growing mushrooms? - Page 2

O.P. Mater · April 1, 2012

Doug, I think the oak logs are supposed to produce for 5-6 years. We also innoculated some sweet gum. Right now, some of the sweet gum logs are just bursting their bark off with mushrooms. I think that they will decompose in about 3 years, but the oak will just last longer. The mushrooms seem to be larger on the oak logs. I think we are going to do some more in July and maybe cut them a little shorter than 4 feet. Some are 8-10 inches in diameter and when they have spent a day soaking in water, they are hard to pick up for me.

You can grow Shi*take's in oak chips, but I believe that they have to be autoclaved or put in a pressure cooker for a long time first. We got wooden dowls to pound into the logs from Fungi Perfecti. Their website and others have pictures of mushrooms growing in bags of chips...not sure if they are all oak as I believe some are conifer chips.

O.P. Mater · April 1, 2012

Livinonfaith, I just bookmarked the Nasco site. Thanks. Will look at it later tonight. I don't know if I need a newt or not? but wouldn't mind the tree frogs and painted butterfly larvae :-) Have a big toad that has been hopping up two steps onto the porch and climbing into a pot of herbs (from Remy's Sample Shop) and burrows down until you can only see his nose and eyes showing. His favorites are cilantro and peppermint....:-)

livinonfaith · April 1, 2012

O.P. Mater, love the toad story! They are a lot of fun to watch, if you have the good fortune to know their habits and where to look.

There was actually a frog (not a toad) living in my kitchen last year! Apparently, he came in through a hole in the floor and was living under the cabinets.

I saw him scurry under there and, at first, thought he might be a mouse. (He was pretty darn fast.) Later I got a better look at him and realized that he was a big green frog. That was a little bit of a shock, (and a laugh) to say the least!

A couple of days later, after mopping, I had the rinse water in a small tub on the floor. I had to leave, but when I came back, the frog was bathing in the rinse water! As soon as he saw me coming, he jumped out and again escaped under the cabinet.

I left the water pan out and the next time I went to the kitchen, I was a little sneakier. There he was again, just sitting there enjoying his bath. He looked so content that I almost felt bad for catching him and taking him out to the back yard.

He hasn't come back, thank goodness. He was a cute little guy. He just didn't need to live in my kitchen!

April 1, 2012	#16
O.P. Mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: upstate SC Posts: 147	Doug, I think the oak logs are supposed to produce for 5-6 years. We also innoculated some sweet gum. Right now, some of the sweet gum logs are just bursting their bark off with mushrooms. I think that they will decompose in about 3 years, but the oak will just last longer. The mushrooms seem to be larger on the oak logs. I think we are going to do some more in July and maybe cut them a little shorter than 4 feet. Some are 8-10 inches in diameter and when they have spent a day soaking in water, they are hard to pick up for me. You can grow Shi*take's in oak chips, but I believe that they have to be autoclaved or put in a pressure cooker for a long time first. We got wooden dowls to pound into the logs from Fungi Perfecti. Their website and others have pictures of mushrooms growing in bags of chips...not sure if they are all oak as I believe some are conifer chips.

April 1, 2012	#18
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	O.P. Mater, love the toad story! They are a lot of fun to watch, if you have the good fortune to know their habits and where to look. There was actually a frog (not a toad) living in my kitchen last year! Apparently, he came in through a hole in the floor and was living under the cabinets. I saw him scurry under there and, at first, thought he might be a mouse. (He was pretty darn fast.) Later I got a better look at him and realized that he was a big green frog. That was a little bit of a shock, (and a laugh) to say the least! A couple of days later, after mopping, I had the rinse water in a small tub on the floor. I had to leave, but when I came back, the frog was bathing in the rinse water! As soon as he saw me coming, he jumped out and again escaped under the cabinet. I left the water pan out and the next time I went to the kitchen, I was a little sneakier. There he was again, just sitting there enjoying his bath. He looked so content that I almost felt bad for catching him and taking him out to the back yard. He hasn't come back, thank goodness. He was a cute little guy. He just didn't need to live in my kitchen!