What Is Mycelium?
菌丝是真菌的营养部分。它是一个生活在地球上几乎所有陆地上的细胞网络。More than 8 miles of these cells can be found in a cubic inch of soil (Source:Mycelium Running).
Here’s an awesome close-up photo of soil with mycelium growing through it:
Many mycologists call mycelium “the neurological network of nature”. All ecosystems and agriculture around the world are dependent on mycelium to support healthy and resilient vegetation.
为了更好地了解菌丝和蘑菇本身的关系,想象一下其他植物,比如树。树的根在地下,就像菌丝一样,延伸到土壤下面很远很远的地方,吸收养分和水分。The mushrooms are more like the tree trunk itself in this analogy – although there are typically a large number of mushrooms, not just a single one.
As a Fungi, mycelium isn’t a member of the Plant kingdom. In biological terms, mycelium is actually more similar to the Animal kingdom than the Plant kingdom because it does not produce its own food. Whether it is obtained directly or indirectly, fungi depend on plants for their food (sugars, vitamins and minerals). This is also how types of Mycelium are classified, as we’ll see in a moment.
Benefits of Mycelium
“Mycelium represents rebirth, rejuvenation and regeneration. Fungi generate soil that gives life.”
-Paul Stamets, mycologist and founder ofFungi Perfecti
Mycelium is an essential part of the planet’s ecosystems. Without mycelium, soil structure would break down, leading to further erosion and multitudes of other problems.
- 菌丝体通过分解有机物,帮助创造新的肥沃土壤。
- Mycelium removes industrial toxins from the soil, including pesticides, chlorine, dioxin, and PCBs.
- Trees often become more drought and disease resistant when mycelium is present.
- Paul Stametshas found that mycelium can also be used to cleanse ground water of contaminants and pollutants.
The Must-Read Book On Mycelium
If you really want to dive into mycelium and why they’re so important, getMycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World,作者是蘑菇专家保罗·斯塔梅茨。他解释了一个重要结论背后的科学:种植蘑菇可能是拯救环境的关键。
Types of Mycelium
Mycelium is classified into three different categories based upon how they obtain their food from other organisms.
- Mycorrhizae, receives nutrients from living plants in a mutually beneficial relationship.
- Saprophytic, absorbs nutrients from dead organic matter.
- Parasitic, feeds off living host.
Mycorrhizae: “The Symbiotic Relationship”
大多数栽培植物在与菌根真菌的关系中生长得最好,有些甚至需要共生关系。
- The fungus attaches itself to the root of the plant and maximizes the plants surface area. This gives the plant access to nutrients it otherwise would not have been able to reach.
- The plant photosynthesizes the sun’s energy and turns it into sugar, providing carbohydrates for the mycelium.
- Examples include:Chanterelles,BoletesandMorels
Mycorrhizae is available as a powder, granular, or liquid garden additive and is one of the best ways to ensure a good crop of plants. By almost all accounts, plants grown side by side with and without mycorrhizae perform significantly better. One of the best deals we’ve seen for sale is2.2 lb of mycorrhizae for $26 on Amazonand$11.60 for 1 lb:
Saprophytic: “The Garbage Collectors”
大多数真菌是腐生的。没有它们,森林的地面就会变成一堆掉落的碎片,并随着时间的推移不断堆积。
- 腐生真菌以植物的尸体为食,从倒下的圆木或树叶堆中生长出来。
- They break down organic matter, turning it into nutrient rich soil.
- The majority of edible and medicinal fungi are saprophytes.
- Examples include:Shiitake,Turkey Tail,Oyster,Reishi,Lions Mane
Parasitic: “Disease Causing”
虽然寄生真菌对寄主有害,但它们可以通过创造供其他物种生存所需的死亡有机物,间接地对其他物种有益。
- Parasitic fungi obtain their food from taking nutrients from living organisms.
