MUSHROOM COPRINUS COMATUS (Coprinus, Leaf Agaric) - 1603

• Cultivating Coprinus comatus

Obtain some fresh horse manure (max. 25-30 days) and add about 20% straw, which you have already moistened in a pile for about a fortnight. Wet the mixture thoroughly and then form a "mass" about 1-1.5 m in cross-section and as long as needed: after a few hours, the temperature will tend to rise significantly. After four days, loosen the "mass" and form small piles 15-20 cm wide and 10-15 cm high, as long as needed: the temperature, measured with a thermometer in the center of the pile, will tend to rise so much that it will be difficult to keep your hands in the center. After another 6-7 days, dismantle the pile and rebuild it, bringing the outer parts to the inside and vice versa. Wet the dry parts and distribute the wet parts. The piles should be rebuilt every week until the temperature no longer tends to rise (once for the mass and 3-4 times for the piles). The mixture is now brown, soft, and free of the unpleasant ammonia odor. When pressed firmly between your fingers, it will release a few drops of water (pH 7.2-7.4). Now is the time to add the mycelium. Sprinkle the pile with crumbled mycelium (this jar contains about 30 kg of the resulting mixture), then press it down with your fingers. Maintain an internal temperature of 16-20°C. After about 15 days, cover it with a layer of 4-5 cm. of special soil obtained from 4/7 peat, 2/7 very fine gravel, and 1/7 calcium carbonate, well mixed (pH 7.2-7.4). To grow mushrooms in other locations, place the mixture in crates or polyethylene bags, press it down, and cover it with the appropriate soil. Keep the soil well moist, and after about 20-30 days from covering, you will see the first mushrooms appear. After the first harvest, watering should be more sparse, while waiting for the next harvests, spaced about 8-10 days apart.