Sue Jones

Thank you so much for this information. It is very helpful.

It went down into the low teens a couple of nights in a row.

Thanks for your input Raven.

I will try cooking a few and see what they are like.

They were in buckets after harvest, and I got distracted by other things and did not store them properly. Just a mistake.

My real question has to do with the quality of the roots after freezing, in terms of their ability to store well, and edibility.

As of this morning, I have moved some roots to the refrigerator, and the rest to a make shift outdoor clamp-like set up. I am using a very large styrofoam cooler, placed next to basement wall, packed with the roots and sawdust inside, and then covered on the exterior with leaves and cardboard.

I am in a new homestead, still trying to get things set up and I got behind on my root storage plans and had many of my root crops (turnips, celeriac, beets, rutabagas, carrots) freeze. They were in buckets, not in the ground, and some appear to be frozen all the way through. Wondering if anyone has experience with this. Will they still store ok and be edible, or are they definitely going to be worthless?

Thank you for any ideas.

Rachel

Tim,

Here is a project by Robert Hart in England that is decades old. There is a book about it http://www.amazon.com/Forest-Gardening-Cultivating-Edible-Landscape/dp/0930031849 and a documentary film http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/forest_gardening_dvd

Rachel

Thanks for the advice!

I will have to make due with our regular Vermont outdoor weather for storage, but I can keep the logs out of the sun, keep them from drying out, etc. Not much I can do about insects, but there aren't many around now.

I have decided to do the oysters indoors on one or two logs, with the method you describe in a cardboard box with clean sawdust (or maybe wood chips?) In the spring I will start more logs if they seem like they are in okay condition. I was thinking that I would take sections from the middle and use the ends of the log for firewood, as that seems to be the most likely place for contamination to enter.

I ordered Growing Gourmet and Medical Mushrooms by Stamets and will read that over the winter.

I have already discovered Field and Forest, and grew out their Stropharia spawn in the garden this year. I am very happy with their quality and willingness to answer questions.

One source I read indicates ideal temperature for spawn run is about 68 degrees F. Does that seem right to you for indoor growing?

Thank you both for the ideas. I will try to find an indoor space, otherwise I will wait until spring.

Peachlovingman, I am wondering about the reason for keeping the logs out of the rain if I were to wait to inoculate? I currently have them stored on the north side of the house on top of a snow bank. I think I will move them onto a palette to keep them from contact with the soil.

The logs range in diameter from 6" up to 12".

I live in Vermont and would like to start some oyster on poplar logs. I have found logs to glean, and wonder if I can innoculate now (plug spawn) or if it would be better to wait until early spring? I have read that oysters can grow at temperatures as low as 35* F. My preference for doing it now is that the logs are already down and fresh, and I have the time now, whereas in spring I tend to be busier.

I welcome any comments or thoughts. Thanks.

Thank you for the warning.

I am quite certain what I have is shaggy mane.

What is the name of the look-alike?