Mushroom Crawlspace

[MantricSpork]

I don't know if this should have gone here, or in the open questions area, but it is an idea for a project I have. I must admit, I feel a bit intimidated around these forums, and I doubt I'm alone, since about 6 ppl are the 99% posters. I have little to no experience with anything connected to growing anything. But, it recently occurred to me that underneath my house there is a space (rough guesstimate 25' x 40', 3' tall) which once was a basement before the previous owners moved the house. There is no floor, just dirt, and it gets almost no sunlight. It seems to me that it might be the perfect location for mushroom growing. I have no idea about the quality of the soil, though generations of cats have used it as a jumbo litterbox. Hopefully that has had a fertilizing effect (should I be worried about toxoplasmosis poisoning?). Besides spores and water, is there anything I need to start this up? What type of mushrooms would give the best yield? I'm in a very warm clime, if that makes any difference. What considerations am I missing? Help me out, dudes.

[dlollard]

I'd be a little concerned about the poop. Is it biodegrading into soil, or just drying out and sitting around? Otherwise, sounds like a pretty good spot for some kind of useful fungi. My only reference for this is Mycelium Running (Paul Stamets), which gives clear basic instructions for a variety of ways to cultivate a variety of mushrooms. (and page after page of fascinating, inspiring, mind-blowing knowledge about what these magical allies can do) And I just loaned it out the other day, so I can't look into it right now!

A lot of mushrooms grow on fresh dead logs (i.e., that haven't already been colonized by wild mycelium). Some grow on straw, compost, wood chips. It's a change in the climate (heat, rain, sunlight) that can start the hidden mycelia fruiting into those beautiful mushrooms.

For indoor cultivation, you can buy a kit (fungi.com and fieldforest.net sell some), and maybe you can find some that will find your space suitable.

[israel]

any updates on this project? i've been considering doing the same thing but have just been overrun with so many other projects.