Steves Beez I'd like to direct you to our Forest Farming eXtension site where you can post your question here: ask.extension.org/groups/1727/ask An eXtension agent can answer your questions. We wish you the best of luck with your mushroom farming and thank you for checking out our channel!
Hi Beeorganic, The Forest Farming eXtension is a collective educational effort put forth by university educators and extension specialists across the country. Someone in the network can give you a thorough explanation on shiitake mycelium through this link: ask.extension.org/groups/1727/ask Thanks for watching our videos!
Out of interest, did you get a response from that webpage? In my amateur experience, plonking a slice of tissue straight into sterile grain almost halves the chance that the grain jar will be fully colonised without contaminants. Agar gives you a chance to visually spot contaminants before risking your grain. That said, I don't have a steady hand, and my sterile technique is not the best, so it would be interesting to hear a professional's opinion.
I did receive a response; However, it still didn't really make sense to me and was rather vague/inconclusive. According to the person who responded, mycelium grows quicker in the agar and allows colonization in the sterile grain to occur more quickly is all. As a total amateur myself... in a sterile as possible field, I just cut a "V" notched sliver from the center lower part of a mushroom stem (where the most sterile tissue would be found) with a scalpel, extract with tweezers (both tools sterilized of course) and just place it in the sterilized grain. Rarely have I encountered any contamination and it propagates fine. The use of agar seemed pointless to me before your comment. Your answer about using agar and giving a chance to spot contaminants before introduction into grain is a fantastic answer that makes 100% logical sense, thank you. As per Forest Farming rendering "professional opinions"... it's my impression that they in some regards don't have either open minds (academic elitism) or proper funding to attempt other techniques. I had a theory I ran by them- using oak railroad tie cut off ends (non/pre- creosoted). First, I pasteurized them in a barrel for an hour. I believe one doesn't have to cook it to the core since it's unlikely competing organisms will be that deep inside such dense material. Inoculating them with plugs, wrapping them in a few layers of those thick brown paper towels (that comes in rolls at Sam's) and pasteurized as well- to imitate the cambium layer of a tree, then loosely wrapping it in plastic wrap, for a bark layer (and to allow the log to "breath". Then soaking the entire block in a sugar solution for the faux cambium layer (imitating tree sugars). I was told this technique would not work, period. So far, limited success with the Shitake or Reishi but the Mitake has shown a lot of promise. Now it's the winter waiting game.
@@beeorganic Did you keep experimenting? What were the results? I like the idea of imitating a natural log. I'm now trying to compact sawdust into a manmade log. But I don't know how to imitate the bark. And I don't know if this kind of logs will succeed. Thanks for your insights.
The Forest Farming eXtension is a collective educational effort put forth by university educators and extension specialists across the country. Someone in the network can give you a thorough explanation on shiitake mycelium through this link: ask.extension.org/groups/1727/ask Thanks for watching our videos!
I've been spending time with the help of my son researching into how to grow mushrooms then we discovered a fantastic website at gregs mushroom grower (check it out on google)
A very informative video.
Excellent explanation sir
thank you very easy to understand god bless u
Great video how do they sterilize the sawdust? and where could you buy the patado dextrose dish to start them? thanks for sharing Steve
Steves Beez I'd like to direct you to our Forest Farming eXtension site where you can post your question here: ask.extension.org/groups/1727/ask An eXtension agent can answer your questions. We wish you the best of luck with your mushroom farming and thank you for checking out our channel!
its not many times im impressed but this video really made me say wow but have you looked at the site called Gregs Mushroom Grower just google for it
thanks very informative
What kind of grains should we use for shitake ,,,,plz help me know it
Haiii Dr Ken.
Teach me please
I from indonesia
I don't really understand the purpose of the potato dextrose agar culture when the mycelium can be propagated in the sterile grain to begin with.
Hi Beeorganic,
The Forest Farming eXtension is a collective educational effort put forth by university educators and extension specialists across the country. Someone in the network can give you a thorough explanation on shiitake mycelium through this link: ask.extension.org/groups/1727/ask Thanks for watching our videos!
Out of interest, did you get a response from that webpage?
In my amateur experience, plonking a slice of tissue straight into sterile grain almost halves the chance that the grain jar will be fully colonised without contaminants. Agar gives you a chance to visually spot contaminants before risking your grain.
That said, I don't have a steady hand, and my sterile technique is not the best, so it would be interesting to hear a professional's opinion.
I did receive a response; However, it still didn't really make sense to me and was rather vague/inconclusive. According to the person who responded, mycelium grows quicker in the agar and allows colonization in the sterile grain to occur more quickly is all. As a total amateur myself... in a sterile as possible field, I just cut a "V" notched sliver from the center lower part of a mushroom stem (where the most sterile tissue would be found) with a scalpel, extract with tweezers (both tools sterilized of course) and just place it in the sterilized grain. Rarely have I encountered any contamination and it propagates fine. The use of agar seemed pointless to me before your comment. Your answer about using agar and giving a chance to spot contaminants before introduction into grain is a fantastic answer that makes 100% logical sense, thank you. As per Forest Farming rendering "professional opinions"... it's my impression that they in some regards don't have either open minds (academic elitism) or proper funding to attempt other techniques. I had a theory I ran by them- using oak railroad tie cut off ends (non/pre- creosoted). First, I pasteurized them in a barrel for an hour. I believe one doesn't have to cook it to the core since it's unlikely competing organisms will be that deep inside such dense material. Inoculating them with plugs, wrapping them in a few layers of those thick brown paper towels (that comes in rolls at Sam's) and pasteurized as well- to imitate the cambium layer of a tree, then loosely wrapping it in plastic wrap, for a bark layer (and to allow the log to "breath". Then soaking the entire block in a sugar solution for the faux cambium layer (imitating tree sugars). I was told this technique would not work, period. So far, limited success with the Shitake or Reishi but the Mitake has shown a lot of promise. Now it's the winter waiting game.
Awesome reply and great info!
@@beeorganic Did you keep experimenting? What were the results? I like the idea of imitating a natural log. I'm now trying to compact sawdust into a manmade log. But I don't know how to imitate the bark. And I don't know if this kind of logs will succeed. Thanks for your insights.
can't you grow shiitake on woodchips alone?
The Forest Farming eXtension is a collective educational effort put forth by university educators and extension specialists across the country. Someone in the network can give you a thorough explanation on shiitake mycelium through this link: ask.extension.org/groups/1727/ask Thanks for watching our videos!
Answer the damn question!
Can i use sawdust log to grow it instead of wood logs? Thanks
yes you can
I'd recommend logs as once it's inoculated, you'll get yields every year. You just have to water it once in a while.
The video time cannot be coincidence XD
no wonder they are $10 per lbs
I've been spending time with the help of my son researching into how to grow mushrooms then we discovered a fantastic website at gregs mushroom grower (check it out on google)
♪♫*¨*•.¸¸ ॐ