Edible Mushroom and

Earthworm Culture

Robert Kluson
Ag/NR Extension Agent
UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension
First, What Is The Largest Organism
From The Following List?
• Giant earthworm from Australia?

• Redwood tree from California?

• Mushroom from Oregon?

(honey mushroom)
 Answer
• Honey Mushroom from Oregon
– the discovery of this giant Armillaria ostoyae in 1998
heralded a new record holder for the title of the
world's largest known organism, believed by most to
be the 110-foot- (33.5-meter-) long, 200-ton blue
whale.
– occupies some 2,384 acres (965 hectares) of soil in
Oregon's Blue Mountains
– outline of the giant fungus stretches 3.5 miles (5.6
kilometres) across, and it extends an average of three
feet (one metre) into the ground. It covers an area as
big as 1,665 football fields.
– based on its current growth rate, the fungus is
estimated to be 2,400 years old but could be as
ancient as 8,650 years
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000806/ai_n14338782/
 Mushrooms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fCJxzODZYc&NR=1
Amanita muscaria Boletus aureissimus

Collybia sp. Geastrum saccatum

http://www.nettally.com/annep/FloridaFungi/index.html
 Edible Mushroom Examples

Oyster Mushroom Chanterelle “Yellow" Morel

(Pleurotus ostreatus) (Cantharellus cibarius) (Morchella esculenta)

Shitake Field mushroom

(Lentinula edodes) (Agaricus campestris)
 Mushrooms 101

http://www.micro.siu.edu/microforhighschoolteachers/workshopteachers.pdf
 Mushrooms 101

http://crookbiology.googlepages.com/L_Ch.31_fungi.pdf
 Mushrooms
101

http://crookbiology.googlepages.com/
L_Ch.31_fungi.pdf
 Mushrooms
101

http://crookbiology.googlepages.com/
L_Ch.31_fungi.pdf
 Mushrooms
101

http://crookbiology.googlepages.com/
L_Ch.31_fungi.pdf
 Mushrooms
101

http://crookbiology.googlepages.com/
L_Ch.31_fungi.pdf
 Mushrooms 101
• Mushrooms are the fruiting
bodies of certain fungi—the
equivalent of the apple, not of the
tree
• The fungal organism which
produces the mushrooms you
encounter on your lawn or in the
forest is called a mycelium. It is
composed of hyphae, which are
"chains" of fungal cells (singular:
hypha).
http://americanmushrooms.com/basics.htm
 Mushrooms
101

http://crookbiology.googlepages.com/
L_Ch.31_fungi.pdf
 Mushroom Cultivation
• Completely different to growing green plants
• Do not contain chlorophyll & depend on a
substrate to decompose for their food
• Become familiar w/ life cycles of species of
interest for production
• Outside production is possible
• Inside production provides more continuous
fruiting but requires greater management

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/mushroom.pdf
 Steps In
Mushroom
Cultivation

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/
PDF/mushroom.pdf
Mushroom Cultivation In The Garden

• Use creativity and imagination when planting

mushrooms in a garden
• Look for the "fundamentals," the necessities
such as available substrates, microhabitats,
sun, shade, wind, and humidity conditions
– organic waste materials = substrates
– tall plants = shade
– a misting sprinkler = humidity

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/mushroom.pdf
 Choosing A Mushroom Species

• A mushroom cultivation kit is a handy way to

begin to understand the fungal life cycle
• Afterwards purchase spawn that will grow on
materials you have available
• design and test a system that duplicates the
conditions favorable to all stages of growth
• oyster (Pleurotus species) is a good choice
probably for most novices

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/mushroom.pdf
 Oyster Mushroom Example

Gray Oyster Flamingo Oyster Golden Oyster

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/mushroom.pdf
 Oyster Mushroom
Production at
E.C.H.O.
http://www.echonet.org/

Edible Mushroom Production Facility

Bag Culture Production

 Oyster Mushroom
Production at
E.C.H.O.
http://www.echonet.org/

Edible Mushroom Production Facility

• wooden lattice shelving for mushroom
bags placement
• Open ventilation
• Shaded
• Not air conditioned
 Oyster Mushroom
Production at
E.C.H.O.
http://www.echonet.org/

Edible Mushroom Spawning Facility

Jar of spawn
 Oyster Mushroom
Production at
E.C.H.O.
http://www.echonet.org/

Transfer table (laminar flow hood) for sterile

mushroom spore inoculations of petrie
plates and spawn jars.
Blueprint for homemade version available
at:
http://www.angelfire.com/il/Toddshome/lamflohd.pdf

