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Posted: 3/24/2015 12:14:48 AM EDT
Anybody grow there own shrooms? Went to the home show and some people were selling starter sets. So if I can find so oak mulch I will have a mulch bed of oyster shrooms. And I have a shiitake log started also.
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[#1]
I looked into it at one point, but the climate here seems like it would make it difficult. Tagged to see what others have to say.
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[#2]
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[#3]
Midmo you should see them pop this year the way I understand in. I just took my log out of the pond this morning. Hopefully the shiitake log takes off. Still can't find hardwood mulch for the oyster mushrooms.
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[#4]
Quoted:
Midmo you should see them pop this year the way I understand in. I just took my log out of the pond this morning. Hopefully the shiitake log takes off. Still can't find hardwood mulch for the oyster mushrooms. View Quote Any sawmills in your AO? In MO, they will have truckloads of oak sawdust for next to nothin'. |
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[#5]
midmo, you probably know this but I'm told that soaking the logs in cold water for 24 hours can force fruiting.
I saw a recent thread on another forum where the OP soaks 5-6 logs each week over six weeks to ensure a steady but not overwhelming supply. |
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[#6]
Quoted:
midmo, you probably know this but I'm told that soaking the logs in cold water for 24 hours can force fruiting. I saw a recent thread on another forum where the OP soaks 5-6 logs each week over six weeks to ensure a steady but not overwhelming supply. View Quote Yep, I'm planning on doing that with maybe half my pile later in the spring, just to compare and see how much difference it makes. I've held off so far, because I'm sure we still have some freezing weather in store here for a while, and I don't want them to start popping only to freeze. It's also supposed to help if you "shock" the log by dropping it on a hard surface or smacking the end with a hammer or something. I haven't given up yet. Most of the references I've seen said it can take up to a year to start seeing 'shrooms, so I'm being patient. |
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[#7]
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[#8]
I have the good fortune of having yellow morels grow at the house. I've been adding gypsum, wood ash/char, certain wood/leaf litter, loosening/aerating the soil in the fall and managing the moisture. It's too soon to say if it's been even effective. I first discovered a patch of 6 three years ago. The following yr all I did was water the area a little, but April was so cold and dry that I never saw fruiting. Laster year I collected 15 from this location and found new patch of 300yds away with only 3. I'm going to collect spores and try to propogate this year.
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[#9]
Quoted:
I drilled/plugged 20-some-odd shiitake logs last spring, but they never fruited. Hoping they'll pop out this year. http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af227/mid_mo/Garden%202014/DSC_0050_zps5900c72a.jpg http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af227/mid_mo/Garden%202014/DSC_0065_zps6713d3a4.jpg ... and before I get any "girlie hands" comments - those I my kids. Like any good parent, I never do any work I can get the kids to do instead. View Quote I've not seen any action with the ones that I plugged last year either...hopefully in a few more days they will start. |
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[#12]
I never knew shitake mushrooms sprouted out of a log ?
I have picked Morels back in OH and MI ... that's it for my mushroom experience. |
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[#13]
Wife got the oysters "planted" now to keep the dog from digging in the mulch. Fingers crossed
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[#14]
I looked at my logs today and still no joy. How many days from when you first saw sprouting until picking? Keeping my fingers crossed. |
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[#15]
Quoted:
I looked at my logs today and still no joy. How many days from when you first saw sprouting until picking? Keeping my fingers crossed. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
I looked at my logs today and still no joy. How many days from when you first saw sprouting until picking? Keeping my fingers crossed. This one was kind of an oddball. I was moving the logs around this weekend... have had them all piled up in a criss-cross stack over the winter, and I moving them from that to a more open arrangement in a kind of cradle I built between two trees. I really wasn't expecting any action yet, but I noticed most of the logs had little mushroom "nubs" here and there. One layer down into the crisscross stack, these two were hiding out between a couple of the logs. From the looks of things I'm about to be overrun! So I'll be able to better answer your question in a few days... |
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[#19]
I was really hoping to start this year but never got to it :-(.
