Nathaniel Swasey

I noticed something last winter while I was gathering wood to burn. I found a completely punked out log soaking in the water in a pond next to my home. There were mushrooms growing in it. Decent sized ones, too.

I'm thinking the presence of the water or humidity regulated the temperature to such an extent that allowed it to grow. The end of the log in the water wasn't fully submerged, I noticed, so there was a decent amount of sunlight that could get in from both ends. The log itself was about two feet long and a foot in diameter. The water came up about halfway on the opening on the lower end.

I've been wondering if I can replicate this with another log, or even a few boards screwed together. I'm thinking that the wood will draw up a sufficient amount of moisture and the mushrooms can place themselves where it needs it best. Maybe I could put another substrate in the box.

Can anyone confirm if they've seen this occur as well? I would love to hear some others' thoughts on this.

https://youtu.be/8JrqH2oOTK4

I've fantasized about making these types of lights for the purpose of indoor grow lights. They are gentle, yet powerful such that your eyes can rest upon them and it can illuminate a room. I can't help but think that plants would thrive under such a light.

Thanks, you guys. This is the information I was looking for and I suspected as much. Now I have to figure out the cure times of cob based on temperature.

I don't know much about cob, but I'm assuming that if I can work the materials into a mix and put them in place that I would be able to work with the temperatures as long as it's not freezing. Am I wrong to assume this?

From what I understand, the Anglo Saxon nations were building houses of wattle and daub in England and in the Scandinavian countries, which share the same weather I have here. I feel certain that, while it might be uncomfortable, it would be a way to carry a family through a winter. There were historical buildings here that used a type of paper, or a material nearly as thick as paper as their exterior walls and no insulation, yet they lasted the winter.

Also, my ancestors came to this continent in the 1650's and lived in clap board houses when they got here in the winter. Surely cob would have been preferred?

I can't say that I will use this information or not, but I feel that having this knowledge would be empowering if I ever did need it. But I am having a hard time finding the information as to how cold can cob successfully be worked? Most of what I find discourages the work because it's not comfortable.

When I worked in concrete there was a great deal of concern for working in the winter lest the concrete would crack or "pop up" and fall apart. Can the same be said for cob?

If there was a necessity to work with cob with wattle and daub in the winter would it be possible to do without hindering its integrity? What would be the lowest temperatures to work in?

I figured that if the logs were large enough they would surely be able to bear a top load and side load greater than or equal to the shoring in the psp house.

But if a Lincoln log cabin were to be reinforced by extra posts or the like, how would it be applied in a way that would be forgiving to the polyethylene wrap?

I was thinking perhaps that driving rebar spikes in vertical posts into the butt-ends at the corner of the building. That way I wouldn't have to cut the butts off to keep them from being too abrasive on the wrap.

I was also thinking maybe it would be a good idea to add interior rooms on the corners as a way to keep the exterior walls square.

Looking for ideas still. Has anyone simply built above ground and paid for a couple dozen yards of dirt?

So I tried the single seed balls and found that the root systems grew in the clay balls and had a very hard time growing into the ground. It made for very weak plants that fell over and died. I'm going to try again with multiple seeds.

I'm not sure why there would be a difference. But the effects of the Fukuoka method are evident. I am certain the method would surely work for me. Maybe my efforts were not broad enough or the single seed is a bad idea to begin with.

I have been considering a Caucasian mountain dog. What might be the pros and cons of this breed and how might I obtain a young puppy?

I love Mike Oehler and the work he's done to perfect the underground home, but I'm wondering if any different means to build the walls could be recommended.  For instance, I was watching the Townsends youtube video of the cabin build (this video in particular: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlVENzhq_Xw), I was wondering if I might be able to build a frame with cabin methods rather than posts and shoring.  I would think that the walls of a cabin in this method would be sturdy enough to withstand the same forces that a post and shoring house would have upon it, yea, even greater forces.

I'm hoping to get good, serious advice.  If it would not be recommended and if it would fail in some way, could the method be engineered to work?  I find the method lined out in the Townsends video to be easy enough, and I think with modern tools, it would be even more easy.

Thank you for your comments. I read an article that a solution of creeping thyme essential oil deters ticks, so that is very promising.

I think I like what you all have told me about it. It seems to me that there's no reason for me not to love it except....

How is it to walk on? I don't want it to feel like I'm walking through a week old mowed alfalfa field. Is it going to feel like some tiny people put punji sticks everywhere in my lawn?

Could you plant it from seed Fukuoka style?