was out doing some weeding and came across these
in one of the front gardens.

http://www.anthive.com/fun/p5130005_Morels.jpg

several years ago my brother gave us a few morels
that he'd picked and told us when we rinsed them
off to take the water and throw it in the yard where
we wanted them to grow.

to do this one better i took the water and threw
it in several locations.

as of yet, two have had morels pop up, but with
all the other wood chips and mulches we've had
delivered the spores could have also easily come in
that ways.


songbird

On Friday, May 13, 2016 at 12:48:48 PM UTC-4, songbird wrote:
was out doing some weeding and came across these
in one of the front gardens.

http://www.anthive.com/fun/p5130005_Morels.jpg

several years ago my brother gave us a few morels
that he'd picked and told us when we rinsed them
off to take the water and throw it in the yard where
we wanted them to grow.

to do this one better i took the water and threw
it in several locations.

as of yet, two have had morels pop up, but with
all the other wood chips and mulches we've had
delivered the spores could have also easily come in
that ways.


songbird

I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

Paul

Pavel314 wrote:
....
I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

that is why i used the scatter approach and put the
rinse water in a half dozen locations. never know what
really takes, and because of the variety of places we
get stuff from it could be coming in from those too and
not the rinse water.


I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

did you start with green wood? that is the
recommendation i most often come across when it
comes down to growing mushrooms in wood from
known spawn.


The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

patience... it may take several years for the spores
to decide they have the right conditions for fruiting...

as of my recent readings it sounds like a mix of sand,
and some fireplace ashes topped by partially decayed
wood chips is good.


songbird

On 5/14/2016 6:51 AM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Friday, May 13, 2016 at 12:48:48 PM UTC-4, songbird wrote:
was out doing some weeding and came across these
in one of the front gardens.

http://www.anthive.com/fun/p5130005_Morels.jpg

several years ago my brother gave us a few morels
that he'd picked and told us when we rinsed them
off to take the water and throw it in the yard where
we wanted them to grow.

to do this one better i took the water and threw
it in several locations.

as of yet, two have had morels pop up, but with
all the other wood chips and mulches we've had
delivered the spores could have also easily come in
that ways.


songbird

I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

Paul

Commercial mushrooms, the type that are canned are grown on horse
manure. I hope it's not race horses poop as they get tons of drugs.

George

On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 9:41:03 AM UTC-4, songbird wrote:
Pavel314 wrote:
...
I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

that is why i used the scatter approach and put the
rinse water in a half dozen locations. never know what
really takes, and because of the variety of places we
get stuff from it could be coming in from those too and
not the rinse water.


I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

did you start with green wood? that is the
recommendation i most often come across when it
comes down to growing mushrooms in wood from
known spawn.

Yes, we cut down six or seven trees every winter for firewood, so I save a few logs for the mushroom garden. I read that you should let them settle out for 30 days after cutting before putting in the plugs so that the natural fungicides in the wood are depleted.



The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

patience... it may take several years for the spores
to decide they have the right conditions for fruiting...

as of my recent readings it sounds like a mix of sand,
and some fireplace ashes topped by partially decayed
wood chips is good.


songbird

I mixed sand into the soil in the morel bed and put in some wood chips from a big pile out back.

Paul

On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 3:29:54 PM UTC-4, George Shirley wrote:
On 5/14/2016 6:51 AM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Friday, May 13, 2016 at 12:48:48 PM UTC-4, songbird wrote:
was out doing some weeding and came across these
in one of the front gardens.

http://www.anthive.com/fun/p5130005_Morels.jpg

several years ago my brother gave us a few morels
that he'd picked and told us when we rinsed them
off to take the water and throw it in the yard where
we wanted them to grow.

to do this one better i took the water and threw
it in several locations.

as of yet, two have had morels pop up, but with
all the other wood chips and mulches we've had
delivered the spores could have also easily come in
that ways.


songbird

I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

Paul

Commercial mushrooms, the type that are canned are grown on horse
manure. I hope it's not race horses poop as they get tons of drugs.

George

I've grown the commercial "pizza" types from kits but you only get a couple of flushes from the kit. I should try getting another kit and using it to inoculate some sheep manure from out in the barn to get more than just the little kit's output. It should be economically more reasonable if I could multiply the output.

I'm currently growing shiitake and piopinni mushrooms in the basement. Or maybe I should say that I inoculated logs with those varieties; I hope there's something growing in there.