Refrigerator spawn incubator

 Oyster Mushroom
Production at
E.C.H.O.
http://www.echonet.org/

Solar-heated substrate pasturization

unit (i.e., a used, gutted refrigerator)
 Other Edible Mushrooms Spp
• Shitake
– are grown on logs,
either inside or outside.
Inside, they can also be
grown on compressed
Shiitake mushrooms
sawdust logs or in fruiting on sawdust.
bottles or bags
• Morel
– possible to establish a
morel patch by using a
morel starter kit

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/mushroom.pdf
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/morel.html
 Know Your Mushrooms

• DO NOT EAT WILD MUSHROOMS

unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure
you have identified the mushroom
correctly and KNOW that it is edible.
• As to lawn damage by mushrooms,
they rarely cause landscape
problems. Most lawn mushrooms are Fairy ring
mushroom
fungi that feed on decomposing
grass clippings or mycorrhizal spp.

http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Wild.Mushrooms.htm
 Honorary Mention
In Largest Organism Quiz
• Giant Gipsland Earthworm (Megascolides
australis) from Australia
– can grow to 13 feet (4m) [Stretched]
– 3/4 inch (2 cm) in diameter
– live in a complex series of burrows up to 2m. deep
– has a pinkish-grey body with a dark purple head
– greatest threat to the Giant Gippsland Earthworm
appears to be habitat degradation, e.g., agriculture
– found only in a small region in Gippsland, Southeast
Victoria, Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZig6EL5B6A
 USA’s Earthworm Entry
• “Giant” Palouse Worm
(Driloleirus americanus) From
Washington State
– white, lily-scented denizen of the
region’s fertile, deep soils reportedly
can grow to 3 feet long
– might also be suffering from
competition with European
earthworms that reached the area
with settlers as stowaways on plants.
– found in remnant patch of Palouse
Prairie of bunchgrasses
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504195011.htm
Earthworm Culture
 Earthworms 101
• Earthworms belong to a class of creatures

http://www.wormpost.com/worms/biology.html
called annelids or “ringed” creatures. An
annelid is a creature with a cylindrical body
which is segmented both outside and inside.
 Earthworms 101
• There are over 3,000 species of earthworms
around the world.
• Common name examples
– Nightcrawlers
– Field worms (also known as garden worms).
– Manure worms (also known as bandlings, red
wigglers, or angleworms because of their
squirming reactions when handled).
– Red worms

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN047
 Earthworms
101
• Earthworm
identification
– diagram highlights
all the physical
features you°ll
need to correctly
identify your
earthworms
– online key
available
http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/
wormwatch/about/key/about_key_
start.html
 Earthworms 101
• Earthworms get their nutrition from many
forms of organic matter in soil
• decaying roots and leaves, tiny organisms
that live in the soil, bacteria, and fungi
• decomposing remains of other animals
• can consume up to one-third of its own body
weight in just one day!
 Earthworms 101

Endogeic example:
Aporrectodea
caliginosa (angle
worms)

Epigeic example:
Lumbricus rubellus Anecic example:
(leaf worms) Lumbricus terrestris
(nightcrawlers)

http://www.nrri.umn.edu/worms/identification/ecology_groups.html
 Earthworm Benefits to Soil
"It may be doubted whether there are many other
animals which have played so important a part in
the history of the world, as have these lowly
organized creatures." Charles Darwin 1881
• Stimulate microbial activity
• Mixing and aggregation
• Increase water infiltration
• Improve water-holding capacity
• Provide channels for root growth
• Bury and shred plant residue
Earthworm Benefits to Gardening

• Earthworm plays a significant role in

suppressing several common soil-borne plant
pathogens.
• A greenhouse study was carried out with
asparagus, eggplant, and tomatoes grown in
pots infected with common Fusarium and
Verticillium plant diseases.
• In the pots that also contained earthworms,
plant weights increased 60% to 80%, and
estimates of disease severity declined 50% to
70%.
Wade H. Elmer, “Influence of Earthworm Activity on Soil Microbes and Soilborne
Diseases of Vegetables,” Plant Disease, Vol. 93: 175-179, February 2009
 Earthworm Benefits Examples
• Some worms live in permanent
vertical burrows. Others move
horizontally near the surface, filling
their burrow with casts as they move.
• Earthworms incorporate large
amounts of organic matter into soil.
• Casts at the soil surface are evidence
of earthworms shredding, mixing,
and burying surface residue

