GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

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NATURAL CULTURE: CREATING MYCOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES
Figure 28. Gymnopilus spectabilis, the Big Laughing
Mushroom, fruiting from log inoculated with
sawdust spawn via the wedge technique.
over the rapidly decomposing hardwoods with
their paper-thin bark layers. The rapidly decomposing
hardwoods like alder and birch are easily
damaged by weather fluctuations, especially humidity.
Should the bark layer fall fmm the log, the
mycelium has difficulty supporting good mushroom
flushes.
Logs are generally cut from trees in the
spring, prior to leafing, when the sapwood still
retains ample sugars. The logs, once felled,
should be kept off the ground. Ideally inoculations
should occur within 2 months of felling.
(In temperate America, February and
March are ideal.)
Numerous methods can be used for inoculating
the spawn into the log. Logs are usually
pegged, i. e. drilled with holes and inoculated
with plug or sawdust spawn. Most logs receive
30-50 plugs, which are inserted into evenly
spaced holes (4-6 inches apart) arranged longi-
Figure 29. The Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus
ostreatus) fruiting on alder logs that were inoculating
via the wedge technique.
Figure 30. Oyster mushroom fruiting from alder
logs inoculated via the spawn disc technique.
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