Paul

On 5/15/2016 10:16 AM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 3:29:54 PM UTC-4, George Shirley wrote:
On 5/14/2016 6:51 AM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Friday, May 13, 2016 at 12:48:48 PM UTC-4, songbird wrote:
was out doing some weeding and came across these
in one of the front gardens.

http://www.anthive.com/fun/p5130005_Morels.jpg

several years ago my brother gave us a few morels
that he'd picked and told us when we rinsed them
off to take the water and throw it in the yard where
we wanted them to grow.

to do this one better i took the water and threw
it in several locations.

as of yet, two have had morels pop up, but with
all the other wood chips and mulches we've had
delivered the spores could have also easily come in
that ways.


songbird

I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

Paul

Commercial mushrooms, the type that are canned are grown on horse
manure. I hope it's not race horses poop as they get tons of drugs.

George

I've grown the commercial "pizza" types from kits but you only get a couple of flushes from the kit. I should try getting another kit and using it to inoculate some sheep manure from out in the barn to get more than just the little kit's output. It should be economically more reasonable if I could multiply the output.

I'm currently growing shiitake and piopinni mushrooms in the basement. Or maybe I should say that I inoculated logs with those varieties; I hope there's something growing in there.

Paul

I'm a Texan, we don't raise, milk, or eat sheep. G Goat is a different
story. I miss our milk goats from years ago. Had a ten acre farm with
hogs, chickens, ducks, goats, and a milk cow. Plowed with a mule, a good
mule is much better than a tractor and didn't cost as much as a tractor.

Of course, I was fifty years younger now, Nowadays I run a single Rat
Terrier who keeps the grasshoppers out of the garden, vicious little
critter.

George

On Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 6:39:59 PM UTC-4, George Shirley wrote:
On 5/15/2016 10:16 AM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 3:29:54 PM UTC-4, George Shirley wrote:
On 5/14/2016 6:51 AM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Friday, May 13, 2016 at 12:48:48 PM UTC-4, songbird wrote:
was out doing some weeding and came across these
in one of the front gardens.

http://www.anthive.com/fun/p5130005_Morels.jpg

several years ago my brother gave us a few morels
that he'd picked and told us when we rinsed them
off to take the water and throw it in the yard where
we wanted them to grow.

to do this one better i took the water and threw
it in several locations.

as of yet, two have had morels pop up, but with
all the other wood chips and mulches we've had
delivered the spores could have also easily come in
that ways.


songbird

I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

Paul

Commercial mushrooms, the type that are canned are grown on horse
manure. I hope it's not race horses poop as they get tons of drugs.

George

I've grown the commercial "pizza" types from kits but you only get a couple of flushes from the kit. I should try getting another kit and using it to inoculate some sheep manure from out in the barn to get more than just the little kit's output. It should be economically more reasonable if I could multiply the output.

I'm currently growing shiitake and piopinni mushrooms in the basement. Or maybe I should say that I inoculated logs with those varieties; I hope there's something growing in there.

Paul

I'm a Texan, we don't raise, milk, or eat sheep. G Goat is a different
story. I miss our milk goats from years ago. Had a ten acre farm with
hogs, chickens, ducks, goats, and a milk cow. Plowed with a mule, a good
mule is much better than a tractor and didn't cost as much as a tractor.

Of course, I was fifty years younger now, Nowadays I run a single Rat
Terrier who keeps the grasshoppers out of the garden, vicious little
critter.

George

Maryland is a big sheep state. The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, held in early May, is a big event, drawing people from miles away. We started raising sheep some years ago because my wife likes to spin and knit; having a small flock (around 20) gives her all the wool she needs. I used to shear them myself 10-15 years ago, but got too old and fat to do that anymore.

Paul

On 5/15/2016 8:02 PM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 6:39:59 PM UTC-4, George Shirley wrote:
On 5/15/2016 10:16 AM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 3:29:54 PM UTC-4, George Shirley wrote:
On 5/14/2016 6:51 AM, Pavel314 wrote:
On Friday, May 13, 2016 at 12:48:48 PM UTC-4, songbird wrote:
was out doing some weeding and came across these
in one of the front gardens.

http://www.anthive.com/fun/p5130005_Morels.jpg

several years ago my brother gave us a few morels
that he'd picked and told us when we rinsed them
off to take the water and throw it in the yard where
we wanted them to grow.

to do this one better i took the water and threw
it in several locations.

as of yet, two have had morels pop up, but with
all the other wood chips and mulches we've had
delivered the spores could have also easily come in
that ways.


songbird

I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

Paul

Commercial mushrooms, the type that are canned are grown on horse
manure. I hope it's not race horses poop as they get tons of drugs.

