The Black Trumpet Blog

Not many mushrooms inspire the sort of fervor that morels do. Perhaps it's precisely because of their elusive nature that they're so prized. Let's take a closer look at the features of this shroom that make us swoon and how to grow them.

The Three Sisters—corn, beans, and squash—illustrate a time-honored Indigenous method of sustainable companion planting, where each plant supports the others' growth. Modern gardeners are now exploring how mushrooms can join this system, enhancing soil health and garden resilience through underground symbiosis.

Container gardening with mushrooms offers a space-efficient, low-maintenance way to grow edible fungi at home using items like buckets, baskets, and planters. Oyster mushrooms, Lion’s Mane, and Wine Cap are excellent choices, each thriving in specific substrates such as straw or hardwood chips. With basic techniques like pasteurization and some creative container choices, even beginners can enjoy quick, rewarding harvests in small or unconventional spaces.

Button mushrooms are a kitchen staple, but gourmet varieties like Almond Agaricus, Blue Oyster, and Wine Cap offer richer flavors, diverse textures, and added health benefits. These specialty mushrooms are often easier to grow at home using simple methods such as grow kits, straw beds, or hardwood logs. Let's discuss!

Mushroom compost is a nutrient-rich organic material derived from spent mushroom substrate, making it an excellent soil amendment for gardeners and farmers. Packed with beneficial microbes and essential nutrients, it enhances soil structure, accelerates decomposition, and helps suppress plant diseases. By incorporating mushroom compost into your garden, you can improve soil health naturally while recycling organic waste.

CVG substrate (coco coir, vermiculite, and gypsum) is a beginner-friendly, pre-sterilized mix ideal for growing a variety of mushrooms, including gourmet and medicinal species. It offers excellent water retention, aeration, and nutrient support, with a simple preparation process that minimizes contamination risks.

This holiday season, give the gift of wellness with our curated collection of mushroom-based products, perfect for wellness enthusiasts. From potent tinctures and capsules to beginner-friendly grow kits, each item is crafted to support immunity, brain health, focus, energy, and overall well-being.

Delight chefs with a dried wild mushrooms with rich flavors, or functional chocolate infused with wellness-boosting mushrooms. For hands-on fun, try the BlocksBox Mushroom Kit Subscription or Lion’s Mane ‘Spray & Grow’ Kit. Pair with the Wild Mushrooms Cookbook to inspire culinary creativity!

For the seasoned mushroom grower, this guide offers five top-tier gifts to enhance their cultivation setup. From the high-tech BoomRoom II Grow Tent and compact Boomr Bin to the portable NocBox Lab Set, each item provides expert-level control and convenience for healthy, abundant harvests. With options like the BlocksBox Subscription delivering fresh fruiting blocks year-round, these gifts are designed to elevate their mushroom-growing experience.

Give the gift of mushroom-growing with these unique kits perfect for beginners! From easy Spray & Grow countertop kits to long-lasting outdoor log setups, these gifts offer delicious mushrooms and a rewarding experience. Options like the Boomr Bin Monotub Kit provide automated indoor growing, while the Lion’s Mane Lover Set adds a wellness twist. These fun, hands-on gifts make it simple to grow gourmet mushrooms year-round.

Let’s explore the top mushrooms to grow on oak logs, including shiitake, reishi, and lion's mane, all of which thrive on this nutrient-rich hardwood. Oak's slow decay and high nutrient density make it an ideal substrate for long-term mushroom cultivation. With practical tips on fall inoculation and spawn selection, growers can look forward to abundant mushroom harvests year after year!

Fruiting block kits provide a convenient way to grow mushrooms at home, requiring minimal preparation and setup. These pre-colonized blocks can be fruited using side- or top-fruiting techniques, depending on the mushroom species. With proper care, they offer multiple harvests, making them ideal for beginners and experienced growers alike!

Here we discuss a number of simple preservation techniques for keeping mushrooms edible for the long term, covering best practices and simple recipes to enjoy the fruits of your labor for longer while expanding your culinary opportunities throughout the year.

Here, we'll discuss the differences between sawdust, grain, and plug spawn for mushroom cultivation and outline how to choose the best option for your project.

We outline 5 of the best mushrooms to grow on logs, including their preferred method of cultivation, substrate, flavor profile and interesting facts about each species

Wine cap, oyster, blewit, almond agaricus, and nameko mushrooms are 5 mushrooms you can grow in beds in your yard or garden this year, diversifying your ecosystem, improving the health of your soil, and expanding your home menu!

Discover the fascinating process of how mushrooms grow, including where and when they grow, and how you can grow your own mushrooms at home.

Wine Caps, Shiitake, and Blue Oyster mushrooms all have one thing in common: they are perfect for beginners and so easy to grow at home. Whether you want to grow indoors or outside, these species are neigh fail-proof - learn more within!