2021 Veggie Gardens

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Thanks for that link, I’ve always suspected that our tree is older than our house so I’m going to measure the circumference today and see what that site says. I’ve had tree guys tell me they’ve never seen a silver maple this big in person (I mistakenly called it a sugar maple before). The land my house is on has been farm land since the early 1700s.
There's a 1890 suyrvey that has my house on it. It has been added on to and flipped since, but the wood in the original part is all true 2x lumber with some bark still attached in places.
 

treefarmercharlie

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Admin
There's a 1890 suyrvey that has my house on it. It has been added on to and flipped since, but the wood in the original part is all true 2x lumber with some bark still attached in places.
My entire house is built with that old lumber. I believe the newest part of the structure is the garage that was added onto our barn and that was built in the early 1900s. You should see the boards that they used for our barn. Some of the floor boards are close to 2' wide, 15' long, and over 2" thick. Some of the support columns are cedar trunks that just had the bark peeled off of them. The original farm house that was built for the farm was built in the early 1740s, and is still in use today, it's just not on our property because the land has since been subdivided.
 

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Since I am foregoing the fat garden, getting berries started is one project - they are second year harvest for the most part anyway. Has anyone grown mushrooms? Looks easy enough, and my woods are perfect for it.

Looking at Morel's to start with, because I have wild mushrooms, and there's no chance of mistaking them :) but I know I have the perfect climate.
Was also looking into the tree-shrooms. Shitake and such where you drill an oak log and put innoculated wooden dowels in, then seal them with wax and wait 6-18mo...

Anyone that has done this stuff, if you have pointers hook me up!
 

treefarmercharlie

🍆
Admin
Since I am foregoing the fat garden, getting berries started is one project - they are second year harvest for the most part anyway. Has anyone grown mushrooms? Looks easy enough, and my woods are perfect for it.

Looking at Morel's to start with, because I have wild mushrooms, and there's no chance of mistaking them :) but I know I have the perfect climate.
Was also looking into the tree-shrooms. Shitake and such where you drill an oak log and put innoculated wooden dowels in, then seal them with wax and wait 6-18mo...

Anyone that has done this stuff, if you have pointers hook me up!
Have you thought about growing them indoors? From what I understand they are easier and faster to grow indoors. My cousin use used to grow all types of mushrooms for eating and grew them in big clear plastic totes.
 

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
And I have some cleared, shaded hardwood, mushroomy spaces already - just need to do any raking or weeding or prep that might be needed before starting. That was more the info I was looking for if you have it.
 
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@H.A.F. .....search for mushroom logs or plug spawn..... there are tons of folks out there selling 'em in all sorts of edible species. Sounds like spawning your own might be the way to go but the logs aren't pricey so it might be fun to try both..

We just got a big ass dump of wet snow last night (18") so the morels should pop profusely this season. Last year was a total bust.
 

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
@H.A.F. .....search for mushroom logs or plug spawn..... there are tons of folks out there selling 'em in all sorts of edible species. Sounds like spawning your own might be the way to go but the logs aren't pricey so it might be fun to try both..

We just got a big ass dump of wet snow last night (18") so the morels should pop profusely this season. Last year was a total bust.
I have woods right up to the house. I can hit 'em with a water hose if needed. So the morels are a definite. And they are a quick grow compared to the log-shrooms. My logs are free ;)

I just don't know if I want to get that into it. I ain't no chef so if I get one variety to produce I'll go with it. A shroom is a shroom unless they are the ones that make you hear colors :)
 

treefarmercharlie

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Admin
I have woods right up to the house. I can hit 'em with a water hose if needed. So the morels are a definite. And they are a quick grow compared to the log-shrooms. My logs are free ;)

I just don't know if I want to get that into it. I ain't no chef so if I get one variety to produce I'll go with it. A shroom is a shroom unless they are the ones that make you hear colors :)
I don't know if you ever go on Reddit, but check out https://www.reddit.com/r/mycology/ . They seem pretty active over there.
 

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I'll be the guinea pig on this one. Cheapest they had, but this mfg. just had a smaller version available. the $/g is generally the same.
I'm not looking for a large return until I see what works where, and I think this will be perfect. After thischeapo test batch I'll drop money on the good stuff from a northeastern or northwestern US supplier. instead of thropugh the South American river of death...

1616703096639.png

I have no clue what the 40g of morel spores looks like.
I do know what 40g of kief looks like. Damn!

