Day 48 is a photo of some shitake mushrooms which we are cultivating at home. At the Maker Faire, when we saw that there was a booth selling "grow mushrooms at home" kits, I knew Connor would love that. (Actually, Joy and Amy were the ones who first spotted the mushrooms, and knew that they'd be a hit with Connor). So, we bought a couple of kits - these shitake mushrooms, and also some oyster mushrooms. The oysters haven't quite sprouted yet, but when they do, I'll take some pictures of them, too.
There are a few more photos of these mushrooms here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/herebedragons/sets/72157602807285901/
Comments
Can we grow them here or does it take certain conditions?
You can definitely grow them - no special conditions. They're growing in a clear plastic bag on the floor in my dining room. :D They just need some indirect light (actually, mine got too much light. Those mushrooms in the photo are HUGE - the caps are at least 5 inches in diameter. With less light, they'd have stayed smaller and - according to the literature that came with the kit - they'd taste better. We haven't tried to eat any of these yet, though, so I can't say for sure about the taste).
If you want to give it a try, this is the place who sold me the kits. I'm pretty sure they do mail-order:
http://www.farwestfungi.com/
Ooh! Your mushrooms are gorgeous. I don't know what kind they are, either. Mushrooms can be tricky to ID, although Connor does a decent job of it.