow Bags: The Ultimate Guide

Mushroom grow bags are an essential tool for cultivation, both for the professional cultivator and the enthusiastic hobbyist. They can be used as spawn bags- in which the bags are used for sterili...