Might be too late now. |
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[#20]
OMG! Jealous does not even BEGIN to describe me right now. Did I miss some links on how to? If not, is anyone kind enough to share some links so I can start reading? Kitties, the fungi lover |
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[#21]
Quoted:
OMG! Jealous does not even BEGIN to describe me right now. Did I miss some links on how to? If not, is anyone kind enough to share some links so I can start reading? Kitties, the fungi lover View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
OMG! Jealous does not even BEGIN to describe me right now. Did I miss some links on how to? If not, is anyone kind enough to share some links so I can start reading? Kitties, the fungi lover It's really dead easy, if you have a source for hardwood logs of the right diameter/length. Oak is the generally preferred species for Shiitakes, though other hardwoods will work too. A good source of info and supplies is Field and Forest Products. Aside from the logs, you'll need mushroom spawn (we used plugs, but can also get sawdust (cheaper, slightly more difficult to use) or "thimble" spawn (a compressed sawdust plug under a wax cap)), an appropriately-sized bit to drill the holes, and either a drill or a side grinder with an attachment to hold the bit. The side grinder/adapter/bit combo makes short work of drilling all those holes... see photo above. Finally, you need some soft wax to cover the holes/plugs once they're inserted, to help keep things from drying out and seal off the "wound" to keep from being contaminated with wild mushroom spores or any other nasties. Drill holes in a staggered pattern around the long, tap in plugs, seal with wax, and keep the logs in a shaded (preferably forest) area so they don't dry out too much. Hose them down now and then if conditions are dry. Then it's just a matter of waiting until the 'shrooms get established inside the log and start to fruit on the outside. For me it was about a year. If I can get embedding to work, here's a video from Field and Forest: |
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[#22]
Quoted:
It's really dead easy, if you have a source for hardwood logs of the right diameter/length. Oak is the generally preferred species for Shiitakes, though other hardwoods will work too. A good source of info and supplies is Field and Forest Products. Aside from the logs, you'll need mushroom spawn (we used plugs, but can also get sawdust (cheaper, slightly more difficult to use) or "thimble" spawn (a compressed sawdust plug under a wax cap)), an appropriately-sized bit to drill the holes, and either a drill or a side grinder with an attachment to hold the bit. The side grinder/adapter/bit combo makes short work of drilling all those holes... see photo above. Finally, you need some soft wax to cover the holes/plugs once they're inserted, to help keep things from drying out and seal off the "wound" to keep from being contaminated with wild mushroom spores or any other nasties. Drill holes in a staggered pattern around the long, tap in plugs, seal with wax, and keep the logs in a shaded (preferably forest) area so they don't dry out too much. Hose them down now and then if conditions are dry. Then it's just a matter of waiting until the 'shrooms get established inside the log and start to fruit on the outside. For me it was about a year. If I can get embedding to work, here's a video from Field and Forest: http://youtu.be/6N2_653-jT0 View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
OMG! Jealous does not even BEGIN to describe me right now. Did I miss some links on how to? If not, is anyone kind enough to share some links so I can start reading? Kitties, the fungi lover It's really dead easy, if you have a source for hardwood logs of the right diameter/length. Oak is the generally preferred species for Shiitakes, though other hardwoods will work too. A good source of info and supplies is Field and Forest Products. Aside from the logs, you'll need mushroom spawn (we used plugs, but can also get sawdust (cheaper, slightly more difficult to use) or "thimble" spawn (a compressed sawdust plug under a wax cap)), an appropriately-sized bit to drill the holes, and either a drill or a side grinder with an attachment to hold the bit. The side grinder/adapter/bit combo makes short work of drilling all those holes... see photo above. Finally, you need some soft wax to cover the holes/plugs once they're inserted, to help keep things from drying out and seal off the "wound" to keep from being contaminated with wild mushroom spores or any other nasties. Drill holes in a staggered pattern around the long, tap in plugs, seal with wax, and keep the logs in a shaded (preferably forest) area so they don't dry out too much. Hose them down now and then if conditions are dry. Then it's just a matter of waiting until the 'shrooms get established inside the log and start to fruit on the outside. For me it was about a year. If I can get embedding to work, here's a video from Field and Forest: http://youtu.be/6N2_653-jT0 Thank you! Did you choose shitakes because you like them specifically? Or for ease of growing? Or what? |
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[#23]
YeeHaw!!! I've got mushrooms starting today...I looked the logs over pretty closely yesterday and didn't see any but when I looked today there were several...a couple were about an inch and a half across.
This is going to be a good thing...I'll probably make another set of logs next spring and may try a different type of mushroom also. |
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[#24]
Quoted:
Did you choose shitakes because you like them specifically? Or for ease of growing? Or what? View Quote I grow a few veggies for farmer's markets and distribution through a kind of mini-CSA, so I wanted something that was halfway recognizable, not too scary-looking (Lion's Mane, etc.) and yeah, relatively easy to grow. Probably the biggest factor was because I live in central Missouri, and am literally surrounded by appropriately-sized oak logs. I do like the taste & texture too, though. They remind me of a more substantial, "beefier" Portobello. |
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[#25]
Quoted:
YeeHaw!!! I've got mushrooms starting today...I looked the logs over pretty closely yesterday and didn't see any but when I looked today there were several...a couple were about an inch and a half across. This is going to be a good thing...I'll probably make another set of logs next spring and may try a different type of mushroom also. View Quote Your pics seem to be a little slow in loading... |
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[#26]
Quoted: I drilled/plugged 20-some-odd shiitake logs last spring, but they never fruited. Hoping they'll pop out this year. http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af227/mid_mo/Garden%202014/DSC_0050_zps5900c72a.jpg http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af227/mid_mo/Garden%202014/DSC_0065_zps6713d3a4.jpg ... and before I get any "girlie hands" comments - those I my kids. Like any good parent, I never do any work I can get the kids to do instead. View Quote This may be a really dumb question, but why the wheels? What do you do with the log that requires it to easily be rotated? |
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[#27]
Quoted:
This may be a really dumb question, but why the wheels? What do you do with the log that requires it to easily be rotated? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
I drilled/plugged 20-some-odd shiitake logs last spring, but they never fruited. Hoping they'll pop out this year. http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af227/mid_mo/Garden%202014/DSC_0050_zps5900c72a.jpg http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af227/mid_mo/Garden%202014/DSC_0065_zps6713d3a4.jpg ... and before I get any "girlie hands" comments - those I my kids. Like any good parent, I never do any work I can get the kids to do instead. This may be a really dumb question, but why the wheels? What do you do with the log that requires it to easily be rotated? Drilling all those holes, inserting the plugs, waxing the holes/plugs. The holes are roughly 6" apart lengthwise, rows about 2" apart, with the rows offset by 3 lengthwise inches to create a diamond drilling pattern - so there's quite a few in each log. We could have gotten by easily enough just rolling the logs over a couple of sawhorses or something, but I was looking at this as the first experiment, expecting to ramp up next year if things work out. Had the wheels lying around, so I figured I may as well build this little gadget to make life easier in the long run. I'm getting older, and my project list seems to be eternally growing, so I'm always looking for ways to make things a little easier wherever I can. |
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[#31]
Quoted:
Here is an easy "try" for those of you who might want to give growing your own mushrooms a whirl: Tee Pee Oyster Mushrooms. These are sold as kits from various suppliers but let me show you how I did it. I found a tree growing oyster mushrooms! <a href="http://s376.photobucket.com/user/Skunkum/media/Oyster%20Tree%2001022015%20-%20Copy.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo202/Skunkum/Oyster%20Tree%2001022015%20-%20Copy.jpg</a> <a href="http://s376.photobucket.com/user/Skunkum/media/Oyster%20Tree%20Closeup%2001022015%20-%20Copy.