Mushroom trip

[DirtMechanic]

So I bought some mushroom "stuff". They call it spawn, but hey a rose by any name right? Anyway, living in so much dense shade has me capitulating to growing conditions. As I align gardening beds and so forth to the plantings, it occured to me that I am really missing a great opportunity to have a kitchen mushroom patch as I enjoy a kitchen garden. So I bought a kit for oyster mushrooms on a whim. This should be educational, never having attempted to intentionally do anything except compost organic materials. I will be interested to learn what is possible outdoors around here, and plan on having the patch near the bbq pit for convenient access to the steak maker.

 

[Jewell]

@DirtMechanic, my Morels come in on cedar bark I use for paths and light mulch. Never had very many in the past, but this winter I began throwing ashes from the wood stove in the same area. It might be a fluke but we’ve gotten a lot of morels this spring. I thought the harvest was over but it began raining today and it looks like there will be more. The mushrooms are the fruit from the fungi that’s underground (as I understand it). These are pretty like Dr. Case’s photos but they are extremely tasty


Some I’ve let go to spore.

Some new shrooms showing up today with the rains.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I have never considered the pH of mushroom growing, but composting materials are neutralizing themselves and ashes are alkaline, emphasis on lye. I wonder if the potassium in ash helps. I could easily inoculate along walking paths here in the woods. There is a forest floor of leaves already. This will be a lot to learn. I cannot say I have had a morel. Now I am wondering about seasonal mushrooms.

 

[alp]

So I bought some mushroom "stuff". They call it spawn, but hey a rose by any name right? Anyway, living in so much dense shade has me capitulating to growing conditions. As I align gardening beds and so forth to the plantings, it occured to me that I am really missing a great opportunity to have a kitchen mushroom patch as I enjoy a kitchen garden. So I bought a kit for oyster mushrooms on a whim. This should be educational, never having attempted to intentionally do anything except compost organic materials. I will be interested to learn what is possible outdoors around here, and plan on having the patch near the bbq pit for convenient access to the steak maker.

I personally love Shiitake which has a much more intense flavour. As for oyster mushroom, there was a man soaking his spawned stuff in ?? some chemical rather than boiling the whole thing. Very interesting. I would say just try morel. I have seen a youtube Australian growing morel and the mushrooms just sprang up like mushrooms. Amazing cheap food!

@Jewell AMAZING!

I once tried truffle inoculated hazel trees. In the end, no truffle and hazel nuts had been eaten by squirrels before I could say hello! There were so many rodents that I got rid of the trees.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I personally love Shiitake which has a much more intense flavour. As for oyster mushroom, there was a man soaking his spawned stuff in ?? some chemical rather than boiling the whole thing. Very interesting. I would say just try morel. I have seen a youtube Australian growing morel and the mushrooms just sprang up like mushrooms. Amazing cheap food!

@Jewell AMAZING!

I once tried truffle inoculated hazel trees. In the end, no truffle and hazel nuts had been eaten by squirrels before I could say hello! There were so many rodents that I got rid of the trees.

We grow magic squirrels here. I have taken away a handful already this year yet they refill their ranks. They will chew anything, even my equipment and gutters. This could be an unforseen problem.

 

[Jewell]

I have never considered the pH of mushroom growing, but composting materials are neutralizing themselves and ashes are alkaline, emphasis on lye. I wonder if the potassium in ash helps. I could easily inoculate along walking paths here in the woods. There is a forest floor of leaves already. This will be a lot to learn. I cannot say I have had a morel. Now I am wondering about seasonal mushrooms.

Growing mushrooms like morels appears to be a complex symbiotic relationship. Scientists haven’t figured it out but have noted a few circumstances. Morels most often appear in abandon orchards or where trees have rotted and after a fire.

I’ve had a few appear after laying cedar bark for paths 3 times but never in quantity and never the following year. This years bounty is at the base where we removed a rotted cherry, apple and Japanese maple ( rotted root systems may be important) and where I’d thrown ash (replicating fire) and layered cedar bark (source of morel spores). Morels have never appear where I’ve used fir bark. This years bounty is an area that has been largely un disturbed for decades with naturalized bulbs, ferns, hellebores and heathers under a current Japanese maple. The area is only 25x25 feet in my front yard. Yet I’ve harvest enough to give away, have three big meals, dry a half gallon of morels and leave many for spore.

Since mushrooms are the fruit of extensive underground fungal structures it will be interesting if I can duplicate this harvest next year. I have heard of mushroom pickers having areas they return to year after year. I have one other undisturbed area on my lot that I am going to try to replicate but .... we’ve lived here for for 38 years and this is the first year the fairies granted me morels in abundance and in the recently renovated front yard not in the back woodland garden where I’ve had them appear in the past. Nature appears to be rather fickled.

 

[alp]

We grow magic squirrels here. I have taken away a handful already this year yet they refill their ranks. They will chew anything, even my equipment and gutters. This could be an unforseen problem.

That really makes me giggle! I hate the tree hogs. Every time they snort, it reminds me of the pigs' oink back home when we kept pigs. Pigs, chickens, cows and cowshed with thousands of s ex-crazed snakes. Boy! How I hate them! And I have only seen this scene once in my life!

 

[alp]

Since mushrooms are the fruit of extensive underground fungal structures it will be interesting if I can duplicate this harvest next year. I have heard of mushroom pickers having areas they return to year after year. I have one other undisturbed area on my lot that I am going to try to replicate but .... we’ve lived here for for 38 years and this is the first year the fairies granted me morels in abundance and in the recently renovated front yard not in the back woodland garden where I’ve had them appear in the past. Nature appears to be rather fickled.

Now that you've decent harvest, I am sure the spores will be drifting around ... Soon you can fax them to me! AND I'm already salivating. I have never eaten a proper morel. Just the snobbery in me makes me that it might taste divine. Got to go out now. Hope you two have a lovely mushroom day!

 

[Kevinseed]

Fantastic photos