Pilze, pioppino

Franchi, the best Italian import seed supplier ever, released this strain of Poplar (Pholiota Aegerita) mushroom mycelium (spores) on the market last year. Here's my packet. Very soon, the cultivation process will begin. Here's how it goes:

Find a cool, dark spot outside. Spread clean cardboard on the ground and dampen it. Sprinkle with mycelium. Cover with a first layer of poplar logs, more mycelium and so on for a maximum of 5 layers. Cover with a final layer of mycelium. Cover the lot with a clean, damp cloth. Soon, the logs will be covered with a white, sweet-smelling patina. Carry the logs to the sites chosen for your mushroom gardens (anywhere in a sheltered place, really) and bury them 2/3 of the way down. Keep logs damp and they'll soon produce and will keep producing for years to come.

A lot of work? Not really, for an abundant perennial mushroom garden. Have you ever nibbled a just-picked mushroom? Enough said.