Podcast on Fungi

Paul's latest podcast is all about fungi.

Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 4 Part 1

Here's the blurb...

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda continue reviewing Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, chapter 4, on cultivating mushrooms. Paul shares about symbiculture. Sepp mentions how Chernobyl affected his mushroom sales, and Alex talks about mycoremediation. Paul talks about Paul Stamets, and his ways fungi are saving the world. Sepp writes about the symbiotic nature of fungi helping other plants. Paul talks about innoculating logs with mushrooms. Since mushrooms take up harmful substances and retain them, you should not eat mushrooms grown on a tree close to a road, or straw grown using pesticides. In the long run, hardwood generally gives higher yields than softwood. Paul talks about using fresh wood, and starting your own spawn. Paul talks about finding morels. Sepp writes about bringing back dormant logs by soaking them and pounding or shaking them.
Discussing the podcast.

And here's part two.

Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 4 Part 2

And the blurb-

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda continue reviewing Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, chapter 4, on cultivating mushrooms. This part talks about growing mushrooms on strawbales. It’s essential that the straw is organic, and is clean (not rotted). They talk about other uses for straw, and straw vs. hay. Paul talks about not bringing any organic matter in to your land. Sepp writes that it can be too wet for mushrooms. They talk about the symbiotic relationship between mushrooms and trees, and how location matters. Sepp writes about not leaving ripe mushroom parts behind, as they will rot, and the mold will spread and harm the mycelial net. They talk about button mushrooms, and morels.

On a side note - I love the dynamic between Paul and Alex. They work seriously well together and are an absolute pleasure to listen to.

I am not an experienced mushroom cultivator. However, I've gotton some logs started this year and last and I inoculated a 7ft stump/snag (softwood) that we left for the purpose with Chicken of the Woods last year. I have an "associate" who tried logs and took short cuts and worked with what he had, as in he didn't cap the plugs with wax and he wasn't sure how old the cut of his logs was. He did not have any success and it took me 3 years to get us past his dismissals of the process to make my own attempt.

I can see neon orange mycelium growing at plug sites out through/around the wax caps on the snag. I consider that an early sign of success.

The casual dismissal of wax capping surprised me and the statements regarding the benefit of inoculating the freshest logs seem slightly counter to what I've read of Stamets. I'm under the impression that trees produce anti-fungals while alive therefore it is best to allow 4-6wks before inoculation to allow the anti-fungals to dissipate, while making sure to inoculate by 6 months post cut. Does Sepp not worry about this?

So far, it is my feeling, as I've no real experience, that wax capping is an investment in the protection of the mycelium from any of the critters that might love to eat it up before it's had a chance to spread into the log. The worry about wasting time and energy on wax capping is the same worry my "associate" has re: the initial effort one has to put into a permaculture system; I find such worries misplaced. (Catastrophe!)

Also, I believe there was discussion re: perpetuating the process; my favorite idea to try is to intersperse fresh logs with inoculated (preferably fruiting) logs to inoculate by proximity, thereby eliminating my need to maintain or purchase plug spawn and the work associated with the inoculation process.

RE: Morels, there was a recent morel post by Stamets, re: the initial success he's having with morel patches. I called and spoke with a Fungi Perfecti associate. He stated that it is FP's hope that they will have morel patches for sale by August 2012, and that they are taking names and #'s of those interested to be contacted at a later date. When I asked him what I should be doing in the interim he mentioned that morels seem to like sterile land and that I should be burning fires or spreading ash where ever I wanted my patch and that they also seem to like tended landscaping (which is why we harvested a shovel's worth of soil with a morel growing from it from a barren wood chipped landscape and transplanted it into our wood chipped, but fertile garden patch, haven't seen anything from it yet, one year out).

It is my understanding that you choose the type of wood, soft v hard, based on the mushroom you're working with and since I had both types of wood, I got varieties of plug spawn for both types of wood.

I'm going to end up buying this book just to see how Sepp's advice differs from Stamets', (Ok not just for that). And as I'm very new to permies.com, I'm saddened to hear that the Pauls haven't found a way to blend their Paul Powers as I have found the info provided by both to be invaluable and complementary.

I don't think there's any problem with different people having different viewpoints. And I think it's good for people to hear different viewpoints. It helps to remind us that in life there is rarely one 'best' answer that fits everyone.

I am open to new/differing ideas. Do you want to discuss any of the bits I brought up? I was hoping to engage in discussion . Any one with experience in mushroom logs, etc? Am I in the right place? I was hoping that this thread was an invitation to discuss the podcast, maybe I just don't know where to do that, in that case please, point me in the right direction.

I'm to the point and sometimes I don't add enough smiley icons to my posts and I think they then get read with a snarky spin. Please, treat me like I've got Aspergers, patience and kindness welcome!

I did just get my copy of the book, so I'll be better able to ask questions or participate in discussion regarding the differences between Stamets and Holtzer.

Clover Love wrote:I am open to new/differing ideas. Do you want to discuss any of the bits I brought up? I was hoping to engage in discussion . Any one with experience in mushroom logs, etc? Am I in the right place? I was hoping that this thread was an invitation to discuss the podcast, maybe I just don't know where to do that, in that case please, point me in the right direction.

I'm to the point and sometimes I don't add enough smiley icons to my posts and I think they then get read with a snarky spin. Please, treat me like I've got Aspergers, patience and kindness welcome!

I did just get my copy of the book, so I'll be better able to ask questions or participate in discussion regarding the differences between Stamets and Holtzer.

Not sure if you were there for Sepp week in Montana. Anyway, I was able to attend. He think the wax thing is crap (exact translation). But, covering and protecting the mycelium is very important. He does various methods. His favorite is to auger a hole to the heartwood, pack in the mycelium, and then pound in an appropriate size stick from the same tree to seal. Once sealed, he'll cut the stick at the base of the tree he is inoculating to make it flush.

Another technique is cutting the log into sections and then sandwiching the sections together and securing with nails and tape. He details it in his new book. Or you could try the crescent cut every 30 cm on each side of the log and stuffing with mycelium and covering with tape. I saw him do all of these techniques recently in Montana when he visited there.

No, I didn't get to SeppFest!

Well, I'm not married to wax, but good to know that Sepp offers alternative ideas re: protection of the mycelium. I did like the idea of the tape method and all the better to not have the extra effort of heated wax.

Awesome!