Earthworm castings Earthworm burrow

 Earthworm Reproduction

• L. terrestris mating, and earthworm cocoons. Earthworms mate

periodically throughout the year, except when environmental conditions
are unfavorable. L. terrestris cocoons are about a quarter inch long.
 History of Earthworms
• During the time that glaciers covered much
of North America, earthworms disappeared
from the frozen soil. It would have taken
centuries or longer for earthworms to become
re-established on their own, but human
actions speeded up the process.
• Farmers and gardeners brought potted
plants from other places for planting,
releasing earthworms that were in that soil.
• And when farmers tilled the soil to make it
easier for tiny roots to grow, they also made it
easier for the worms to tunnel through the
soil. As worms increased, so did robins.
 History of Earthworms

• Earthworms are sometimes considered an

invasive species in northern temperate
forests.
• This is because of their ability to change
the soil structure and nitrogen levels.
• Invasive non-native species are of concern
to ecologists because they can change the
environments they invade.
Earthworm Garden Management
• Factors to increase earthworm populations

Introduction
• Nightcrawler spp more than shallow-dwelling
spp respond to additions

Food supply
• Adding organic matter

Mulch protection
• Leaving a surface mulch, by no-till or other conservation
tillage systems with plenty of residue cover

Chemical environment
• Soil pH should be maintained between 6.0 and 7.0 for
optimum conditions, although lower pHs are tolerated by most
species.

Earthworms and Crop Management, Purdue Univ. Extension

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AY/AY-279.html
 Earthworm
Garden
Management

Earthworms, Penn State University

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/
uc182.pdf
 Vermicompost

Castings for potting mix & fertilizer use Examples of worm bin designs
 More Styles of Worm Bins

Expandable Worm Tower Worm Chalet

Can-O-Worms Home
http://www.compost-bin.org/earthworm-species/

Instructions for homemade version and operation at:

http://www.watershedactivities.com/projects/winter/wormbin.html
 Vermicompost

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/vermicomp.pdf
• Not really a form of composting – in fact, earthworms are
likely to die if true composting, a heat-producing process,
occurs.
• Similar to composting, management is critical –e.g.,
moisture,pH, and aerobic conditions in the growing
medium must be maintained to ensure healthy, growing
worm populations
• Many different materials can be used as feedstock for the
worms.
• Produces worm castings which contain a highly active
biological mixture of bacteria, enzymes, remnants of plant
matter and animal manure, as well as earthworm cocoons
(while damp). The castings are rich in water-soluble plant
nutrients, and contain more than 50% more humus than
what is normally found in topsoil.
 Earthworm Castings Benefits
1. The humus in the worm castings extracts
toxins and harmful fungi and bacteria from the
soil. Worm Castings therefore have the ability
to fight off plant diseases.
2. The worm castings have the ability to fix
heavy metals in organic waste. This prevents
plants from absorbing more of these chemical
compounds than they need. These compounds
can then be released later when the plants
need them.
3. Worm Castings act as a barrier to help
plants grow in soil where the pH levels are too
high or too low. They prevent extreme pH
levels from making it impossible for plants to
absorb nutrients from the soil.

http://www.tastefulgarden.com/wormcastings.htm
 Earthworm Castings Benefits
4. The humic acid content stimulates plant growth, even in
very low concentrations. The humic acid is in an ionically
distributed state in which it can easily be absorbed by the
plant, over and above any normal mineral nutrients. Humic
acid also stimulates the development of micro flora
populations in the soil.
5. Worm Castings increase the ability of soil to retain water.
The worm castings form aggregates, which are mineral
clusters that combine in such a way that they can withstand
water erosion and compaction, and also increase water
retention.
6. Worm Castings increase the nitrogen levels in a state that
the plant can easily use. Organic plant wastes usually have a
carbon-nitrogen ratio of more than 20 to 1. Because of this
ratio, the nitrogen is unavailable to plants, and the soil around
the organic waste becomes acidic.

http://www.tastefulgarden.com/wormcastings.htm
 Vermicompost
• Earthworms are either earthmovers or
composters.
– Earthmovers tend to be solitary species which
tunnel through the earth
– Composters live en masse in organic matter
on the soil surface
• Recommended composter worm is
Eisenia fetida or red worms

http://www.wormpost.com/worms/biology.html
 Earthworm Farming

• Commercial production for markets:

– fishing bait
– composting operations
– dietary supplement for ornamental fish or
other difficult-to-raise fish species
• Most commercial worm beds are indoors
to facilitate optimum management

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA016
 In Summary…

If you are looking for

the latest in fashion
for gardening . . .

http://www.namyco.org/images/pdf%
20files/MycoSeptOct07.pdf
 In Summary . . .

• If you’re looking for that special pet . . .

www.br-online.de/jugend/izi/english/publication/televizion/19_2006_E/wissen%20macht%20ah.pdf