craig Longfellow

Thanks John! I started a few shitake logs around september. I know its late in the year but i was excited and wanted to get them going. before the frost hit I saw some white rings aronug some of the plugs and a bit of discoloring on the ends of the oak logs so i have high hopes for them. Oysters were exactly what i was thinking. As well, I want to find some local turkey tails and morels and see if i can get anything going. I am fully aware that morels are not typically considered type for cultivation but its worth a shot if i can find some in my area. I don't have any plum trees that i know of but i want to try my hand at fruit trees as espaliers and a plum tree will be in in my yard or woods in some form if all goes well. I am in michigan and have pretty cold winters. can you find the wood ear mushroom with snow on the ground?

Thanks for the replies! As far as native mushrooms go I guess i should rephrase. There are no edible mushrooms that i have found yet and can identify. I was referring to bringing in fungi that currently do not live there and trying to make a home for them with wood chips and spawn. I know this is more of a fungi forum discussion there but it was just one fold of the question so I thought id lump it in here. Same for any edible plants. There are no persimmons, no berries of any kind, no nut bearing trees. I would like to introduce these into the woods. Kind of my own forgeable forest but not a full blown food forest. I am just concerned I may inadvertently do damage to the woods instead of helping.

hey everyone! you have an awesome community here. Im new to the board and have some questions. I just bought my first house this year and planted my first garden. I am very much interested in living a more sufficient life. kind of going the urban homestead route. small start on a garden, mushroom logs, even convinced the wife to get chickens! I have a .33 acre lot with woods behind me. I want to use the woods behind my house to supply more food to forage for, and maybe set up some stacks of different mushroom logs. I am concerned about my impact on the native plant life thought. For example, planting a tree is a nobel thing, but will my tree be do more harm than good competing with existing trees and disturbing what mother nature has already put there? The whole woods is maple, poplar and dead ash trees. in the winter time you can see through the woods to a school way off so i would like to plant some nice white pines to brake the view up a bit. Id also like to plant a few oaks for acorns one day. Id like to put a hedge row up with some hazel nuts and berry bushes as well. what are your thoughts on the matter? will non native mushrooms effect the natural order of things with local fungi? All the trees i plant will be native trees. thanks bunch for any thoughts on the matter.