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo202/Skunkum/Oyster%20Tree%20Closeup%2001022015%20-%20Copy.jpg</a> At the time I harvested these I wasn't 100 percent sure they were safe. I reviewed and researched and determined that they were indeed oyster mushrooms, a desirable and edible type. Even though I determined there are no dangerous look-alikes in my part of the world, I only consumed a small portion (bite or two) at first. It is recommended that you always try a small amount the first time you eat a type of mushroom. It should not be consumed raw the first time you try them. Also, don't eat all of your supply at the first try, save a sample for ID in case you need emergency treatment. By the time I positively ID'd these and tried samples a few times, they were past their prime. I don't like to eat mushrooms that are past their prime, so I tossed them on top of the compost pile. I started doing a little more research on the internet and watched some YouTube videos and discovered that oyster mushrooms are considered to be fairly easy to grow. Wheat straw is often used as a substrate to grow them in plastic bags. I found out they could be cultured on dampened corrugated cardboard strips in a plastic shoe box. AND I FOUND OUT YOU CAN GROW THEM ON A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER! I boiled a quart or two of water in a large deep pot (six quart pot I think- we use it to boil spaghetti). Once it reached a rolling boil I turned it off and used tongs to set a roll of unscented cheap toilet paper (roll in the center removed) into the pot. I covered it with the lid and let it sit for about an hour until it cooled down enough to handle. I used the tongs to remove the paper from the pot and placed it in a colander to drain, you have to treat the TP gently so it doesn't fall apart. Once it cooled and dried a bit, I tore some clean-ish bits of mushroom retrieved from the compost pile and stuffed them between some of the layers of TP. It didn't take too long to get tired of that so I just stuffed the rest of the mushroom in the center where the roll was. I placed the whole mess inside a gallon ziplock bag and sealed it most of the way BUT LEFT ABOUT TWO INCHES OPEN for some slight air exchange. I put the bag inside a cardboard box (Flaps up but not closed) and put it under a dark shelf at room temperature for a month or six weeks. I checked the bag and noted that mycelium had covered the TP so I put the ziplock bag in a Walmart sack and into the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for a couple of days. Once removed from the refrigerator, I placed the TP on a styrofoam meat tray, spritzed it with water and covered it with the same gallon bag leaving the bag upside down and open around the bottom (I also spritzed a squirt or two of water into the bag first). I set it on a shelf in a room that gets about 14 hours of light a day (not in direct sunlight). About a week later, I got a mushroom pin! <a href="http://s376.photobucket.com/user/Skunkum/media/TeePee%20Mushroom%201.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo202/Skunkum/TeePee%20Mushroom%201.jpg</a> I removed the bag and spritzed it over a couple of days but the thing stuck to the plastic bag and died. A few days later I noticed this: <a href="http://s376.photobucket.com/user/Skunkum/media/Tee%20Pee%20Oyster%20Mushrooms%201%20-%20Copy.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo202/Skunkum/Tee%20Pee%20Oyster%20Mushrooms%201%20-%20Copy.jpg</a> <a href="http://s376.photobucket.com/user/Skunkum/media/Tee%20Pee%20Oyster%20Mushrooms%203%20-%20Copy.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo202/Skunkum/Tee%20Pee%20Oyster%20Mushrooms%203%20-%20Copy.jpg</a> You don't have to find a mushroom tree or buy a prepared package to try this at home IF you can find a source of oyster mushrooms. If you can find fresh oyster mushrooms at a grocery store or health food store, you can put one inside a roll of toilet tissue and see if you can grow your own! Apparently oysters are among the easiest and least fussy to grow. Although I tried to keep everything reasonably clean while doing this it was NOT ANYTHING CLOSE to a sterile environment. I used my hands, I used whole chunks of mushroom instead of using only the inner bits that were "sterile" or uncontaminated, etc. As always, your results may vary. Oh yeah- time frame: Found tree with mushrooms Jan 2, cultured on TP Feb 2, refrigerated two nights Mar 16, noted first pin Mar 31, picked two oysters Apr 11. View Quote That is amazing. Excellent post! Did you eat those mushrooms? If so, did they taste the same as the wild-grown mushrooms to you? |
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[#32]
Quoted:
Did you eat those mushrooms? If so, did they taste the same as the wild-grown mushrooms to you? View Quote Sliced them and fried them in a light batter tonight. I liked them. They were very mild with a slight nutty flavor. Guess it could have been the peanut oil I used to fry them in since I was frying fish at the time. They tasted the same to me as the original ones taken from the wild which were fried using the same recipe. I also made a killer creamy mushroom soup out of some of that original batch, as well as putting some on pizzas. They were even good raw. It might be that today's were good because they were fresh off the "log" today. The color and shape of these was really nice, but they were not as large as those I found on the tree. Perhaps I jumped the gun and harvested them a little bit early as they were thinner than the original source mushrooms. Of course they might have been as big as they were ever going to get because there really isn't a lot of mass in a roll of TP compared to a whole tree. After I picked them, I spritzed the TP and ziplock tent and put it back on the shelf. I think I'll give the TP "log" a week or two to see if any more appear. If not, I'll stick it back in the refrigerator for a day or two and try for a second flush. After that, perhaps I can use the media to inoculate a new batch. I would like to get a log of these things started. I've been told that they are a lot easier to crop than Shiitakes are but I'm not sure what that really means. |
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[#33]
I had a fellow gardener give me 3lbs of shiitake mushrooms last week and when he explained to me how he grew them in oak logs I knew I was going to have to try it. I am really interested in morels after watching this video. The spore mass slurry looks like it could be a simpler way to try and inoculate them compared to other methods I have seen. Has anyone tried it? Willing to send me one or two?
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[#34]
Quoted:
I had a fellow gardener give me 3lbs of shiitake mushrooms last week and when he explained to me how he grew them in oak logs I knew I was going to have to try it. I am really interested in morels after watching this video. The spore mass slurry looks like it could be a simpler way to try and inoculate them compared to other methods I have seen. Has anyone tried it? Willing to send me one or two? View Quote That is very interesting. If only I had a few morels to make a slurry with. I have seen a few places online that sell mycelium but their websites haven't inspired me to get out my credit card. |
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[#35]
Quoted:
That is very interesting. If only I had a few morels to make a slurry with. I have seen a few places online that sell mycelium but their websites haven't inspired me to get out my credit card. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
I had a fellow gardener give me 3lbs of shiitake mushrooms last week and when he explained to me how he grew them in oak logs I knew I was going to have to try it. I am really interested in morels after watching this video. The spore mass slurry looks like it could be a simpler way to try and inoculate them compared to other methods I have seen. Has anyone tried it? Willing to send me one or two? That is very interesting. If only I had a few morels to make a slurry with. I have seen a few places online that sell mycelium but their websites haven't inspired me to get out my credit card. I know I am the same way. I might trade a PMAG for some fresh ones though. They just sound like they are so darn unpredictable and last time I did something like this I ordered 75$ worth of exotic chicken eggs and not a nary one hatched. 21 days in the incubator and I still ate um, can't let all that money go to waste. |
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[#36]
I've been thinking of growing oyster mushrooms. I assume I'll buy spawn to start, but after that can I just use existing shrooms to start the next batch?
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[#37]
I read a book on permaculture last night, and one method mentioned was innoculated bar oil for your chain saw. I am bringing down a maple shortly and was thinking of giving it a try.
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[#39]
Nice! Thanks for the update.
I checked my logs but they still look the same as my earlier photos. I don't expect to see anything until next spring but I'll keep watching anyway. Thanks for keeping this thread alive! |
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[#40]
I started picking off my logs in the middle of April and had 'shrooms through May but yesterday when I checked there were none so it may be over this season for mine.
