GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

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NATURAL CULTURE: CREATING MYCOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES
of mycelium, but becomes spotty in its growth
pattern. Soon islands of mycelium become
smaller and smaller as they retreat, eventually
disappearing altogether. The only recourse is to
begin anew, scraping away the now-darkened
wood/soil, and replacing it with a new layer of
wood chips and/or other organic debris.
When to Inoculate an
Outdoor Mushroom Patch
Outdoor beds can be inoculated in early
spring to early fall.The key to creating a mushroom
bed is that the mycelium must have
sufficient time to establish a substantial mycehal
mat before the onset of inclement weather
conditions. Spring time is generally the best
time to inoculate, especially for creating large
mushroom patches. As fall approaches, mushroom
beds more modest in size should be
established, with a correspondingly higher rate of
inoculation. For most saprophytic species, at
least four weeks are required to form the myceha!
network with the critical mass necessary to
survive the winter.
Most woodland species survive wintering
temperatures. Woodland mushrooms have
evolved protective mechanisms within their cellular
network that allow them to tolerate
temperature extremes. Surface frosts usually do
not harm the terrestrially bound mushroom
mycelium. As the mycelium decomposes organic
matter, heat is released, which benefits
subsurface mycelium. Mycelial colonization
essentially stops when outdoor temperatures
fall below freezing.
Site Location of a
Mushroom Patch
A suitable site for a mushroom patch is easy
to choose. The best clue is to simply take note
of where you have seen mushrooms growing
during the rainy season. Or just observe where
water traverses after a heavy rain. A gentle
slope, bordered by shrubs and other shade-giving
plants, is usually ideal. Since saprophytic
mushrooms are non-competitive to neighboring
plants, they pose no danger to them. In fact,
plants near a mushroom bed often thrive—the
result of the increased moisture retention and
the release of nutrients into the root zone.
An ideal location for growing mushrooms is
in a vegetable, flower, and/or rhododendron
garden. Gardens are favored by plentiful watering,
and the shade provided by potato, zucchini,
and similar broad-leaf vegetable plants tend to
keep humidity high near the ground. Many gardeners
bring in sawdust and wood chips to make
pathways between the rows of vegetables. By
increasing the breadth of these pathways, orby
creating small cul-de-sacs in the midst of the
garden, a mushroom bed can be ideally located
and maintained (see Figure 14).
Other suitable locations are exposed north
sides of buildings, and against rock, brick, or
cement walls. Walls are usually heat sinks,
causing condensation which provides moisture
to the mushroom site as temperatures fluctuate
from day to night. Protected from winds, these
locations have limited loss of water due to
evaporation.
Mushrooms love moisture. By locating a
mushroom bed where moisture naturally collects,
colonization is rapid, more complete, and
the need for additional water for fruiting is minimized.
The message here: choose your locations
with moisture foremost in mind. Choose shady
locations over sunny ones. Choose north-facing
slopes rather than south-facing. Choose companion
plants with broad-leafs or canopies that shade
the mid-day sun but allow rain to pass. The difference
in results is the difference between a
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