Growing Mushrooms: Shiitakes and Others. Grant McCarty Local Foods and Small Farms Educator

Transcription

1 Growing Mushrooms: Shiitakes and Others Grant McCarty Local Foods and Small Farms Educator

2 Today s Plan General terminology Getting started Spawn/Strains Log Inoculation Day Harvest/Fruiting Source: groworganic.com 2

3 What s a Shiitake Source: cals.ncsu.edu Used for: Asian cooking (stir fry), pasta Flavor: woodsy, meaty, Umami flavor Media: logs, sawdust Sell $10-18 per lb to restaurants* Yield: 0.25 to 0.50 lbs per log if fruiting 2x a year. 3

4 Why grow mushrooms Diversify your market Kits available Not as laborious as growing other crops Utilize forested areas of property Another local food item Source: smallfarms.cornell.edu 4

5 A couple of things to consider May need outdoor access Have a long growing season (6-18 months) Don t use dead logs to grow mushrooms Try out varieties from grocery store Talk with others mushroom growers 5

6 Mushroom Definitions Fungus is an organism like a plant or mammal that produces mycelium that will form multicellular fruiting body called mushroom. Growing media is what you grow the fungus on Spawn holds that specific strain of fungus Strains are the varieties of fungus 6

7 Growing Media: Soil Variety: Cherokee Purple Seed Growing Media: Log Strain: WR-46 Spawn 7

8 Source: Field and Forest 8

9 Spawn Source: vegetablegrower.com Includes plugs, saw dust, and others Match spawn with growing media Kits may come with spawn already inoculated on growing media 9

10 Common Spawns Source: veggiegardeningtips.com Plugs Mycelium in the hardwood dowels Reliable, easy with logs Sawdust Mycelium in hardwood sawdust Make hole in logs or mix with growing media (like straw) 10

11 Growing Media Source: NC State Logs Straw/Woodchip Others Compost Coffee grounds Each has their own drawbacks 11

12 Shiitake Strains Will be labeled with their uses WR: wide range Very reliable, fast spawn run WW: Warm weather High quality during summer and early fall CW: cold weather Fruit in early spring, late fall If marketing, grow multiple strains 12

13 Typical Kit Source: ragmans.co.uk For set amount of growing media Ex. Enough for five logs $25-30 Wax Drill bit Spawn Growing media? 13

14 Table Top/Garden Kits Media and Inoculant Already in place Can be expensive The shipping gets you Need to manage for a period of time Water application Shade Environment 14

15 Other Mushrooms: Oysters 1-4 in diameter Flavor: mild flavor, eaten raw or cooked Compliments chicken, seafood, pork Up to 5 day storage Media: toilet paper, logs, straw, table top 15

16 White button, Crimini, and Portabella Common mushrooms in tabletop/ready to fruit kits Rarely find the spawn available by itself Grown by large scale operations Alternative to button: almond agaricus on compost 16

17 Other Mushrooms: Winecap Flavor: an alternative to portabella mushrooms Braising, sauté, grilling Commonly planted as a peg in garden area Media: woodchip mulches, straw, garden soil 17

18 Other Mushrooms: Lion s Mane Member of the Hericium family Can take several years to fruit Flavor: similar to crab in taste Media: log, table top kits 18

19 Choosing Your Log 19

20 Importance of tree variety Will ensure spawn colonizes Some grow better than others Avoid ash and conifers for shiitake and oyster Source: bluehorizonfarm.com 20

21 Source: fieldandforest.net

22 More info on variety Red (6-8 months) and White Oak (8-12 months): productive for more years than other tree species Sugar Maple: reliable and good choice, excellent producer Red Maple: grows well, thin bark makes it dry out sooner, better for warm weather strains 22

23 Choosing Your Logs Source: matteroftrust.org Match log with mushrooms Best log: 3-4 ft in length, 4-6 in diameter Use freshly cut, LIVING and inoculate shortly after cut, 0-40 days Ideally: cut logs in spring before leaf out or winter to pile out 23

24 More info on logs If winter, cover logs with snow, away from sun When to cut and inoculate based on your situation Wood dries at different rates based on species, diameter, heat, wind, and time Dead trees or older logs already have fungi in them Bark should be in tact 2-3 productive years 24

25 Seasonal Inoculation Spring: Shiitake, oysters, and box elder on log Oysters on straw Wine caps on straw or wood chips Summer: Oysters on logs or straw Wine caps on straw or wood chips Fall: Shiitake, oysters, box elders on logs Oysters on straw Wine cap on straw/wood Lion s Mane on logs Winter: Require indoor setup and inoculation Shiitake on logs, oysters on straw 25

26 Log Inoculation 26

27 Log Inoculation Day Tools Logs Dowels or other Wax Slow cooker Paintbrush/dauber Drill (~2500 rpm) Drill bit Brad Point 5 /16 Hammer 27

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29 Diamond Pattern X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 1 inch deep, 6 inches along rows, 2 inches apart 29

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31 Inoculation Day Layout equipment Stay focused on sterilization Use gloves Work with others Have assigned roles Source: ces.ncsu.edu 31

32 Stacks on Stacks Source: slowfoodpt.blogspot.com 32

33 Stacking Allow for shade needs (60-85%) Should be kept off soil Staked on each other, leaned against Place in area where you can water if need be Source: university of british columbia 33

34 Now that inoculated Source: shawndramiller.com What s happening: Mycelium become organized and take up nutrients, carbohydrates, and sugars What you should do: Shade and humidity Avoid direct sunlight Water 34

35 Fruiting When mycelium run is complete 6-18 months after inoculation Depends on on-going management, tree, and strain variety Change in temperatures, heavy rain Source: shawndramiller.com 35

36 Forced Fruiting Source: halfhillfarm.com First harvest: Let nature do it s thing? After: force fruiting Strictly Shiitakes Shocking Soaking logs in cold water for hours to produce shiitakes 36

37 Forced Fruiting for Market Schedule logs for market Fruiting 2-3 per season Requires planning ahead Need rest period 6-8 weeks between the fruitings of each log Source: halfhillfarm.com 37

38 Food Safety Issues Source: halfhillfarm.com Use appropriate water for all steps No streams, ponds, open sources Clean tubs for soaking Be mindful of your growing media Reference: americanmushroom.org 38

39 Trouble Shooting Source: University of Vermont No fruiting occurred after 12 months? Log too old Log is dead wood Dried out Potential contamination Give it time cut off about 18 months 39

40 Wrap-Up Find the right mushroom and setup that works for you Develop the market Keep it shaded Don t let it dry out Give it time Source: agriculture.vsu.edu 40

41 Resources Missouri-Center for Agroforestry Univ of VT-Best Management Practices: Shiitake NC State- Shiitakes Oklahoma- Shiitakes Field and Forest (fieldforest.net) Fungi Perfecti (fungi.com) 41

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