Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Bark pod for growing a Pearl Oyster mushroom mini farm
- 19 August 2015
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I used a mini farm kit from Back To The Roots to grow my Pearl Oyster mushrooms.
Quite simply and conveniently you:
Remove the cardboard front
Cut a cross in the plastic, scraping the surface of the mycelium ( or white stuff) as you go
Remove the block from the cardboard and soak it in water
In just two weeks the small pinheads appear. Keep the mushrooms hydrated
The Pearl Oyster Mushrooms double in size every day.
For the pod:
Soak bark in warm water
Start to shape the frame of the pod with sturdy wire.
I shaped six wires to frame the pod
Bundle up the wires
Twist the bottom ends together
Twist the top ends together
Curve the top wire to give it a hook
Shape the middle part of the wire so that the kit box fit snugly
Thin wood glue with warm water
Soak some ripped up brown paper in the glue
For a more detailed look at Papier Mache there is a Tutorial below
Cover the frame with glue soaked paper...
... following the wire shape...
... aqnd smoothing the paste down as you go along
Add a second layer to cover the wire inside the frame
Hang the paper pod shape to dry
Smooth down the paper to make sure it dries flat.
Fit the kit into the pod
Cover the box and the paper with ripped pieces of bark
Carefully placing the bark close to the mushrooms
Adding smaller pieces to just below the mushrooms
And larger stripe to wrap all the way around.
To cover the back of the pod
Wrap the hook part of the pod with thinner strips
Do not cover the growth medium. The mushrooms need to remain hydrated. Glue in bits of moss that will soak up the water and cover the packaging of the kit so that the design looks natural
Spray the mushrooms daily with water to keep it hydrated.
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