December Mushroom of the Month: Amanita persicina
The December mushroom of the month is Amanita persicina, known commonly as the Peach Fly Agaric.
The December mushroom of the month is Amanita persicina, known commonly as the Peach Fly Agaric. Recent DNA evidence has indicated that Amanita persicina is better treated as a distinct species, and it was elevated to species status in 2015. Scroll to learn more and where to find in Texas and how it is being used as a medicine for anxiety and depression.
🙌 to @mullenjoseph for naming that mushroom correctly and becoming the newest member of Central Texas Mycology! Become a supporting member to stay dialed-in to the wood-wide-web and join us for events & discover next month’s mystery mushroom.
Can I EAT it?
It is both poisonous and psychoactive.
The mushroom contains the neurotoxin ibotenic acid which can be decarboxylated into Muscimol, a legal, psychoactive compound. A few studies show it inhibits neuronal and glial GABA uptake, helping with depression, anxiety, muscular pain and promote sleep. In the last few years Muscimol has become a popular ingredient in medicinal mushroom products.
Hometown Hero is one local company that sells “Magic Muscaria Gummies.”
WHERE DOES IT GROW?
In East Texas
Amanita persicina is mycorrhizal with conifers (Loblolly Pine) and deciduous (Oak & Hemlock) trees and can be found in the late fall to early spring. The cap color varies from bright red and fades to yellow to orangish peach. Additionally, the universal veil material is usually present merely as scattered fragments and patches, rather than the well defined concentric rings and zones that characterize the other North American varieties.
Is Santa Really A Mushroom?
Some believe the myth of Santa is derived from shamanic uses of the Fly Agaric mushroom near the north pole. Fungi Foundation has cataloged 200 ancestral and traditional uses of this mushroom. Some uses are by shamans in the northern hemisphere for purposes such as communicating with spirits, increasing courage and inducing altered states of consciousness. Fact or fiction? Just a cute Christmas card design? We are glad that indigenous uses of mushrooms are being cataloged and protected for future generations.
BECOME A SUPPORTING MEMBER & stay Dialed in with events & discover next month’s mystery mushroom.
November Mushroom of the Month: Trametes Versicolor
The November mushroom of the month is Trametes versicolor commonly known as Turkey tail.
The November mushroom of the month is Trametes versicolor commonly known as Turkey tail. Turkey tail decomposes rotting wood and is used in traditional Chinese medicine and has been found to improve response to cancer medicines and radiation. It is also used for muscle strength, fatigue, UTIs, and many other conditions. Fortunately, there are no toxic look-alikes which generally makes them a “safe”mushroom to forage. Swipe to learn how to identify Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor from False Turkey Tail, Stereum ostrea.
🙌 to Erika for naming that mushroom correctly and becoming the 1,174th member of Central Texas Mycology!
Can I EAT it?
Sort of, It’s Medicinal
Turkey tail decomposes rotting wood and is used in traditional Chinese medicine and has been found to improve response to cancer medicines and radiation. It is also used for muscle strength, fatigue, UTIs, and many other conditions. Fortunately, there are no toxic look-alikes which generally makes them a “safe”mushroom to forage.
how to identify Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor from False Turkey Tail, Stereum ostrea.
The key to identification of turkey tail is the underside.
Similarities
Polypore
Grows on decomposing wood
Thin and flexible
Concentric growth rings on the cap
Irregular outer margins
Differences
False has smooth, tan underside and pores are not visible. True has white pores that are visible.
False has green algae that grows on it. True does not.
False grows upwards to the edges. True often has flat growth.
5 STEPS to Correctly IDentify
Does it have visible, multi-colored concentric zones?
Is it thin and flexible? (1–3 millimeters thin)
Does the top feel velvety?
Is the underside white? (Gets more yellow with age.)
Does the underside have small pores?
BECOME A SUPPORTING MEMBER & stay Dialed in with events & discover next month’s mystery mushroom.
