# Feeding springs Mushrooms



## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

I think I have read that people have good results with this... DO i use just regular ole mushrooms like you find at the salad bar or do I need a certain kind of mushrooms. Cant use portabellas, if they even make it into the house hubby is going to snatch them up. But where I work has a salad bar and they said if I need a few mushrooms just let them know. 
I do believe they are button mushrooms... Would that work?


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## flyangler18 (Oct 26, 2007)

> I do believe they are button mushrooms... Would that work?


Yep, no need to get fancy! Plain old button mushrooms do the trick.


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Not only will they do well on mushrooms, but I even have one type of springtail that doesn't produce on anything other than mushrooms and will crash without them. I buy the cheapest I can find.

Has anyone tried dried mushrooms? I wouldn't mind buying that in bulk if it works just as well as the fresh.

And to go offtopic for a moment, button mushrooms and portobello mushrooms are the same mushroom, _Agaricus bisporus_, just at different stages of growth. 'Button mushroom', when sold in the young unopened form, 'Crimini or Baby Bella' when older but immature, and 'Portobello' when fully mature and brown.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

For even better results - use dried mushroom and run it through the blender. 

s


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## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

Some eat them sparingly some thrive on them, depends on what you`ve got.


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

The blue type I brought in won't do much unless they have mushrooms and then they explode. I like the larger chunks as it congregates the springs more, but I guess that's just personal preference


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## Frognut (Jan 31, 2005)

Just something I found. I wonder how many springtails could be in that mushroom compost?
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/apr2001.html
and for those that want to grow there own springtail food
http://www.mushroomharvest.com/
but for me the grocery store is a shure thing. and I am quite sure all shrooms are organic depending on the N source in the compost making. they dont wash mushrooms before packing and the proper way to cleen them before eating is a lite dusting with a dry towel.


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## IN2DEEP (Aug 7, 2007)

If I see a mushroom in the yard I toss it in a culture. Just check it for spiders and other pests. Most of the time they have black springs on them, I just set that culture aside, and keep adding food untill the mushroom is completely gone and I've got 2 kinds of springs to offer for a snack!


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Scott,

You're grinding up the dried mushroom and then just throwing it in? Or do you hydrate it by misting it? Just picked up some dried oysters today to give it a shot.


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

Which is a cheaper price, the dried mushrooms or the typical button mushrooms?


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

At my local supermarket, the typical button mushrooms (fresh) are cheaper than the dried mushrooms. But I'm trying to find an online source for dry mushrooms in bulk, if it works just as well.


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

you could probably just use a food dehydrater on the fresh ones


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## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

I pick up a few mushrooms every couple of days where I work. So do I just use a regular ole food dehydrator?
When I go to feed them springs do I just feed them the dried mushrooms? or do i need to soak them in water first


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

No hydration... just sprinkle a bit in.

I've been using cricket gut load lately as well. That works too.

s


Corpus Callosum said:


> Scott,
> 
> You're grinding up the dried mushroom and then just throwing it in? Or do you hydrate it by misting it? Just picked up some dried oysters today to give it a shot.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

We normally have mushrooms in the fridge at my house.

When it looks like we have some that might go bad otherwise, I just grab them and let them dry out. I've used a food dehydrator, but it doesn't seem to work that well.

s


gary1218 said:


> Which is a cheaper price, the dried mushrooms or the typical button mushrooms?


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

Is there any reason you're letting the mushrooms dry out or dehydrate them? Why the fuss?


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

I doubt you need to do it - but I like to run them through the blender.

No big deal - but they'll definitely last longer that way.

s


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## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

The only reason I was asking is so I can get a bigger amount at once instead of a wee bit at a time


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

Bulkfoods.com carries dried mushrooms: Dried Mushrooms

Not sure how many dried mushrooms are in a pound - so not sure if it is worth the price difference.


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## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

W/ dried mushrooms your getting just mushroom and not paying for water, hence the price difference. I can`t go thru more than 1 mushroom w/ all my cultures. They`d go bad w/ only 1 or 2 feedings. I just use them from our stash in the fridge.


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## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

I can not keep mushrooms in my fridge at all. If I do they get stuffed with crab meat, cream cheese, bread crumbs and scallions and into the oven they go. Another reason why dehydrating may be a good choice for me. 
I will just for the time being stick to what I was doing and pick up a few at work when needed and unless I plan on starting to mass produce springtails I should be in good shape.


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## *GREASER* (Apr 11, 2004)

rozdaboff said:


> Bulkfoods.com carries dried mushrooms: Dried Mushrooms
> 
> Not sure how many dried mushrooms are in a pound - so not sure if it is worth the price difference.



a pound of dried mushrooms is a lot! And there is a huge difference cause mushrooms are all water weight. So if the prices are about the same as fresh ones it is a way better deal to go with the dried ones. You will get TONS more for the money. There is so much water in those damn things.


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## *GREASER* (Apr 11, 2004)

porkchop48 said:


> I will just for the time being stick to what I was doing and pick up a few at work when needed .


Thats what I was doing. But I left the culinary world.


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

It is just under $25 for a pound of dried white mushrooms. I get 1 pound of the fresh white mushrooms for $2.19. So - if over 90% of the weight of a mushroom is water weight - then it might be worth it.

I need to place a bulkfoods order in the near future anyway. I might try some and see.


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## caseysmith (Jan 9, 2008)

Soemone said they were using crikett gut load for their springs - Does that really work? I have a ton of it and my springs aren't doing that well. Maybe I will try. Anyone else trying this?


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

If it grows fungus in damp wet conditions, it can serve as a "food" for springtails :wink: toss in a little and try.. but if its the dry grain type stuff just realize it may carry mites as well.


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