Blog
Every post
Cultivation, cooking, pet safety. Newest first.
Everything here is about mushrooms you grow or buy — how to cultivate them in a Canadian climate, how to cook them, what they taste like, and which are safe around dogs and cats. Wondering what to start when? See theCanadian growing calendar.
We do not cover foraging or wild-mushroom identification, and nothing on this site should be used to judge anything growing outdoors — see our foraging policy.
Can bearded dragons eat mushrooms? No — the calcium problem
No. Mushrooms aren't toxic to bearded dragons, but the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is backwards and there's little nutrition in them. What to feed instead.
Can goats eat mushrooms? Yes — but not pasture ones
Store-bought and cultivated mushrooms are low-risk for goats. Wild ones in a paddock are the danger, especially after autumn rain. How to clear a paddock.
Mushrooms in your lawn and your dog: what to do
You can't tell a safe lawn mushroom from a deadly one by looking. The removal routine, why they keep coming back, and what to do if your dog got there first.
What animals eat mushrooms? Deer, squirrels, slugs & more
Deer, squirrels, mice, box turtles and slugs all eat mushrooms — some that would poison you. Why that is never proof a mushroom is safe for your pet.
How to grow mushrooms in Ontario
In Ontario, summer is the hard season, not winter. Contamination pressure, basement temperatures by month, and why Ontario has Canada's best hardwood for logs.
How to grow mushrooms in Alberta
Alberta's dry air is the real obstacle, not the cold. Humidity targets, basement and garage temperatures by season, chinook swings, and what to grow when.
How to grow mushrooms in British Columbia
BC is three growing climates, not one. Coastal, Interior and Northern advice — what each region makes easy, what it makes hard, and which species suit where.
Air fryer king oyster mushrooms: scallops and bacon
King oyster in the air fryer — meaty scallops and crispy 'bacon' from one stem. Timing, temperature, and how to score them so they cook through.
Can cats eat button mushrooms?
Can cats eat button mushrooms? A tiny piece of plain, cooked white button, cremini, or portobello is non-toxic — the dangers are seasoning and wild mushrooms.
Can cats eat king oyster mushrooms? Yes, if plain
A tiny piece of plain, cooked cultivated king oyster is non-toxic to cats. Cut the dense stem small, skip all seasoning, and never feed a wild mushroom.
Can cats eat oyster mushrooms? Yes, plain and cooked
A small piece of plain, cooked cultivated oyster mushroom is non-toxic to cats. The real risks are garlic, onion and butter — and any garden mushroom.
Can dogs eat cooked mushrooms? What's safe, what isn't
Can dogs eat cooked mushrooms? Plain, water-cooked store mushrooms are fine in small amounts. Cooked in butter, garlic, onion, or salt, they're not.
Can dogs eat king oyster mushrooms?
Can dogs eat king oyster mushrooms? Yes — cooked plain, they're non-toxic to dogs. The dangers are seasoning, heavy oil, and wild mushrooms.
How to clean oyster mushrooms (and can you eat them raw?)
Never rinse them — they soak up water and stop browning. Whether the stems are edible, whether raw is safe, and the 60-second prep that fixes everything.
Mushroom growing temperature: 10–30 °C by species
Oyster fruits at 13–24 °C, lion's mane 15–22 °C, shiitake 10–18 °C. Colonisation runs warmer than fruiting. Full Canadian table and how to hit it indoors.
Can Cats Eat Mushrooms? Safe vs Toxic
Can cats eat mushrooms? Plain cooked button or oyster mushrooms aren't toxic in tiny amounts. The real dangers are seasoning, butter, and wild mushrooms.
Can Dogs Eat Button Mushrooms? Safe vs Toxic
Can dogs eat button mushrooms? Yes — plain white, cremini and portobello are safe in small amounts. The real dangers are seasoning and wild mushrooms.
How to Cook Lion's Mane (Tastes Like Crab)
How to cook lion's mane mushrooms so they taste like crab or lobster: the press-and-sear method, lion's mane crab cakes, and the best flavour pairings.
Air fryer oyster mushrooms: crispy in 12 minutes
Crispy, golden, restaurant-quality oyster mushrooms in 12 minutes — the technique, timing, temperature, and the four mistakes that ruin them.
Best Mushroom Grow Kits in Canada (2026)
Real Canadian prices and real yields — which mushroom grow kit is worth $40, which is worth $80, and what the box doesn't tell you before you buy.