Ghoulish Mushroom Skull Recipes
Happy Halloween! Check out some of our favorite skull mushroom recipes from around the web.
Halloween Pasta Salad
A ghoulishly delightful blend of eerie ingredients like black pasta, mozzarella eyeballs, and mushroom skulls coated in Italian dressing, that’s perfect for a hauntingly delicious celebration.
Skull & Pumpkin Soup
This skull and pumpkin soup is so easy to make and although this is a lentil and vegetable soup you could make this with meat or make this with your favourite soup recipe.
Keto Mushroom Skull Recipes
We made these mushroom skulls as part of our keto Halloween celebrations and served them in many different ways. These tiny skulls make a healthy vegan dish or appetizer.
Bread of the Dead
A dramatic and delicious take on flatbread pizza made with savory mushroom skulls, shallots and herbs topped with a balsamic glaze drizzle. Enjoy!
October Mushroom of the Month: Omphalotus subilludens
The October mushroom of the month is Omphalotus subilludens commonly known as Southern Jack-o-lantern.
The October mushroom of the month is Omphalotus subilludens commonly known as Southern Jack-o-lantern. We thought this one was an easy one but many of you guessed it was a chanterelle which is edible and the southern jack-o-lantern is toxic. Scroll to learn the differences and more about how this mushroom glows in the dark like a jack-o-lantern.
🙌 to @erociovergara for naming that mushroom correctly and becoming the 1,174th member of Central Texas Mycology!
Can I Eat It?
NO! It’s toxic!
It won’t kill you but you will wish you were dead. It contains the toxic chemical illudin that can cause severe stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea and headache. A real nightmare on Elm Street. It gets commonly confused with the choice edible, chanterelle.
CHANTERELLEs
Mycorrhizal: Grows typically as a single mushroom in symbiosis and within several feet of living Live Oak trees.
Gills: False or folded and run down the stem (decurrent).
Stem: When peeled, pale orange on the inside
Season: Spring and Fall during high humidity like after Texas style flash floods.
Southern Jack-o-Lantern
Saprophytic: Decomposes and fruits in clusters at base of stumps or buried roots.
Gills: True, sharp, non-forking gills that are decurrent or adnate (like shown above).
Stem: bright to dark orange on inside
Season: Spring and Fall after rains.
IT Glows in the dark!
Bioluminescence, a blue-green color, can be seen in the gills of fresh specimens in low light once the eye becomes dark-adapted or with long exposure photo-graphy. This is due to the enzyme luciferase, acting upon a compound called luciferin, leading to the emission of light similar to the way fireflies do when glowing. Scientists have found the glow attracts insects that then spread the mushroom spores.
BECOME A SUPPORTING MEMBER & stay Dialed in with events & discover next month’s mystery mushroom.
September Mushroom of the Month: Kretzschmaria deusta
The September mushroom of the month is not a fun one: Kretzschmaria deusta commonly known as Brittle cinder.
The September mushroom of the month is not a fun one: Kretzschmaria deusta commonly known as Brittle cinder. You may have heard about it recently in the news, as one of Austin’s beloved pecan trees Flo, a centurion living on the banks of Barton Springs pool, has been diagnosed with this deadly fungus.
🙌 to Braden for naming that mushroom correctly and becoming the 1,188th member of Central Texas Mycology!
what is it?
Brittle cinder fungus, or Kretzschmaria deusta, is a fungal pathogen that causes breakage in seemingly healthy trees. The fungus appears around the base of trees as a crust-like fruiting body that has wavy edges. When the fungus is young, it will be grey with white margins. As it ages, it will turn black and resemble burnt bark.
Where does it live?
Brittle cinder fungus is native to the northern hemisphere, also found in Argentina, South Africa and Australia. It prefers deciduous hardwoods like oak, maple, and pecan. You may have heard about it recently in the news, as one of Austin’s beloved pecan trees Flo, a centurion living on the banks of Barton Springs pool, has been diagnosed with this deadly fungus.
what happens to infected trees?