- 它们会对植物造成严重的损害,伤害它们,有时甚至杀死它们。
- 寄生真菌是生态系统中树木死亡的主要原因。
- As they kill older trees they provide benefits to forest succession by making way for new growth.
- Examples include:Cordyseps,Aspen Bracket
Benefits of Having Mycelium In Your Garden
Promoting the existence of healthy mycelium in your garden has a myriad of benefits. These include:
- Increases water efficiencyas mycelium holds water within the soil.
- Reduces erosionby acting as a cellular net for water and soil particles.
- Improves root growth通过向土壤中添加氧气。
- Enhances soil nutritionas it releases nitrogen, phosphate and other micronutrients via the breakdown of organic matter.
- Protects plants against pathogens通过与病原真菌和细菌竞争。
- Increases nutrients available to plants.
- Encourages beneficial bacterial growth.
Cultivating mushrooms in and with your garden serves multiple functions. While the mycelium is amending the soil and enriching the nutrient value of your vegetables, the fruiting bodies are also a delicious and healthy addition to your diet.
How To Grow Mycelium
For those interested in growing their own food and medicine outside of the garden, it takes only a few simple steps to get started.
Plug Spawn:
Plug Spawn: Cultivating mushrooms on logs or stumps requires more start up work and takes longer than indoor cultivation, but will fruit much longer than indoor growing kits will.
- Insert the plug spawn, mycelium-infused wooden cylinder, into small drill holes in the log or stump.
- Seal holes with wax.
- 在接下来的6个月菌丝将接种木材和蘑菇将开始结果。
*原木接种应使用硬木,如桤木、橡树或枫木。切勿使用松木、冷杉或雪松等柔软的木材。
Indoor Growing Kits:
Indoor Growing Kit: For the most simple method of cultivation, indoor mushroom bags require very little experience.
- Open kit and keep in a cool damp place, such as the bathroom.
- Keep mycelium moist by spraying it daily.
- 7-10天后,蘑菇开始结果。
- 继续收获几个月。
Although these methods are exciting and fruitful, they do not allow the mycelium to do what it does best, which is restoring and benefiting the ecosystem it thrives in.
Growing Mushrooms On Wood Chips or Straw
Growing mushrooms on wood chips or straw serves multiple functions in the garden. The benefits of companion gardening with inoculated wood chips or straw are:
- Woodchips and straw make excellent mulch, reducing erosion and increasing organic matter within the soil.
- Water retention is increased.
- Nutrients are more accessible to plant roots.
How To Get Started
When considering energy input to energy output, this method far exceeds any of the others. The stacking functions aspect allows for the energy received to far surpass the small amount of energy needed to be put in.
- Buy mycelium spawn.
- Break up the mycelium and spread it throughout the straw/woodchips.
- Spread the inoculated mulch over your garden.
The mycelium will take hold and in 9-12 months you will have a fully-producing mycelium bed that will continue to produce for several years.
King Stropharia, The Garden Giant
For high fruit production and ecosystem restoration theGarden Giant是一种很好的蘑菇。
The Garden Giant feeds off a wide variety of organic matter, meaning you can grow it on more than just woodchips, and has many beneficial relationships with bacteria naturally in the soil.
The mushrooms are edible and can grow incredibly large! It is best to harvest them before they get too big, and before maggots or other insects get there first.
As an organism, mycelium is still quite mysterious. Mycologists have only identified 14% of mycelium species, leaving us with a whole lot more to learn!
The Best Mycelium Books And Resources
- Book:Mycelium Running
- Making A Mushroom Bed
- Helping the Ecosystem Through Mushroom Cultivation
- Edible Saprophytic Mushrooms In The Garden
- Mycorrhizal Fungi 101
- Growing Mushrooms On Logs & Stumps
- Permaculture With A Mycological Twist
Dirt Girlsays
I finally have a grid for the fungal component! & how to think about incorporate the categories. Thank you so much! Will give Insteader’s monthly a whirl!