Best pressure canner for growing mushrooms in Canada (not a pressure cooker)
You need a pressure canner, not a pressure cooker: 15 PSI for 2.5 hours with jars upright. Which canners hold it, real Canadian prices, why an Instant Pot won't.
Can dogs eat oyster mushrooms?
Short answer: yes — cooked, plain, store-bought or home-grown oyster mushrooms are non-toxic to dogs. Raw, wild, or seasoned are different stories.
Chestnut mushrooms: the gourmet rising 450%
Pholiota adiposa — chestnut mushrooms — is the rising star of home cultivation: nutty, crunchy, dead-easy to grow, and almost impossible to buy fresh.
Common mushroom contamination: what it is, spot it, fix it
Trichoderma, cobweb, bacterial wet rot, black pin mold, sour rot — every contamination Canadian home growers see, the cause, and what to do.
DIY fruiting chamber: shotgun + Martha tent builds
Two practical builds for Canadian growers — the $40 shotgun fruiting chamber and the $200 Martha tent. Materials, drill patterns, fan timing.
How to cook pink oyster mushrooms
An easy pink oyster mushroom recipe and technique. Pleurotus djamor is the 'bacon mushroom' — how to cook it so it earns the name, and what kills the flavour.
How to grow chestnut mushrooms in Canada
Canadian guide to growing chestnut mushrooms (Pholiota adiposa) — the crunchy, caramel-brown gourmet species. Substrate, fruiting, yield tricks.
How to grow lion's mane mushrooms in Canada
Canadian guide to growing lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) at home — climate notes, supplemented sawdust setup, and the CO₂ rule that decides shape.
How to grow oyster mushrooms in Canada
Canadian guide to growing oyster mushrooms at home — climate zones, suppliers, basement vs. garage, winter vs. summer, and the bucket method.
How to grow shiitake mushrooms in Canada
Canadian guide to growing shiitake (Lentinula edodes) — bag method indoors, log method outdoors, and the 'browning' phase that confuses beginners.
How to store oyster mushrooms (and how long they last)
How long do oyster mushrooms last? 3–10 days depending on variety and storage. The right fridge method, the clamshell mistake, and the 6+ month trick.
King oyster vs oyster vs lion's mane: taste guide
Three popular cultivated gourmet mushrooms — nothing alike in the kitchen. Side-by-side taste, cooking, and what each one is best for.
Mushroom jerky recipe (king oyster, the only one worth it)
Crispy, chewy, deeply savoury mushroom jerky from king oyster stems. The marinade, dehydrator settings, timing, and why pink oyster makes bad jerky.
Mushroom worker's lung: N95 spore-safety guide
Mushroom worker's lung is the most common occupational illness among mushroom workers — and a real risk for hobby growers. Mechanism, signs, N95 routine.
Outdoor log inoculation: shiitake, oyster, lion's mane
How to inoculate hardwood logs for outdoor mushroom cultivation in Canada — when to cut, what wood, plug-spawn method, and climate timing by region.
Which mushrooms are safe for dogs and cats? Full list
Oyster, king oyster, lion's mane, cremini and chestnut are non-toxic cooked plain. Shiitake and enoki need care. Never a wild one. Species by species.
Protein in oyster mushrooms: how much and how it compares
Oyster mushrooms contain about 3.3 g of protein per 100 g raw — complete protein with all nine essential amino acids. How it stacks up vs tofu, chicken.
When to harvest blue oyster mushrooms
Blue oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus) are the cold-loving cousin. Exactly when to pick — caps, edges, sporulation, temperature trap.
When to harvest king oyster mushrooms
King oysters (Pleurotus eryngii) grow slower and bigger than other oysters — and harvest cues are completely different. When to pick for the best texture.
When to harvest pink oyster mushrooms
Pink oyster mushrooms grow fast and turn bad faster. When to pick Pleurotus djamor — and the 24-hour window between a perfect harvest and a sour cluster.
When to harvest white oyster mushrooms
White (or pearl) oyster mushrooms — Pleurotus ostreatus — are the most-grown in Canada. When to pick, how timing compares to grey, blue, and pink.
Which mushroom should you grow first? Canadian guide
Pick your first mushroom species based on climate, equipment, time commitment, and what you actually want to cook. Plus a quick budget table.