Once a tree has become infected with Brittle cinder fungus the outcome is typically death. This is because the infection doesn’t become obvious until the fruiting body appears on the bark, and at this point it has digested much of the interior of the tree. This can be dangerous as it makes the tree unstable and limbs are likely to break and fall at any time.
Are there any benefits?
Like everything in nature, there are positive and negative aspects to Brittle Cinder fungus. While it attacks otherwise healthy trees, the fungus digests the wood like any white rot fungi, even after the tree has died, returning nutrients to the soil.
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PART 9: Build a Johnson-Su Bioreactor Composting System
In this video we show you how to make fungal-rich compost for your garden using recycled mushroom blocks.
In this video we show you some of the steps on how to make fungal-rich compost for your garden using recycled mushroom blocks. See more detailed steps below.
A Johnson-Su Bioreactor is a passive way to build soil rich in microbes and fungi with no-turning or smells. In less than 12 months you will have soil you can use to make compost teas and you will also be diverting all types of organic matter from the waste stream. We are joined by Andie Marsh from Rhizos at Jester King Brewery. Recycled mushroom blocks are made from sawdust and grains and organic matter that make a great amendment to soil and compost. They are what many mushroom farms use to cultivate culinary mushrooms on. After they fruit a few times and are considered spent, they can be used in many ways as we demonstrate in this video.
Follow along and learn in a few steps. You will be feeding the entire soil web and the plants in your garden, healthy compost.
SUPPLIES NEEDED (Less Than $50)
Wooden Pallet
Four 10’ Lengths of Perforated 4” PVC Drainpipe with Bell Ends
Hardware Cloth or Wire Re-mesh (6” x 6” x 10 gauge wire)
Landscape Fabric or Burlap
Tie wire
TOOLS NEEDED
Small bolt cutters or heavy pliers for cutting the wire re-mesh
Linesman’s pliers to cut and tie the tie wire for assembling the cage
Circular saw
Jigsaw for cutting the holes in the pallet
Scissors for cutting the landscape cloth
Tape measure
Pen or pencil to mark places that will be cut
FUNGAL FEED STOCKS
70% Wood Chips, Leaves, Grass Clippings, Cardboard, Straw
30%: Mushroom mycelium blocks
DUSTING: Lightly feed with any of the following, Oatflour, Soybean Meal, Feather meal, Barley, Humic Acid
STEPS:
STEP 3: Example template for holes in pallet
CHOOSE LOCATION Choose a shady spot with access to water for your bioreactor.
SOAK FUNGAL FEEDSTOCKS Using totes, 50-gallon drums, kiddie pool or any large receptacle that can hold water, soak your fungal feedstocks for 12-24 hours.
CUT HOLES IN PALLET The pallet serves as the base for the Johnson-Su bioreactor, and allows air flow from the bottom and provides a stable platform for the cylinder and the drain pipes. To allow the pallet to hold the pipes in place, you’ll use a saw to cut six 4 ⅜” holes.
COVER PALLET WITH LANDSCAPE FABRIC Cut landscape fabric to fit the pallet and staple to fix to wood. Cut holes in an X shape where PVC drain pipe will fit. You want avoid exposing the pallet to fungus because it will decompose and the bioreactor needs airflow from underneath.
CUT HARDWARE CLOTH / RE-MESH Using bolt cutters or pliers, cut the re-mesh to 12’6” in length and 5’ in height. Securely tie the ends of the re-mesh together at the 6” intervals using tie wire and pliers. Be sure to place a secure tie every 6”. Otherwise, the pressure that builds up when you fill the bioreactor can push this joint apart.
