• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • Andrés Bernal
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden

mahogany, sapele, & red grandis sawdust as substrate?

 
pollinator
Posts: 247
Location: KY - Zone 6b (near border of 6a), Heat Zone 7, Urban habitat
123
monies home care fungi foraging plumbing urban food preservation bee building homestead ungarbage
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I just found a decent source of sawdust. However, it is 90%  mahogany, sapele, & red grandis. My goal would be to get edible mushrooms and mushroom compost to use in the garden.
Does anyone know anything about the use of these tree species in growing edible mushrooms?
 
echo minarosa
pollinator
Posts: 247
Location: KY - Zone 6b (near border of 6a), Heat Zone 7, Urban habitat
123
monies home care fungi foraging plumbing urban food preservation bee building homestead ungarbage
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
So the only thing I can find in the forum archives and elsewhere is that people have experimented with mahogany sawdust.with varying levels of success. I have found nothing in fungal literature suggesting it should not be used for edible mushrooms. I have been offered suggestions of potential mixes largely to get the particle size up and increase interstitial oxygen. I would like to use the mixes in garden beds for Stropharia, and also mix with coffee grounds for oyster mushrooms, though when I say this most folks say beds are unsuitable for oyster mushrooms.

Any thoughts?
 
echo minarosa
pollinator
Posts: 247
Location: KY - Zone 6b (near border of 6a), Heat Zone 7, Urban habitat
123
monies home care fungi foraging plumbing urban food preservation bee building homestead ungarbage
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
So other than a handful of small mushrooms early last year, the two test beds haven't done much. They are covered in burlap coffee sacks to try to hold in some moisture. Last year we had biblical rains the first half of the growing season, then drought for the last. So it probably isn't the best to base any real decisions on. In March 2019, I dug through the substrate and found the mycelium pretty well worked in throughout. I then added more rougher pieces (traps more air) and covered with fresh poplar shavings. Still nothing mushroom-wise.
 
echo minarosa
pollinator
Posts: 247
Location: KY - Zone 6b (near border of 6a), Heat Zone 7, Urban habitat
123
monies home care fungi foraging plumbing urban food preservation bee building homestead ungarbage
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I figured I'd update. The two test beds haven't done much despite there being more than a cubic yard of substrate in each bed. Last year I saw maybe 3-4 mushrooms but this year...nothing. I'm trying to be patient, but they look like they might be better served being converted into rhubarb beds.
 
gardener
Posts: 814
Location: Durham, NC
339
hugelkultur gear urban cooking building writing woodworking
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I dont know anything about the questions you asked but I appreciate you coming back to share your results.  
 
Posts: 1
Location: Philippines
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
what is the best hard wood sawdust for mushroom farming?
 
master steward
Posts: 7600
Location: southern Illinois, USA
2799
goat cat dog chicken composting toilet food preservation pig solar wood heat homestead composting
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have no idea as to the best.  I am partial to Oak.  I grow Winecaps but I am a relative newby to mushroom growing.
 
pollinator
Posts: 241
Location: Oregon Coast Range Zone 8A
63
art purity forest garden fungi foraging trees books cooking bee medical herbs seed
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Fresh alder sawdust is probably the best overall wood species for North American mushroom growers. It is a "soft" hardwood, and can be rapidly colonized by almost all species of mushroom when used in sawdust spawn. However, there are many other non-aromatic hardwoods that are suitable for spawn, as well as for substrates. Oak, like John suggested, is best for shiitake substrate. Unfortunately, I know absolutely nothing about what wood species might be available in the Philippines.

Cas, if you could tell us which species of mushroom you plan on growing, what kinds of hardwood sawdust you might have access to and  if you'll be using it for spawn or substrate, that might be helpful. Since much of the Philippines has a tropical climate, maybe you could grow paddy straw mushrooms, which are grown on rice straw in your country and which might be easier to find than hardwood sawdust. Welcome to permies.

Check out this link about mushroom farming in the Philippines:

https://richestph.com/grow-mushrooms-for-profit-a-beginners-guide-to-small-scale-farming-in-the-philippines/
 
My sister got engaged to a hamster. This tiny ad is being too helpful:
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic