New England, April 2020

Dan, that is interesting, I love mushrooms though.  I have seen those “kits” too, Molly...always wondered about that.  I have hunted morels in the wild when we lived in the country...they are delicious!  

I don’t do the tulle....too lazy.  If any broccoli makes it I will.  Some “thing” ate my cabbage babies.  The radishes seem immune, so do the turnips and Bok Choi.  Or maybe they are harvested before the butterflies get bad?

Hi mollyhespra and Scorpio Rising, each species of mushroom grows best on different substrates. Shiitake best if inoculated into logs/bolts, Oyster best in totems and Wine Cap inoculated in saw dust, then grown in wood chips. Wine caps you can get in 6 mnths of the same year. And the species of wood used in the bolts or totems make a difference. It was a fairly intense course for small farmers but I will be honest workshops/presentations/webinars/online courses for farmers at least the ones I have sat in on are at a higher and deeper level than those for gardeners. Penn State is offering some free courses and just extended the sign-up period to May 10, 2020 if anyone is interested. I am taking Beekeeping 101 and Beginning Orchardist. These are only a few hours rather than the 6 week free small farmer courses Cornell had but I have already learned some things about fruit trees I didn't know and am less than half way through.

https://extension.psu.edu/shopby/online-courses?j=534322&sfmc_sub=43225975&l=159_HTML&u=10616209&mid=7234940&jb=131&utm_medium=email&utm_source=MarketingCloud&utm_campaign=EXTN_AW_2020_APR_14_AT_EM_EXTENSIONCOVID3&utm_content=EXTN_AW_2020_APR_14_AT_EM_EXTENSIONCOVID3&subscriberkey=0030W00003VHuPbQAL

Dan in Ct wrote:Hi mollyhespra and Scorpio Rising, each species of mushroom grows best on different substrates. Shiitake best if inoculated into logs/bolts, Oyster best in totems and Wine Cap inoculated in saw dust, then grown in wood chips. Wine caps you can get in 6 mnths of the same year. And the species of wood used in the bolts or totems make a difference. It was a fairly intense course for small farmers but I will be honest workshops/presentations/webinars/online courses for farmers at least the ones I have sat in on are at a higher and deeper level than those for gardeners. Penn State is offering some free courses and just extended the sign-up period to May 10, 2020 if anyone is interested. I am taking Beekeeping 101 and Beginning Orchardist. These are only a few hours rather than the 6 week free small farmer courses Cornell had but I have already learned some things about fruit trees I didn't know and am less than half way through.

https://extension.psu.edu/shopby/online-courses?j=534322&sfmc_sub=43225975&l=159_HTML&u=10616209&mid=7234940&jb=131&utm_medium=email&utm_source=MarketingCloud&utm_campaign=EXTN_AW_2020_APR_14_AT_EM_EXTENSIONCOVID3&utm_content=EXTN_AW_2020_APR_14_AT_EM_EXTENSIONCOVID3&subscriberkey=0030W00003VHuPbQAL

That’s interesting!  I had no idea.  I have room for some fruit trees, but I don’t know if I’m too old to get anything from doing that!

Scorpio Rising wrote:That’s interesting!  I had no idea.  I have room for some fruit trees, but I don’t know if I’m too old to get anything from doing that!

You have plenty of time, SR! I have nearly 20 years on you, and I just planted some new Apple trees last year. They will start producing in about 5 years. The old trees, which are still producing, were planted 38 years ago and need some replacements. I'm looking forward to the new trees fruiting... 

OK, you’re right!  I have one old pear tree my dad planted in the 60s, it’s on its last leg, he had the whole back yard planted with dwarf fruit trees.  Inspired!  Thanks, OG!

Hey, thanks for those links, Dan! Now you've got me curious about mushrooms!