SEW LANDSCAPE FABRIC TO CYLINDER With scissors, cut a piece of landscaping fabric to 13’ in length and 6’ in height. Position the 13’ x 6’ piece of landscaping fabric along the interior of the re-mesh cage and sew it into place using a long piece of tie wire with a sharpened point (cut at an angle using the pliers). Pierce the landscaping cloth very close to the top of the re-mesh cage, and sew the tie wire through the cloth and the re-mesh wire in an alternating pattern (in and out, close to the top of the wire cage) to the end of the 12’6” re-mesh. Repeat this step for the bottom of the cage and fabric. After you have sewn the fabric to the wire mesh cage and before you get ready to fill the reactor.
CUT DRAIN PIPE Using a circular saw, cut the 10’ perforated pipes so that you have four 4’ pieces of pipe left with bell ends. With pvc glue, glue two of these 4’ pipes together, and then cut them to 6’ so that you have six 6’ pipes. Place the 6’ septic system drain field pipes into the holes in the bottom pallet. If you are using a metal jig, secure the pipes to the metal jig with tie wire. If you’re not using a rebar jig, simply grab a helping hand to hold the pipes in place. If you can’t find a helping hand, the material of the bioreactor will hold the pipes in place until it is full.
FILL THE BIOREACTOR: Filling a bioreactor can take more time than you might expect because there are many steps in preparing each shovel full of material, so unless you’re filling quite energetic, you can fill the bioreactor on a different day. Take your soaked fungal feed stocks and mycelium blocks and mix together on a large tarp or large container like kiddie pool. You can also layer in like a lasagna making sure the mycelium blocks are making contact with the fungal feed stocks. To make it easier and safer to lift use 5-gallon buckets. You can also use a stepladders. If the substrates for composting are lightweight, like leaves that you have wetted, you can press or tamp these down as you fill the reactor so that you can get more into the bioreactor. If the substrates are heavy, you may want to allow the weight of the substrate to settle the pile. You want to avoid any heavy packing because this might lead to anaerobic spots that can cause unwanted odors and flies. You will gain experience as you build these piles as to how much you can compact the pile.
WATER DAILY: Water Daily for 60 seconds and in the rainy season uncover. Do not overwater. If the compost pile turns anaerobic, there are ways to fix this problem so that you are fostering the growth of beneficial microbes and bacteria. 10-12 months later you will have fungal and microbial rick black gold to feed your plants!
REMOVE PVC DRAIN PIPES After 24+ hours you can remove the pipes and reuse them in another bioreactor. Fungal hyphae in the bioreactor will hold open the channels where the pipes were, leaving open columns that let air flow from the bottom of the pallet up through the compost. Space for air flow is necessary in creating an aerobic compost pile, if the compost is overwatered it may turns anaerobic, you may be adding bad bacteria onto your fields.
WHERE TO GET MUSHROOM BLOCKS
If you are in Austin, you can sign up to get recycled mushroom blocks for your garden.
If you are not from Austin, find a mushroom farm in your area.
RELATED videos in the series:
Part 1: How Fungi Benefits the Soil
Part 2: Grow Mushrooms on Wood Chips in The Garden
Part 3: Grow Mushrooms in a Straw Bale
Part 4: Grow Mushrooms in Containers
Part 5: Grow Mushrooms on Logs
Part 6: Grow Mushrooms using Trench Composting Method
Bring Huitlacoche to Your Garden
The Central Texas Mycological Society is launching a new experimental crop, huitlacoche or Ustilago maydis.
You are looking at an ear of corn infected with the smut producing fungus Ustilago maydis. Does it look edible to you? Not only is it edible, it is outstanding.
Texas Gourdseed Corn from Southern Exposure Seeds
If you are not in Central Texas, here are links to where we bought the seeds and the liquid culture.
The Central Texas Mycological Society (CTMS) is launching a new experimental crop, huitlacoche or Ustilago maydis. Like many of our mycological friends, huitlacoche straddles the line between a symbol of decay and a delicacy. To the corn farmers of the vast American plains, it is known as corn smut, a common and undesirable crop disease that forms in particularly hot humid summers. To the maize-centric cultures of Central Mexico, huitlacoche is a traditional part of the diet, a prized crop in itself, and a culinary delight. Much the same way that, for example, Chicken of the Woods is the object of many on a foray for a foraging mycologist but, to an arborist, is often a pathogen hollowing out the heartwood of a great old tree now not long for this world.
