I've mostly lurked on this list, although I've had occasion to join in.
But today I want to ask if anyone knows anything about mushrooms grown
on oak logs. Last summer ('95) I bought a shiitake mushroom log at the
Rodale Organic GardenFest from a man who had a booth. His company was
called Hardscrabble, and in my enthusiasism I bought not only a log (for
about $14, but I also bought a container of mushroom spawn. (To
inoculate my own logs, of course.) I'm embarrassed to talk about my
penny-wise, pound-foolish enthusiasisms on-line, but I'm always learning
about humility anyway, so the gist is, I put my log outside in the
shade, and forgot about it, although at first I soaked it in my bathtub
(once) and then once I soaked it in a plastic kiddie-pool like the
instructions said. Then I got busy with other gardening chores, and just
left the log outside in the shade. Nothing happened. Now a year later, I
decided to check on the log today (it's pouring rain here in
Southeastern PA, and lo, and behold, the log has about a dozen mushroom.
They look like shiitake. I found a url on the web with a picture that
looks exactly like the mushrooms on my log. I don't know how long the
mushrooms have been on the log, and I am nervous about eating them. I
want to be reassured that they really are shiitake's even thought they
look exactly like the picture on the website. (I can't find the
information about my log that I got from the man from Hardscrabble.)
Anyway, I would like to know if there is anyone out there who has
mushroom logs and can I ask you some questions about my log, and also
about the spore that's still in my refrigerator. I apologize to all who
might feel this is not a topic for this list.
Thanks in advance,
Basha Durand Durand@fast.net
I've got shiitake mushroom spawn, in plugs, and some bags of oak sawdust,
and am about to apply one to the other. Today, first, I have to
bleach-treat the sawdust to sterilise it (25ml of bleach to 5l of water -
whatever proportion that is...) and then tomorrow I'll put the bags
somewhere sunny and insert the spawn.
The instructions say to put the bags somewhere warm - about 20 degrees
celsius - but the only place that warm in my house is the hotpress, which
is in my room, and since I have asthma I don't fancy sleeping with shiitake
spawn. Maybe the garage, which has a warm window.
Any tips, anyone? Has anyone grown shiitake? - JTT
> is in my room, and since I have asthma I don't fancy sleeping with shiitake
> spawn.
Could it be all that bad? Try it . Were surrounded by all kinds of mold
already
billevasdn
mushrooms
"Some say a few days and I will see mushrooms start, some say 1 year. I
see they grow best in hardwood sawdust, although the mushroom farm near
me used ground corncobs with good results. Where can I get more info?
Vinekeeper, you have my curiousity piqued! We have the space, we have a
building we can put up for it. We have access to wood chips and/or
sawdust. Also I can get oak logs." -Gayla
Gayla,
The trend in commercial shiitake prodution has been toward sawdust
blocks. The spawn runs through them (and produces) more quickly than
production on log, but is then finished in one season and two flushes
of mushrooms.
Logs produce more and for much longer, but production is delayed until
the mycelium has run throughout the log ... hence the difference between
"producing immediately" and producing in a few months.
Block production requires a controlled environment. Log production can
be done outdoors or with minimum structure. If you have both options
you are lucky.
http://www.mushworld.com/home/default-eng.htm
try this link to a regular newsletter call Mush World for more
information on either log or sawdust block production
good luck ... and be well
vinekeeper
Are you growing mushrooms organicaly?
John Bridges
--- wvinekeeper
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GardeningOrganically/join
> (Yahoo! ID required)
mailto:GardeningOrganically-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
