HI
We have a very shaded part at the back of our allotment, not much will
grow, so we are thinking of try to grow oyster and shiitake mushrooms.
Has anyone in the group tried this? What type of dead wood is best eg
oak. We have some 2-year-old apple trunks quietly rotting away, would
they be any good?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Paul.
--
Paul reply-to is valid

"Paul" wrote in message
...
HI
We have a very shaded part at the back of our allotment, not much will
grow, so we are thinking of try to grow oyster and shiitake mushrooms. Has
anyone in the group tried this? What type of dead wood is best eg oak. We
have some 2-year-old apple trunks quietly rotting away, would they be any
good?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Paul.
--
Paul reply-to is valid

I am trying some Pearl Oyster on Straw at the moment (reminds me time to
cover them before the snow) I tried apple last time with no luck according
to the packet poplar and willow are good choices tho' any broadleaf is
possible. You have to remember though rotting wood is likely to already have
fungus growing - pull a strip of bark and look for mycellium so adding
another is not going to be as sucessful.
http://www.mycowest.org/cult/i-grow/growfoto.htm good luck I checked my lot
and the mycellium are establishing after a month.

Derek

The message
from Paul contains these words:

We have a very shaded part at the back of our allotment, not much will
grow, so we are thinking of try to grow oyster and shiitake mushrooms.
Has anyone in the group tried this? What type of dead wood is best eg
oak. We have some 2-year-old apple trunks quietly rotting away, would
they be any good?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Suggest you ask on alt.nature.mushrooms - it's a more specialised group.

Oak is OK for oyster mushrooms, as is holly.

I've never found any culturable edible mushrooms on apple - but I'm not
discounting the possibility.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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"Paul" wrote
We have a very shaded part at the back of our allotment, not much will
grow, so we are thinking of try to grow oyster and shiitake mushrooms. Has
anyone in the group tried this? What type of dead wood is best eg oak. We
have some 2-year-old apple trunks quietly rotting away, would they be any
good?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Yes, at the moment I have logs that I impregnated with Oyster, Shitake and
Lion's Mane and am awaiting the first mushrooms.
Old wood is certainly out, it's already infected with fungus which will
probably outcompete with the cultivated stuff you use and you could poison
yourself easily if it is one of the nasty ones that fruits and you thought
it a Shitake....
You have to use very freshly cut logs that still have moisture and are not
already infected with a fungus. Any hard wood will do just fine, Oak, Beech
etc. Some hard woods take longer to get thoroughly infected but this is a
long process anyway.

Most people that supply the impregnated pegs also send instructions.
You have to drill holes that are a tight fit for the plugs, bang them in at
regular intervals, and then pour melted wax over the pegs to stop any nasty
fungus from getting in. You then seal the logs in plastic for some 6 months
or more so the logs don't dry out. When you see the ends of the logs going
black all over you uncover them and await the fruit bodies. Can take from 6
to 18 months but you may then crop every few months for up to 5 years.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:
"Paul" wrote

We have a very shaded part at the back of our allotment, not much will
grow, so we are thinking of try to grow oyster and shiitake
mushrooms. Has
anyone in the group tried this? What type of dead wood is best eg oak. We
have some 2-year-old apple trunks quietly rotting away, would they be any
good?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Yes, at the moment I have logs that I impregnated with Oyster, Shitake and
Lion's Mane and am awaiting the first mushrooms.
Old wood is certainly out, it's already infected with fungus which will
probably outcompete with the cultivated stuff you use and you could poison
yourself easily if it is one of the nasty ones that fruits and you thought
it a Shitake....

Not so easily - I know of no dangerous mushroom which grows on wood.
(And I've been studying them since oh, 1950/1) A few might make you
throw up (sulphur tuft) but nothing even vaguely poisonous looks like a
shiitake AFAIAA.

However, I'm not advocating you try just anything which you find growing
on wood...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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