First of all, I hope you all had a cool Yule! Blessings Peace and Prosperity to everyone! I have been given a really cool gift by my family - an Oyster mushroom log. However I have a problem. The directions that come with this also say that the log should not be exposed to wind and where I live, by the ocean is VERY windy. At this time of year there is no real vegetation to protect it. Has anyone had any experience of this kind of mushroom cultivation or do you have any ideas? My other mushrooms grow in my garden shed. This log is for out doors.
That is a cool gift. I've wanted to try mushroom logs for a while. Sorry I don't know too much about them. I assume you could put it somewhere that the wind won't blow directly on it, like next to a wall or fence away from direction that the wind usually blows, so it has some protection.
HMmmm .... interesting question. I have no experience with Oyster mushrooms, but I know some people, who know other people... I'll see what I can find out. Peace, poor_old_dad
Near as I can tell, the problem with the wind, is that it can dry the log too much. That'd kill the whole mushroom making process. Still digging for more info. Peace, poor_old_dad
Thanks POD, I'm on an island in the Hebrides at the moment (off W coast Scotland) We have a rageing storm coming in winds at about 35mph at the moment but heading for 70-80mph. The log is outside and in a sheltered spot but it is also raining so the log is still damp. My next problem is transporting it from here to home - a ferry and two buses! Stay safe
I have my mushroom log in the shed - I thought it was the best place for it - no mushrooms yet..... By the way - do mushroom spores go into suspended animation over the winter? I haven't grown them before.
Yes. They are dormant during the winter, then on new logs there will be a "spawn run". This is the process of the fungi colonizing the log, after that the "fruiting" can begin. The time it takes for this to happen varies depending on type and varitiety of mushroom, the type of wood of the log, the log's length & diameter, temperature, humidity, and probably about a million other things. Like I said before, I've not grown Oyster mushrooms, but with my Shiitakes the spawn run takes from 9 to 12 months. So it's possible you won't have mushrooms until fall. Of course, it's possible the log was a year old when it was sold in which case it should fruit much sooner, check the directions and see if it gives any info & maybe even get in touch with the folks who sold it, see what they say as to when it'll produce. Also, as strange as it sounds, go look at the ends of the log & describe what they look like. Hopefully they'll look white or yellow-ish & fungusy ("fungusy" - is that a word?). Plus, do you have the log standing up, leaning against a wall or lying flat on the ground? Peace, poor_old_dad ps.:Thanks for the kind words in my guestbook & if you want tell Ree that an old hippie, half way around the world is wishing him well with his garden. - POD
Hi P_O_D! The log is leaning against the wall of the shed, the bottom of it is resting in the other 'mushroom bed' I already started late last summer. I have never grown mushrooms before but we eat a lot, being veggie, so I thought we should try and grow them although we haven't seen one yet. Maybe that the spores were old but I rarely pay attention to the sow by dates on most things as seeds have a mind of their own. The mushroom bed was created in a fish box I found washed up on the beach and decided that it would be a good container to grow mushrooms in. It is warming up here and so the shed feels a lot warmer. Haven't seen anything 'fungusy' yet. I am keeping the log damp. The instructions say 12 weeks before anything happens and we only got it in Jan so it is still early. Fungusy - if it wasn't before this is now a word. If it gets used then it should be included in the Oxford English Dictionary. So let's use it lots!! I suspect it should be fungal though - which sounds too medical. Fungusy has a more horticultural feel to it! I have a couple of days off to use up my holiday time before the end of March and have been digging and sowing potatoes. Should have done this earlier but I have only got over the collapsed lung and we also had a bad cold snap with 80mph winds. Big Hug to you P_O_D! PS Too bad you are so far away, but Ree has been fascinated by gardening things on the Forums site - esp Alaskans growing in the snow and lights on seedlings. Will pass on your message to him. Old or young it's all one big family
Not anything exoctic - or hallucinagentic!! They are just some regular closed cap spores that we bought in the local garden store. I had a look at the log yesterday and it looks as if perhaps there is something fungusy beginning to happen in three or four places. Looks a bit like spilt milk splodges..... for want of a digital camera!!!
Horay!! Ree and I were having a good look at the weekend and he found a bit that looked like someone had put a peice of old chewing gum on the log....should we be cheering more?
HMmmmm .... Never having grown Oyster mushrooms, I can't be certain. But when shiitake start emerging, they look like something that could be discribed like old gum. Peace, poor_old_dad
Quite a lot of excitement from Ree in the shed! So this is what baby mushrooms look like!!! This is the first year he is paying attention to seeds as they come up. He is fascinated by the mushrooms. One of his favourite things to eat is mushrooms and tomatoes on toast!
Hey hope your mushrooms are up by now. Be aware especially since you live in a windy area that your mushrooms may move on you next year. I've given up on raising them outside, since they seem to have a mind of their own after the first year. The spore are easily wind born.
Well fungusy things are bubbling up to they are appearing but we didn't reach for the frying pan and butter yet!! I have kept the log in the shed so hopefully it won't dry out too much in the wind. It is propped up in the fish box which also has mushroom spores in it. It is humid in there and I have been told that this will help. Will let you know when we get something edible!!
Dear P_O_D or anyone else with a mushroom knowledge..... HELP My mushroom log is doing nothing....it's just stoped I wonder if it got too dry? Also just after great things started happening we suddenly got really cold weather. Not sure what to do?
A cold snap can set back "fruiting", that's for sure. If you think the log is too dry, submerge the log in water... not always easy to do. Large Shiitake operations have tanks of water, they'll submerge bundles of logs for an hour or two. There is (far as I know) only one cheap & easy way to check the moisture content of logs, but it requires sacrificing part of the log & with only one log, you can't do that. I must run now, but I'll be back tonight our time (GMT +6). For now, get your log soaked, not just wet. Peace, poor_old_dad
