As a child, I remember tromping through the woods with my dad looking for wild mushrooms. Passed down from generations of forgers, he was knowledgeable about the varieties and when and where they would be in season. The feast after the hunt was a delectable delight.
Aside from a few perennials like asparagus and strawberries, most gardeners need to go through the work of seeding and sowing every year. This year I decided to try growing mushrooms.
I didn't retain the knowledge my ancestors passed down, so to be on the safe side, I am growing domestic mushrooms. With the help of a friend, I got set up to grow shiitake mushrooms on freshly cut oak logs. The supplier sends packets of inoculated plugs to be pounded into drilled holes of the logs. Easy, pound them in and seal with wax. Keep the logs moist in a shaded area and next year I'll be harvesting Shiitake mushrooms!
Since I would like more immediate gratification, I also ordered Wine Cap mushroom spawn packed in a sawdust. I like this option because you can plant them among your flower beds in smaller clusters. I opted for the straw and hardwood chip mulch as the growing medium. Simply build up a pile of mulch and layer some sawdust between the layers. Keep it moist and shaded and let nature do it's thing. I look forward to eating the wine cap mushrooms in a few weeks.
As a side note, my friend has been harvesting mushrooms off of the same logs for 7 years. Each year he adds new varieties. A very maintenance free endeavor! I bought 250 plugs and used all of them on seven 4 foot logs.
The Wine Caps may last a couple of seasons growing in the wood chip beds, but can easily be replenished in the future. I used part of my bag of sawdust on this 3 x 3 foot space on the North side of my house. I also planted some around my rhubarb plants as I know they will provide shade in the early spring, and as soon as the trees leaf out I will be adding another bed to a shadier area of my yard. I assume they will produce later than the first planting so hopefully I will have a staggered harvest.
I'm always up for new adventures in gardening, and I'm very grateful that my mushroom mentor shared his time and knowledge to get me set up.
Happy Gardening!
Sheri Kaz is a digital storyteller and an Emmy award winning Writer, Producer and Director with a love of gardening. Visit Kaz Creative for more information.
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