Ustilago maydis infects the ears of the corn primarily producing huitlacoche though it can also infect the tassel and stalk. Infection causes the kernels to form into distended darkened galls that are a culinary treasure though a blight to the producers. The majority of the resources referring to huitlacoche for US based institutions are written as profiles on diseases and pathology, for example the pages from Texas A&M Agrilife Extension and the Wisconsin University Horticulture Extension with passing references to its consumption. Such articles are detailed accounts of how to diagnose and avoid Corn Smut infection but, with a slight change in perspective of the reader, they become useful guides in how to induce smut formation.
CTMS has 3 plots of primarily Texas Gourdseed Corn around Central Texas designated for inoculation with huitlacoche liquid culture in 2023 including one test plot at the Zilker Botanical Garden as well as gardens of various members of the society including that of the author. To that end this guide is being compiled as well as a factsheet to facilitate cultivation by members like you. Currently most of this information is speculative and untested by CTMS; it is compiled from various reference sources in anticipation of our first trials and should be taken with a grain of salt, we are enthusiasts not experts in huitlacoche production.
If you want to try huitlacoche before you dive in (though there’s more to the experience of cultivation than just the eating) you can purchase it at a few different Mexican specialty markets and restaurants. Fresh huitlacoche is highly seasonal, coinciding with the corn season, so calling ahead is recommended before going to either a restaurant or market, however, some import the corn flash frozen and can stock it year round. If you’re in the Central Texas area, CTMS has compiled a map of restaurants that serve huitlacoche or have in the past, if you know of others, please let us know.
Starting in 2024, if you are interested in growing huitlacoche, contact CTMS, we have earmarked a portion of our harvest to be used to produce the spores to be distributed for future cultivation.
What do you need to grow Huitlacoche?
Hot and humid summers
A small area or few pots to grow corn
Liquid culture or spores of U. maydis
Picking your Corn variety
The first step to cultivating huitlacoche is growing corn. Texas Gourdseed was selected for the test plots of CTMS (alongside some other strains), an heirloom variety from Central and South Texas. It is drought and flood tolerant and disease resistant generally though susceptible to smut infection which represents a high probability of successful huitlacoche production Considering our lack of experience and lack of ancestral as well as institutional knowledge of huitlacoche production we have erred on the side of a successful harvest that perhaps may not an ideal one for a culinary experience.
The variety of corn affects the flavor of the resulting smut and since Texas Gourdseed is primarily a flour corn, the taste of the huitlacoche produced may be less palatable than the Central Mexican originals. Sweet corn and hybrids are often used among American producers and yield a sweeter, less traditional tasting huitlacoche. Varieties marketed as resistant to fungal infection should be avoided, including GMO varieties which are generally resistant.
If you are in Austin area, we are giving away Texas gourd seed corn seeds. Seeds available at the 78702 mushroom block pick-up until gone.
Plant Cultivation
Find a guide with a planting strategy that suits your needs. Fertilize, water, monitor, and generally care for the plants exactly how you would for a regular corn crop with one major exception. Most corn planting strategies are built around pollination, however for huitlacoche we do not actually want our plants to be pollinated. Huitlacoche infection is most effective before pollination occurs. This means that you don’t have to commit to a large corn crop like most of the growing guides will tell you. You can attempt to cultivate huitlacoche in pots, small raised beds, even window boxes if you don’t mind corn stalks blocking your window like prison bars. A surprising step in cultivating huitlacoche, unlike corn, is that you can even detassel the corn plants, preventing pollination.
