Waxcaps get their name partially from the fact that the caps are covered in a substance that makes them look wet or waxy. The Parrot Waxcap, Gliophorus psittacinus, has a colorful pattern that’s similar to a parrot’s coloring, giving it its name. It’s a tiny mushroom, with its cap reaching only 1 ¼ inches wide at the largest.
When mushrooms start to colonize trees, they damage the wood in various ways. This causes new designs to show up on the wood. There are three different types of spalting: pigmentation, zone lines, and white rot. Each one has a different effect on the tree.
Before we developed our system of getting rid of our spent fruiting blocks, we got a gigantic pile built up. All the empty spaces that developed, the grain, the substrate, and the plastic shelters worked together to create a fantastic rat habitat.
Unfortunately for those budding vegetarians looking for the perfect meat replacement; although it has a meaty texture, it doesn’t taste anything like meat. In fact, while often sought throughout Europe, it’s known for having a sour or acidic taste that doesn’t appeal to some. It is, however, one of the few mushrooms that is fine to eat raw.
We’ve already established that the process of creating your own fruiting blocks is essential to growing your mushroom business. Sure, gaining profit is possible when buying blocks, but true growth requires active participation in the full process from start to finish. Part of which involves inoculating fruiting blocks.
In plenty of ways, our expanse was at the worst possible time. We did accomplish our goal of staying out of debt while expanding, but that meant using our savings to pay two months of rent on the new space. With an abundance of work to be done to get the space ready, a large shipment of building supplies had just been ordered, also. We were left with no cash flow and employees we had no way to pay. Things looked incredibly grim.