It was fun while it lasted and sure beat wandering around in the woods trying to find morels. I'm thinking about trying oyster mushrooms next year...what I read said to use maple logs,I've got quite a few in one area. |
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[#42]
Quoted:
I started picking off my logs in the middle of April and had 'shrooms through May but yesterday when I checked there were none so it may be over this season for mine. It was fun while it lasted and sure beat wandering around in the woods trying to find morels. I'm thinking about trying oyster mushrooms next year...what I read said to use maple logs,I've got quite a few in one area. View Quote Sounds like you got a pretty good harvest, then! Did they come on pretty regularly during that time, or kind of hit and miss? Did you hose 'em down frequently or anything? |
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[#43]
Quoted:
Sounds like you got a pretty good harvest, then! Did they come on pretty regularly during that time, or kind of hit and miss? Did you hose 'em down frequently or anything? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
I started picking off my logs in the middle of April and had 'shrooms through May but yesterday when I checked there were none so it may be over this season for mine. It was fun while it lasted and sure beat wandering around in the woods trying to find morels. I'm thinking about trying oyster mushrooms next year...what I read said to use maple logs,I've got quite a few in one area. Sounds like you got a pretty good harvest, then! Did they come on pretty regularly during that time, or kind of hit and miss? Did you hose 'em down frequently or anything? When I picked I only picked enough for a meal or two so there were always some still on the logs. Never hosed them and not going to...figured this season was wet enough. The last time I picked,two or three weeks ago,I filled a bread sack and left about that much behind but when I looked yesterday there was nothing ,don't know where they went...warmer weather I guess. They will get pretty big if you leave them...I had several that were 5" to 6" in diameter and were still good fried but I like them when they're about 2" to 3" best. All in all I'm very pleased with them...we had all the mushrooms that we wanted to eat just from 10 logs though I wish that I'd picked the ones that I left and dried them but maybe with all the rain this will be a good year for the chanterelles in a couple of months. :) |
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[#44]
I've tried but I keep getting contams (trichoderma). Gonna try a second attempt at making a still air box for innoculation. Would like to grow lions mane. Anyone got a culture?
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[#45]
This is a super cool thread guys. Thanks for your contribution.
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[#46]
Quoted:
I've tried but I keep getting contams (trichoderma). Gonna try a second attempt at making a still air box for innoculation. Would like to grow lions mane. Anyone got a culture? View Quote No cultures here; I'm just a newb. If you get really bored and want to type up more details, I'd love to hear more about how you culture from scratch. I don't think I'd ever be really successful at it given the amount of wild fungus in the air around here, at least now after about 5" of rain and temps in the 90's, but it's still be interested to read about your experiences. I didn't even know what "contams' were until I googled it, so your post is already making me smarter. |
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[#47]
I have 100 shiitake mushroom plugs I will send someone if they pay for shipping. We are moving and I'm not going to get to innoculate my logs.
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[#48]
I started some blue oysters in straw and promptly forgot about them stuffed away in the garden shed. Remembered them yesterday and it had produced mushrooms but they were all deteriorated.
It does look like it has a second bloom or whatever starting, so I'm hoping in another week or two I'll have more. |
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[#49]
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[#50]
Quoted: Could you please describe your procedures for packing it in straw? I tried a few bags but it looks like all I got was green mold contamination. I'm thinking I didn't get the straw soak hot enough for long enough. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: I started some blue oysters in straw Could you please describe your procedures for packing it in straw? I tried a few bags but it looks like all I got was green mold contamination. I'm thinking I didn't get the straw soak hot enough for long enough. I stuffed a cooler full of straw, then poured boiling water in until it was more or less covered. I didn't take a temp, but it took several successive pots of water to get enough so by the time the final one was added the rest had cooled quite a bit. I let it set for a couple hours with the lid closed, then took it out to cool on a clean sheet of plastic. Then I packed it into a clean new plastic clothes basket, adding my spawn as I went. I covered the top with some plastic sheet, with a few holes punched in it for ventilation, to help keep it from drying out. |
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