The tassel is the male pollen producing portion of the corn plant. It grows at the very top of the plant and showers pollen upon the ears of corn below that take in the pollen via the silk that extends beyond the end of the ears. Detasseling is a common procedure to artificially select for corn plant genetics. By planting two varieties of corn side by side and detasseling one of them, you can assure hybridization in that corn as they must have been fertilized by the other tasseled variety. Detasseling is not required but it is an effective way to increase huitlacoche yield especially if you do not care about having a corn harvest. Which is an important caveat, if you choose to detassel your corn you will have no fully formed ears of corn. If you are trying to produce both, you simply need to be vigilant in your inoculation and make sure you are intervening early before the ears are pollinated.
If you want to try a mixed crop of corn and huitlacoche (or if you have a neighbor growing corn nearby that would expose your corn to tassels) shoot bags can be used to prevent pollination of some ears while leaving others available to produce corn. There are specialized shoot bags for corn as well as other crops that emphasize hybridization like cannabis production that are permeable to particles smaller than the size of the particular plants pollen allowing maximum ventilation for the plant. However this can be done with simple paper bags, waxed if there is rain or heavy dew in the forecast. We purchased our shoot bags from Seed Savers Exchange. Simply place the bag over the ear before the silk has emerged and pinch off a little to draw it tight to the stalk below the ear and secure it with a staple or paper clip in the loose flap of paper. You can even inoculate the ear by piercing the syringe through the bag if you want without risking exposing it to pollen in the open air.
Liquid culture
As is typical of many fungi, the individual galls of huitlacoche produce prodigious amounts of spores. Much like a common puffball mushroom, nearly the entire mass of the fruiting body (in this case, the galls on the ears) converts to spores so not many ears need to be reserved as seed.
There are many online guides for the production of Liquid culture (LC) that the reader can follow. We will link a few at the bottom of this article. For the purposes of the experiment, a 5% corn syrup (other sugars are perfectly acceptable) solution was sterilized in a pressure cooker and injected with LC syringes purchased from online vendors such as Miracle Farms and Mycelium Emporium. Although successful cultivation of Huitlacoche is a difficult endeavor, it is a good first experiment for those inexperienced in LC production as perfect sanitization is not required.
Typical mycelial cultivation which is done with sterilized jars or bags of cooked grain or wood pellet substrate, where the contents are dead and a perfect growing environment for any manner of infection that is introduced through the thin barrier separating the vulnerable substrate from the outside world, teeming with eager bacteria and spores. However, for huitlacoche, the substrate is a living ear of corn. Live corn has an intact innate immune system which offers partial protection against infection from poorly suited would-be invaders such as bacteria and molds. Secondly the manner of injection is inherently unsanitary as it will be performed in the garden, outdoors, exposed to the rich ecosystem of microorganisms of soil ecology and airborne spores and bacteria. This means that some basic, limited contamination of the LC reservoirs, while not ideal, does not render the LC useless as the corn can resist some infection.
Inoculation
When the ears of corn are approximately cigar sized around the time that the silk has emerged from the top of the ear they are ready for inoculation. You can do a simple test on a sample ear to ensure they have not been fertilized. This is not strictly necessary especially if you can ensure that there has been no exposure to tasseled corn within approximately ¼ mile.
Most huitlacoche grown in the US in small quantities is produced via liquid culture unlike in Central Mexico where spores are used. The most traditional method, employed since pre-columbian times is to take a sharp knife and successively dip it in a thick solution of spores and water and nick through the husks of unfertilized young ears of maize to produce infection. Modern producers in Central Mexico typically use syringes attached by hose to a reservoir of spore solution made with spores from previous harvests. Most producers in Mexico inject inoculant into the ears twice, a couple of inches from the top and bottom of the ears as seen in this video.
With liquid culture in the United States most small producers inject 5-10 ml of LC into the ear at the top, inserting the needle along the silk inline with the ear (silk channel inoculation) instead of through the side of the husk. For subsequent planting, the spores saved from previous harvests are generally used though some producers do continue to use LC.
The most important part of inoculation is that you want the spores or liquid culture to reach the entire ear top to bottom, for this reason multiple injections is recommended.
