Mushroom Gardening Workshop

Discover the powerful role fungi play in boosting soil health and water retention, while learning basic mycology and understanding the relationship between fungi and plants. The course will cover practical, low-cost, and low-tech methods to recycle mushroom blocks and organic matter, enriching the soil web and supporting the larger ecosystem. Students will gain hands-on experience growing vitamin D-rich culinary mushrooms alongside vegetables and perennials in garden beds and containers, all without the need for special equipment or electricity. Additionally, the workshop will explore how to incorporate recycled mushroom blocks into compost, use them for sheet mulching, and provide guidance on sourcing mushroom blocks at a very low cost. All techniques can be done outdoors using materials commonly found on farms and in gardens. Together, we'll build healthy soil and sustainable gardening practices.

Bring your own container such as a 5 gallon containers: planter pot, bucket, laundry basket, milk crate, or crate for vegetables, wire mesh container like a bird house, strawberry pot. Don't buy anything new. Let's recycle. Any container with holes in it will work including a cardboard box. If your container doesn’t have holes in the side, use a power drive with a 1“ step drill bit and drill holes in a diamond pattern 4” apart on the sides of the bucket. DO NOT drill holes on the bottom. If there are already holes on the bottom, line it with cardboard.

Get creative! Upcycle and don’t buy anything new! Just make sure it is clean!

This workshop is great for all ages, beginners to advanced farmers, gardeners and anyone that is learning to grow mushrooms.

Carter Humphrey is a dedicated mycologist and educator with the Mycological Society, serving on the leadership committee since 2020. As the lead volunteer at the MycoResearch Station at Circle Acres, he specializes in low-tech mushroom cultivation, research, and community education

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Host or Publisher Central Texas Mycological Society