Cultivating Mushrooms

[Haironyourchest]

Just had a feed of shiitake mushrooms. Really nice. There's a story behind them....

 

A few years back some neighbors got into mushroom farming on a small commercial scale. I did some work for said neighbors, lopped some branches off an oak, and they kept the branch logs for growing mushrooms. Mycelium pegs etc. The were growing oysters mostly, indoors on loose substrate, but wanted to try log piles as well.... Anyway, the mushroom business eventually folded due to outside factors. I was there today, helping to move some furniture, and was given some shiitakes from the log stack. They were still fruiting several years later....

 

Just wondering if anyone here grows for themselves? As tree people we are in uniquely good position to aquire fresh oak logs, which is apparently what you need for shiitake. Fresher the better, they say you should inoculate the logs the same day they are cut from the tree.

Edited June 9, 2022 by Haironyourchest
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[5thelement]

I did a bit for a guy a few years back. Cut back some Oak in his woodland and created stacks for the doweling.

I think he got 7 years from them before he needed to renew the timber, Oak lasts the longest, you can’t use Ash or pine.

[Dan Maynard]

I took down some leylandii for a Chinese couple, they reckoned to cultivate some mushroom on the wood. They said so many different types of mushroom, some will be ok.

[AHPP]

I found some in the garden the other day, near the compost bin, on a matt of bark and sawdust I use to keep the grass down in front of the log sheds. Complete accident. No idea what kid of mushrooms they are. I assume the same kind as some shop ought ones that got composted. Thrilled.

 

[Macpherson]

1 hour ago, Haironyourchest said:

Just had a feed of shiitake mushrooms. Really nice. There's a story behind them....

 

A few years back some neighbors got into mushroom farming on a small commercial scale. I did some work for said neighbors, lopped some branches off an oak, and they kept the branch logs for growing mushrooms. Mycelium pegs etc. The were growing oysters mostly, indoors on loose substrate, but wanted to try log piles as well.... Anyway, the mushroom business eventually folded due to outside factors. I was there today, helping to move some furniture, and was given some shiitakes from the log stack. They were still fruiting several years later....

 

Just wondering if anyone here grows for themselves? As tree people we are in uniquely good position to aquire fresh oak logs, which is apparently what you need for shiitake. Fresher the better, they say you should inoculate the logs the same day they are cut from the tree.

 

I've just been thinking about trying to grow mushies using plugs and was contemplating which wood to use, locally Chanterelles seem to grow well next to the base of Beech trees and that's what I had in mind but maybe I should rethink Oak.. better do some reading🙄

[jfc]

I had a local guy specifically request Prunus logs for growing mushrooms, which I supplied in March. He said he would drop me some off when they fruited, which will be great if they work well.

[Paul in the woods]

7 hours ago, Macpherson said:

 

I've just been thinking about trying to grow mushies using plugs and was contemplating which wood to use, locally Chanterelles seem to grow well next to the base of Beech trees and that's what I had in mind but maybe I should rethink Oak.. better do some reading🙄

Chanterelles are mycorrhizal so you'll not be able to grow them on logs. I've tried a few wood rotting fungi and found shiitake dowels inserted into fresh oak logs to be the easiest and most productive. There is a wide range of fungi to choose from but as it can take a year or two before fruiting I'd suggest starting off with an easy one. Also something recognisable as you can get other fungi appearing.

[Paul in the woods]

One fungi I'd like to try and something I think would be ideal for anyone with large amounts of woodchip is Wine Caps, Stropharia rugoso. 

[5thelement]

2 hours ago, Paul in the woods said:

One fungi I'd like to try and something I think would be ideal for anyone with large amounts of woodchip is Wine Caps, Stropharia rugoso. 

Morels also do fantastic in wood chip.

[Paul in the woods]

9 hours ago, 5thelement said:

Morels also do fantastic in wood chip.

I've forgotten about them. A previous house I owned had chalky soil and to my surprise we had a decent crop of morels grow in the woodchip you get from the diy sheds. I only tried the odd one as I think a few varieties grew and not all are edible. Worth a try if you can't get the spawn but I think they prefer an alkaline soil?

Edited June 10, 2022 by Paul in the woods