Cut or Pull? What’s Your Style?
Cutting off the mushroom is preferred by mycologists wanting a nice, clean break! Simply take a sterile scalpel, scissors or sharp knife (do not perform this at home if you are under the age of 18 or can’t be trusted with sharp objects, we are not liable for any damage you may cause yourself or others when performing this method!) and cut the stem around 2-4cm from where it meets the base.
This method reduces damage to the substrate which preserves the mycelium for future flushes. It also leaves a cleaner margin which prevents the dragging of contaminants into the growing area. In general, this method is preferred by many as it often promotes regrowth and puts less stress on the growing environment.
This method does have its drawbacks though. If you’re lazy or unorganized (like me!) having a sterile sharp object to cut away your mushrooms with may be a bit too laborious for you. Why use tools when your hands can do it for you? The act of cutting the mushroom away can leave the leftover stump to rot or become contaminated if not kept clean. As we all know too well, contamination loves to set up shop anywhere it can get its grubby little mitts on, and you’ve just given it a surface to do so. Ensure to keep the area and your project clean and avoid high contamination areas. We do have a separate blog on preventing contamination which you can find here.
Pulling, Twisting or Yanking the Mushrooms out is how mushrooms were traditionally harvested in simpler times. Picture this: you’re exploring the grounds of a nearby forest. You haven’t had anything substantial in days. You’ve managed to find a few nuts and berries, most of which you think are edible, but any game has managed to evade you as you’re just too weak and tired to pursue it. You feel the grumble in your tummy as your eyes glaze over, tired of looking for forage where there is none. Just as you feel yourself making peace with the fact it’ll be another night on an empty stomach your eyes light up as you see a large, rotund mushroom poking out of a tree. You can tell this is an edible variety and excitingly hurry over. But oh no! You have no sterile scalpel! Oh well, another time…. Except this obviously doesn’t happen. You yank the mushroom out of its perch and have successfully kept yourself nourished to live another day. This dramatic scene does have a point- pulling or twisting mushrooms to harvest them has been around for centuries and is an acceptable way of harvesting mushrooms. However, in this scenario we aren’t too worried about what we’ve left behind. Does pulling mushrooms from their base effect anything? |
This method requires no tools at all, so it makes it much easier to do if you’re in a rush or have no sterile equipment around. It also doesn’t leave a stump so the fear of contamination taking advantage of the area left behind is less. However, it can pull up far more than your intended target, so if you have a mix of mature and young pinning you need to be incredibly careful. It can also lead to a higher risk of contamination as pulling can break the surface of the mycelium, creating open wounds. This can damage the mycelium which can reduce future flushes.
It may seem like there’s a clean winner here, which is to cut directly from the base. Despite this, I still prefer pulling my mushrooms from the base. It’s easier for me, and I haven’t had any major issues yet. Keeping your area clean and contaminant free will prevent any issues during harvesting, so whichever method you choose should not affect your overall yield too much.
The point I’m trying to drive home is that there’s so many rules in mycology, but it isn’t always so black and white. If it works for you, keep doing it! If you run into some problems along the way, maybe change your method or reach out to us for support!
