Room for 'srooms

Esteemed for both culinary and health-supporting properties, mushrooms also look really cool in the garden.  Three of the most beneficial mushrooms hail from Japan, but can be easily grown in your garden. Below, note the health benefits of each type of mushroom, and their horticultural
needs:

Shiitake

This mighty mushroom contains polysaccharides, which appear to be powerful anti-viral and anti-tumor agents. Shiitake also enhances immunity by boosting the production of T cells, and even helps to fight flu, due to the presence of a polysaccharide known as KS-2. New clinical studies suggest that Shiitake even protects against the damaging effects of radiation and chemotherapy.

Ingesting shiitake benefits the heart by lowering cholesterol. Studies conducted at the National Institute of Nutrition demonstrated that consumption of shiitake leads to a drop in serum cholesterol of between 7 and 12 percent. Studies show that shiitake inhibits platelet gathering in the blood, reducing the buildup of arterial plaque - which causes hardened arteries.  This mushroom also lowers high blood pressure.

Reishi
A staple of  traditional Chinese medicine, reishi is thought to enhance longevity by fighting tumors, presumably due to the presence of the polysaccharide Beta 1.3, which also occurs in shiitake. Reishi also increases immune-protective T cells and macrophages. The mushroom demonstrates anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity, and accelerates recovery time from infectious Hepatitis.
Reishi protects the liver from damage  by chemical toxins such as carbon tetrachloride. The presence of a histamine-inhibiting compound in reishi, makes this  mushroom helpful in the treatment of chronic bronchitis. Reishi is also inhibits platelet aggregation - a contributor to arterial plaque --providing significant heart- protective benefits.

Maitake

Not as well-known as the shiitake and reishi, maitake may be valuable in the fight against HIV. At an International Conference on AIDS in Amsterdam, maitake was reported to inhibit the HIV virus in vitro. While the mushroom doesn’t kill the HIV virus in humans, it may help as part of a total integrated health regimen. Some Japanese research even suggests that maitake may provide the strongest immune-enhancing properties of any mushroom.
Like both reishi and shiitake, maitake contains a wide array of valuable amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals and other medicinal compounds. Research shows that the compounds in maitake mushrooms may fight breast and skin cancer cells. These compounds appear to bolster the immune system by stimulating the production of macrophages, killer T-cells, T lymphocytes, and natural killer cells. Maitake mushrooms also reduce high blood pressure, and help to stabilize blood sugar levels, vital for diabetics.

Since mushrooms can be expensive and hard to find, the idea of growing your own is starting to catch on in North America. It's supposed to be relatively easy, so I'm going to give it a try. I discovered a detailed guide for having fun with fungi on "Sustainablog":

There are but a few things you need, including a supply of freshly cut wood, mushroom spawn, and a shady, damp place to store your inoculated mushroom logs.
Mushroom inoculation commonly occurs in the early spring. You will need to find a source of hardwood (such as oak, which is commonly preferred). If you have access to woodland, you can cut your own trees for logs. However you obtain your logs, they should be 40″ long, and approximately 4-6″ in diameter.
Mushroom spawn can be purchased from a variety of suppliers (such as Fungi Perfecti or MushroomPeople) and usually come in the form of dowels or sawdust. Either medium will grant you the same results, but using the sawdust spawn does require the use of a special inoculation tool, which you can also buy from the same suppliers.
After letting the logs rest for three weeks to let the natural fungicides die back, you are ready to inoculate. Drill holes every 6-8″ around the full circumference of the log (and 2″ from either end), and then plug the holes with either your dowels or sawdust spawn. In an old pot, melt some beeswax, and then paint the wax over the holes to protect the spawn. (The beeswax protects the spawn from contaminants as the mycelium runs through the log.)

Finally, stack your logs against a fence, in the fashion of a tipi, or lay them on the ground on a bed of straw. You will want the logs to be in a shady, damp place so that the logs maintain a high moisture level. If the rain is infrequent, you can induce shiitake fruitings by submerging the logs in a body of water or watering them heavily. Either way, expect to see mushrooms in about 6-12 months after the inoculation. Shiitake mushrooms usually appear after a day of rain in the spring, summer, and fall months.

Your shiitake logs will continue to produce fruit for up to eight years, providing you with many harvests of beautiful, delicious, and healthy fungi! Give it a try!