So I don't know if there's a poor survival rate, or if this is just very generous. We'll see. it says to mix it in a 5 gallon bucket of water, then to pour the water where you want the shrooms.

I'll use this test batch as a forced morning nature hike for my old ass. I have several spots on the property that have already produced beauriful shrooms. Some probably edible, some probably deadly as fuck 🤪

So I'm gonna Johnny Appleseed some of the juice all around the property and see where it thrives, then bring in the extra mulch and composted junk and such. and have a mushroom garden wherever that might be.
 

treefarmercharlie

🍆
Admin
Fencing and gate are installed but, as is typical, i was 4K’ short in the mesh fencing. I just ordered another 75’ so I will have plenty of extra around.

I also filled the crap out of the base soil I put in there today, before the rain comes, and removed any clumps of grass that weren’t pulverized by the roto-tiller. The good composted top soil should be coming next weekend.

D35B7618-B79B-43C9-918C-6E37EEEBF8DF.jpeg
 

Nobighurry

PICK YOUR OWN
I'll be the guinea pig on this one. Cheapest they had, but this mfg. just had a smaller version available. the $/g is generally the same.
I'm not looking for a large return until I see what works where, and I think this will be perfect. After thischeapo test batch I'll drop money on the good stuff from a northeastern or northwestern US supplier. instead of thropugh the South American river of death...

View attachment 86863

I have no clue what the 40g of morel spores looks like.
I do know what 40g of kief looks like. Damn!

So I don't know if there's a poor survival rate, or if this is just very generous. We'll see. it says to mix it in a 5 gallon bucket of water, then to pour the water where you want the shrooms.

I'll use this test batch as a forced morning nature hike for my old ass. I have several spots on the property that have already produced beauriful shrooms. Some probably edible, some probably deadly as fuck 🤪

So I'm gonna Johnny Appleseed some of the juice all around the property and see where it thrives, then bring in the extra mulch and composted junk and such. and have a mushroom garden wherever that might be.
Please update if you get some successful morel spores, in my experience morels can be fickle, only success we had was from using the spores from the morels we picked & cleaned in 5 gallon buckets of water then dumped under deciduous trees, look on YouTube there's a couple vids on the technique, the first year you get loads the second half as much and so on, I admit it's been years since I tried bought spores they may have it figured out these days,
 

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Please update if you get some successful morel spores, in my experience morels can be fickle, only success we had was from using the spores from the morels we picked & cleaned in 5 gallon buckets of water then dumped under deciduous trees, look on YouTube there's a couple vids on the technique, the first year you get loads the second half as much and so on, I admit it's been years since I tried bought spores they may have it figured out these days,
I got the little package of inocculated sawdust in the mail, but I'm waiting until I am sure I've seen the last frost before trying it. I just stuck it in the fridge for now.

My elevation and climate are very conducive to shrooms, so my plan is to concentrate the stuff mainly in one spot and let the first few I see go to spoor just so I can try to get more. I'd hate to harvest the lone shroom I got LOL

I have to do a little more reading on it before I just mix it and dump it somewhere, not sure the concentration you should try for per sq.ft. or whatever. Should the liquid be sprayed on the surface, watered in gently, dumped from the bucket - who knows...
 

Nobighurry

PICK YOUR OWN
I got the little package of inocculated sawdust in the mail, but I'm waiting until I am sure I've seen the last frost before trying it. I just stuck it in the fridge for now.

My elevation and climate are very conducive to shrooms, so my plan is to concentrate the stuff mainly in one spot and let the first few I see go to spoor just so I can try to get more. I'd hate to harvest the lone shroom I got LOL

I have to do a little more reading on it before I just mix it and dump it somewhere, not sure the concentration you should try for per sq.ft. or whatever. Should the liquid be sprayed on the surface, watered in gently, dumped from the bucket - who knows...
I did the pour from the bucket, the spores poured along rotted logs did the best, followed by leafy debris along tree drip lines
 

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I did the pour from the bucket, the spores poured along rotted logs did the best, followed by leafy debris along tree drip lines
I have several spots picked out - long dead huge oaks that everything that could rot off did a long time ago. the ground around them is primo, and I'm roping off an area to concentrate the stuff in. but I'm thinking about a watering can to get it spread out more. And then using the last can or two in other likely spots with different sun/shade ratios. Everything is pretty sunny though until then leaves start opening up.
 
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