Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Daethen]

I love the mushroom farm box idea, @jvls1942 ! I may have to talk DH into growing 'shrooms this summer in the concrete "bunker" on the farmstead. We are going to try to make the necessary adjustments to make it a working root cellar by next winter. That probably means by winter of 2018 ... so many projects for this summer already.
He was talking about starting some mushroom logs this summer - a co-worker was talking about how his son grew mushrooms and sold them to a lot of the restaurants in the area. I suggested to do it behind the machine shed. The morning dew will drip onto them in the morning and they are on the north side of the building - so a nice shaded area. I talked about growing mushrooms about 2 years ago when we moved onto the place, but he felt at that time that it was a stupid idea.

 

[jvls1942]

I finally found some directions for an ideal sized box for the mushroom "farm".

2ft x 3ft x 6.5 inches deep.

avoid pouring water on the surface of the garden.
mist with a spray bottle to avoid disturbing the mushrooms.

I am going to go with a 2ft x 2ft box to begin with, though.

.........jiminwisc......

 

[Daethen]

A couple of pix of our shrooms from last summer. My daughter is holding her hand there for comparison.

 

[CherMoz]

Nice! My DH has ordered some shitake spores. I do not know from where.

The mushroom farm sounds interesting. Can't wait for picture!

 

[wyoDreamer]

WHAT KIND OF MUSHROOMS ARE THOSE?

 

[jvls1942]

WHAT KIND OF MUSHROOMS ARE THOSE?

we used to find some similar to those on trees when we were kids.
we called them horse hoofs.
they were usually very leathery and tough. we never thought to eat them.

......jiminwisc.....

 

[Daethen]

These are shiitake mushrooms. They are not tough or leathery at all. They are a firmer mushroom, but oh so tasty. They will produce like that off of the same logs for several years. You need to cut the logs from live trees just before you are ready to inoculate.

 

[wyoDreamer]

What kind of wood do you use for Shiitake mushrooms? I think I can get Oak, Poplar, Maple, or pine. Or Cedar, I have a cedar that needs to come down.

 

[jvls1942]

What kind of wood do you use for Shiitake mushrooms? I think I can get Oak, Poplar, Maple, or pine. Or Cedar, I have a cedar that needs to come down.

I did some reading , Oak is the preferred wood. Maple can also be used. there are some other kinds, too.
....jiminwisc.....

 

[Daethen]

Oak is number one, but the forester that got us started in them used ironwood. We have access to lots of ironwood and it is an invasive nuisance tree that will take over a forest so that is what we use and have great luck with it. We cut them about 40 inches long and as big around as you feel like lifting. My hubby made us an inoculation table that works like a dream. Drill the holes, fill with inoculant, seal with wax and wait.