George

I've grown the commercial "pizza" types from kits but you only get a couple of flushes from the kit. I should try getting another kit and using it to inoculate some sheep manure from out in the barn to get more than just the little kit's output. It should be economically more reasonable if I could multiply the output.

I'm currently growing shiitake and piopinni mushrooms in the basement. Or maybe I should say that I inoculated logs with those varieties; I hope there's something growing in there.

Paul

I'm a Texan, we don't raise, milk, or eat sheep. G Goat is a different
story. I miss our milk goats from years ago. Had a ten acre farm with
hogs, chickens, ducks, goats, and a milk cow. Plowed with a mule, a good
mule is much better than a tractor and didn't cost as much as a tractor.

Of course, I was fifty years younger now, Nowadays I run a single Rat
Terrier who keeps the grasshoppers out of the garden, vicious little
critter.

George

Maryland is a big sheep state. The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, held in early May, is a big event, drawing people from miles away. We started raising sheep some years ago because my wife likes to spin and knit; having a small flock (around 20) gives her all the wool she needs. I used to shear them myself 10-15 years ago, but got too old and fat to do that anymore.

Paul

My wife of 56 years is from Southern Maryland, St. Mary's County. She
grew up on 19 acres, her Dad worked at Patuxent River Naval Air Station,
I was stationed there for two years, '58 - '59, we married there in 1960
and I hauled her off to Texas. A whole different world that she learned
to love. She still has four siblings there, two of whom are coming to
visit in September.

Wife does the heavy work here nowadays, I've had to many strokes and
heart attacks to do more than keep the books, preserve the food, cook,
and run errands. Of course I point out the mistakes she makes in the
garden. G We get along pretty good as long as we're in separate rooms.
BSEG

Pavel314 wrote:
On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 9:41:03 AM UTC-4, songbird wrote:
Pavel314 wrote:
...
I planted a morel bed a few weeks ago, using a kit I got from Amazon. I tried planting one several years ago but nothing ever came up. Hopefully, this one will grow.

that is why i used the scatter approach and put the
rinse water in a half dozen locations. never know what
really takes, and because of the variety of places we
get stuff from it could be coming in from those too and
not the rinse water.


I also inoculated some oak logs with mushroom spawn plugs. Those are on a shelf in the basement and I water them every morning.

did you start with green wood? that is the
recommendation i most often come across when it
comes down to growing mushrooms in wood from
known spawn.

Yes, we cut down six or seven trees every winter for firewood, so I save a few logs for the mushroom garden. I read that you should let them settle out for 30 days after cutting before putting in the plugs so that the natural fungicides in the wood are depleted.

sound good.

about the only thing different that strikes me in what you
write is that you say you keep them in the basement, while
most people have them outdoors (some mention putting them
halfway in the dirt so the fungi can draw moisture and
nutrients from the soil). i hope that won't make much of a
difference for the fungi you are trying to grow.

as for how long the colony lasts some references have said
depending upon type of wood, size of log and mushroom three to
ten years.


The problem with mushroom gardening is that they grow underground or inside wood, so you don't know if there's really anything growing there or not. Potatoes grow underground, but at least they send up leaves to let you know they're still alive.

patience... it may take several years for the spores
to decide they have the right conditions for fruiting...

as of my recent readings it sounds like a mix of sand,
and some fireplace ashes topped by partially decayed
wood chips is good.


songbird

I mixed sand into the soil in the morel bed and put in some wood chips from a big pile out back.

we found another morel out back so that makes it three places.
the last place was on the berm which is a sand heap covered by
black plastic or landscaping fabric (i wasn't here when it was
done so i dunno) which gets cedar tree and white pine needles
down in between large rocks.

we ate all of them yesterday. yum!


songbird

Yes, we cut down six or seven trees every winter for firewood, so I save a few logs for the mushroom garden. I read that you should let them settle out for 30 days after cutting before putting in the plugs so that the natural fungicides in the wood are depleted.

sound good.

about the only thing different that strikes me in what you
write is that you say you keep them in the basement, while
most people have them outdoors (some mention putting them
halfway in the dirt so the fungi can draw moisture and
nutrients from the soil). i hope that won't make much of a
difference for the fungi you are trying to grow.

as for how long the colony lasts some references have said
depending upon type of wood, size of log and mushroom three to
ten years.

I keep them in the basement so that they'll grow during the winter. I water them every morning so they stay moist. I've had good luck with this method; a couple of shiitake logs produced mushrooms for several years.

Paul