M.K. Dorje Sr.

Megan, those mushrooms definitely look like Agaricus- with gills that turn from pink to chocolate brown, but they are probably not Portobellos (Agaricus bisporus). Agaricus is an extremely complex genus, comprising over 200 species in North America. In the words of David Arora: "Agaricus species are perplexingly polymorphic." There are several characteristics to separate the different species, including staining reactions, odor and veil characteristics.  Some species are delicious and some are toxic. In my experience, I've found that portobellos (which are the same species as white button mushrooms) are not easy to grow from spores and are extremely rare in the wild. Here is a key to this perplexing group of mushrooms from Michael Kuo:

https://www.mushroomexpert.com/agaricus.html

I've been growing Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms on logs for many years in Oregon. My strategy in the summer is to stack the logs tightly in an extremely  shady area underneath standard sized fruit trees in my food forest, cover them with clear plastic sheeting and then cover that with a brown or blue plastic tarp. When it rains , I uncover the logs. (I don't like plastic, but it works well for me.)  Maybe canvas tarps would work as well. Field & Forest Products also sell a "fruiting blanket" that might work for you:

https://fieldforest.net/shop/supplies/fruiting-blankets/

I also soak the logs to force them into fruiting. I use 5 gallon buckets or 25 gallon totes or 50 gallon pickle barrels. When I'm done soaking one side of the logs, I soak the other side.

I also use a mister sometimes, which might not work so well for you because of the chlorine.  Since my logs are stacked right under the fruit trees, the fruit trees get extra water from the run off as well. I also sometimes have beds of Wine Caps or Landscape Morels underneath the stacked logs for even more benefit.

Hope this info helps!

Here's a map that shows where morels were found this past spring. If you zoom in to Tennessee, you can see that your new state is a hot spot for morels:

https://www.thegreatmorel.com/morel-sightings/

I've had some success with growing Landscape Morels (Morchella importuna) in my garden. Check out this thread I started a while back:

https://permies.com/t/263537/grow-landscape-morels-garden

However, because of recent research indicating that some cardboard is contaminated with nasty "forever" chemicals called PFAS, I would advise caution about my method. In fact, I'm currently trying to figure out how to modify my method to eliminate cardboard, or how to test for PFAS in cardboard before using it.

Everything Mushrooms was a mushroom supply company based in Knoxville, Tennessee where I used to buy my morel mushroom spawn. Unfortunately, they seemed to have gone out of business.  So you might want to check out Field & Forest Products in Wisconsin for morel spawn, as well as info on how to grow them. They have excellent mushroom growing kits and have lots of info about growing morels. They are very helpful and even will answer your questions over the phone. Good luck!

https://fieldforest.net/how-to-plant-morels-landscape-morel/

It's hard to say without knowing more about your situation. For example- what kind of trees they are, how big they are, etc.  However, if you seek out the advice and help of a certified arborist with a good track record, you should have the answer to your question. Getting a second opinion (and bid) from a second arborist might possibly be a good option, too. Tree work can be expensive. But finding an arborist with a wood chipper might actually be an added benefit in such a situation. Good luck!

I usually start corn in trays with small cells- each cell is about 13/16" wide, then transplant the plants once they're a few inches tall. Another method is to plant the seed corn in a nursery bed, cover with a row cover, then transplant once they're big enough. The row cover keeps the birds away and it helps heat the soil a bit to speed up germination. But look out for mice and other rodents getting underneath the row cover, they can be a problem as well. Seems like everything likes to eat corn. I even had a cat once that loved corn on the cob...

Yesterday I found a Prince (Agaricus augustus) under the same Douglas-fir where I found one last year...Yummmm!

Here is an updated listing of our catalog:

M.K. Dorje Sr. wrote:Permaculture Nursery is now open for the 2026 season. A gigantic thank you to all of our customers!

Peach (Salish Summer) on dwarf rootstock; One of the best peaches and a good pick for the Pacific NW: 3 gallon for $20.

American Plum (seedlings) Delicious, sweet and juicy yellow plums are small but abundant.  1  gallon: $6

Grapes- rooted cuttings (Reliance, Himrod, Schuyler, Concord) 2-3 cuttings per 1 gallon pot: $5

American Elderberry- rooted cuttings  Make your own cold/flu medicine or wine! 1 gallon: $6

Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) 1 gallon: $4 each

Apricots (Creswell) Seedlings in 2 gallon: $20

Egyptian Walking Onions: Classic permaculture plant, propagates itself. Various sizes: $4-$8

Bee Balm: Favorite plant of hummingbirds and bees, also a culinary herb: Various sizes $4-$7

Cornelian Cherry: A fruiting dogwood with small, edible cherry-like fruits. 3 gallon, 6' tall: $25.
 
Figs (Desert King) Most dependable fig of all: 1 gallon: $15- $20 each. also Violette De Bordeaux, Hardy Chicago, Brown Turkey Figs $11.

Peach (Indian seedlings) Curl resistant, late season, self-pollinating and super delicious! various sizes- $10 - $20 each

Black Mulberry: John Jeavons and Illionois Everbearing varieties. The berries are delicious and chickens love'em, too. in 1 gallon pots: $10 each

Strawberries (Hood) June bearing NW variety- 2-3 each in big pots $5-$8

Perennial Tree Collard in 4.5 inch and 1 gallon: $ 5

Evergreen Huckleberries: 1 gallon pots: $10 each

Artichokes (Green Globe): 5 inch pots: $3 each

Asters (New England):  favorite fall plant of honeybees- they love the purple, daisy-like flowers.  1 gallon pots: $4- $5 each.

Thornless Blackberries (Triple Crown), massive fruit harvest with no thorns. 1 gallon pots: $6 each

Oregon White Oak: 2 gallon, 4' tall $7. Also California Black Oak: 1 gallon: $4.

Spineless Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus) Luther Burbank selection. The "pads" are used in Mexican cuisine and the red fruits make a delicious jam or drink! 4" pots: $5 each.

Coming Soon: Blueberries (Ozark Blue, Legacy, Misty, Bridgeeta) in 1 gallon pots and heirloom tomato plants including Pineapple,  Brandywine Pink, Amish Paste, Black Krim, Russian Black, Cherry, San Marzano)


Permaculture Nursery is located just 15 minutes south of Cottage Grove, Oregon, just a few miles from I-5. Delivery is also available in Cottage Grove, Eugene, Roseburg areas! Photos available on request. Please purple mooseage for directions and more info.

Just bumping this one up. New plants include American plum seedlings in 1 gallon pots for $6 each and Jerusalem Artichoke plants in 1/2 gallon pots for $4 each. Also Egyptian walking onions in various sizes for $4- $8  and Bee Balm in various sizes for $4- $7.

May, in case you haven't done this already, you might want to dig up the persimmon trees and burn them ASAP. This prevents the borers from transforming into adults, laying more eggs  and killing more of your trees. When I discover irreparable damage on a fruit tree from borers, I burn the tree to ash. Borers really suck!

Recently, I've been using milk paint to paint my tree trunks because it is less toxic than indoor latex paint and is approved for organic growers. The brand I'm using  is called Eco Orchard Paint:

https://milkpaint.com/product-category/eco-orchard-paint

Although it was pricey, I feel better now that I'm using something that is free of nasty chemicals. My fruit trees deserve the best.

Although I like the chicken solution, I've had nothing but problems with chickens digging up the mulch around fruit trees and exposing the roots to drying. So I am bit wary of that solution. However, it might work well with big old fruit trees that have no mulch layer around the base to dig up.