The Black Trumpet Blog

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.

Join Matt McInnis and Hamilton Morris as they discuss Morris's work in psychedelic research and journalism. This interview covers topics like the challenges of drug research, media portrayals of psychedelics, and the importance of cultivation, while also touching on advancements in mushroom biosynthesis. Watch the full interview to hear Hamilton's candid insights and perspectives.

Obsidian Entertainment’s video game "Avowed" immerses players in a dark mystery involving the eerie "Dreamscourge" fungal plague. To celebrate, we partnered to release a limited-edition mushroom grow kit, bringing the game’s fungal themes to life in the real world!

Let's talk about the birds and the bees... and the mushrooms! Fungi reproduce asexually through budding or spores and sexually through plasmogamy and karyogamy for genetic diversity. Some self-fertilize, others need mates, and some use pheromones or explosive spore dispersal to thrive.

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.

Lion's Mane mushrooms are renowned for their cognitive, gut, and immune health benefits, supported by bioactive compounds like erinacines and hericenones. With promising research and rich nutritional value, they offer a natural and versatile way to enhance overall wellness.

This Buffalo Mushroom Sliders recipe offers a delicious, vegan twist on classic sliders, using homegrown Snow Oyster mushrooms as the star ingredient. The dish features mushrooms coated in a flavorful buffalo sauce, fried to perfection, and served on plant-based rolls with fresh toppings like pickles, sweet peppers, and cucumbers!

Elevate your holiday season with festive mocktails that are as functional as they are flavorful! Featuring our mushroom tinctures, these recipes blend wellness and indulgence. The Lion’s Mane Citrus Smash brings a zesty burst of focus-enhancing energy, while the Chaga White Russian Mocktail offers creamy immune-boosting comfort.

Impress your friends and family this holiday season with five festive mushroom recipes, featuring both homegrown and wild-foraged varieties. From a smoky-sweet Lion’s Mane loaf and savory Oyster mushroom stuffing to roasted Chestnut mushrooms, crab-like stuffed Shiitakes, and an elegant Porcini tart, these dishes bring rich, earthy flavors to your holiday table.

Crab stuffed mushrooms - but make it vegan! This dish gives you the opportunity to use your homegrown Shiitake and Lion's Mane mushrooms to make a simple but elegant vegan appetizer or side that your friends and family will love.

This holiday season, mushrooms can help you celebrate sustainably by reducing waste and promoting eco-friendly practices. Whether gifting mushroom grow kits, crafting natural decorations, or cooking with homegrown ingredients, mushrooms offer a meaningful way to connect with loved ones while caring for the planet.

This Oyster Mushroom Stuffing is a savory, herb-packed dish that’s perfect for holiday tables or any cozy meal. Featuring earthy oyster mushrooms, toasted bread, and fragrant fresh herbs, it’s rich in flavor and completely vegan-friendly. Simple to make and irresistibly delicious, it’s a crowd-pleasing twist on a classic favorite!

Join us and wild foods expert Hank Shaw as we explore the rich, hearty world of mushrooms for holiday cooking. From foraging tips to creative recipes like mushroom stuffing, tarts, and even candy cap desserts, this conversation dives into how mushrooms can elevate your seasonal celebrations.

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!