Raccoon and Lobster

At the mushroom fair 2 weeks ago, I picked up an oyster mushroom growing kit. My instructions were to stab it a few times with a clean fork and stick it in the closet. As the days went by, it went from looking like a sack of dirt and mulch to a sack of dirt and mulch that was slowly being taken over by a white growth. The bag had beads of moisture inside and I was worried that I had somehow messed up my simple task and I was growing a container of mildew and slime ooze.

The white growth was firm instead of slimy, so I assumed that it was the mycelium spreading and that the plastic bag would contain it all. Probably nothing to worry about, right?

This is what greeted me on February 27, 13 days after I first stuck my bag o’mushrooms in my closet.

My perverted oyster mushrooms flashed me and now I’ve passed that indecent exposure on to you. You’re welcome.

Once the primordium formed, it was time to let the mushrooms out of the closet.

48 hours later, the mushroom indecency was transformed into mutant alien buds and now instead of just two growths, I had three.

This last picture was taken a few minutes ago, a little over a day after the previous photo.

The buds are  starting to look like actual mushrooms!

Today marks day 16. In about 5 or 6 more days I will be able to make my first harvest of fresh homegrown mushrooms. My total effort exerted so far consists of stabbing the bag with a fork and moving it from the closet to the living room. Even my black thumb can manage that. Fungus among us indeed.

Edit: Want to get your own mushroom growing kit? You can order them online at Fungi Perfecti and Mushroom Adventures or check with a mycological society near you about mushroom kits and forays.