Harvest
Ears should be harvested once the galls have developed but before sporulation has occurred. Various time frames are given for this in different sources as local environmental effects as well as inoculation techniques can change the length of time necessary for development. LC develops faster than spores. Warm temperatures and higher humidities increase the speed of growth. Recommendations vary from 14-16 days to others stating 12-14 days is already too late. The essential point is to harvest before the galls have turned powdery inside. Once the spores have fully developed in a gall and began to turn powdery, consumption of that gall can cause considerable gastrointestinal upset.
The galls can be peeled or cut from the cob and refrigerated separately or on the cob for shorter periods. If you’re blessed by the maize gods with a successful crop of huitlacoche, there are some great recipes to try out. The most common is a huitlacoche quesadilla with sauteed huitlacoche, diced onions, and epazote inside. Simple and delicious. There’s no wrong way to enjoy it. From soups to tacos to traditional Mexican crepes even, so invite some friends over and get to cooking.
Mush Love: Hibiscus, Reishi & Ginger Tea
Enjoy this favorite society bevvy from @forage.atx.
Enjoy this favorite society bevvy from @forage.atx.
Servings: 32 cups | Serving Size: 1 cup | Recipe Size: 2 gallons
Ingredients:
1 cup of hibiscus
¼ cup of powdered reishi (Use twice as much if reishi is in chunks or fluffy.)
¼ cup of ginger root
⅛ cup of sugar or honey (add it to taste)
Instructions:
The instructions below will show you how to make a concentrated tea. I like to make the concentrate and then add it to the larger container or add it to single 1 cup servings mixed with sparkling water. Like a shrub.
Bring water to a boil in kettle or in large pot
While water is coming to boil, peel ginger with spoon and grind up in blender
Pour hot water over reishi, ginger, and hibiscus in a large french press to steep for 10 minutes. If you don’t have french press, put ingredients in a medium sized pot. After 10 minutes, use a sieve to strain out matter into another bowl or pot.
Repeat steps 2 more times with more water. You can do 2-3 extractions to get flavors out of the ingredients.
Add concentrated tea into a two gallon serving container. Fill with water and add more sugar to taste while warm. Add hot water if you want tea to be warm. Add ice if you want it to be cold.
PART 7: Composting with Recycled Mushroom Blocks
In this video we show you how to make premium compost for your garden using recycled mushroom blocks from South Texas Seasonals. It's a great way to build premium soil in just 6 months by diverting all types of organic matter from the waste stream. We are joined by Megan Lowder from Efficient Earthling at Gardopia Gardens in San Antonio.
In this video we show you how to make premium compost for your garden using recycled mushroom blocks. It's a great way to build hi-quality soil in just 6 months by diverting all types of organic matter from the waste stream. We are joined by Megan Lowder from Efficient Earthling at Gardopia Gardens in San Antonio.
Mushroom blocks are made from sawdust and grains and organic matter that make a great amendment to soil and compost. They are what many mushroom farms use to cultivate culinary mushrooms on. After they fruit a few times and are considered spent, they can be used in many ways as we demonstrate in this video.
Follow along in the video, in 6 easy steps you will be feeding the entire soil web and the plants in your garden, healthy compost. Make sure to watch through the end. Megan gives tips on the compost food chain and how to diagnose your soil for good health and take care of all the insects that gives our soil life and healthy plants.
If you are in Austin, you can sign up to get recycled mushroom blocks for your garden.
If you are not from Austin, find a mushroom farm in your area.
STEPS:
After choosing a shady spot for your compost pile, break up one recycled mushroom block. (Brown)
Add layer of fruit and vegetable compost from kitchen or pulp from a juice bar. (Green)
Add layer coffee grounds from your local coffee shop. (Green)
Add eggshells. They add calcium and potassium minerals to the soil.
Add brown matter such as leaves, grass clippings, or straw. (Brown)
Repeat layers until you have a nice pile that can be turned.
Turn every two weeks and water if your compost starts to get dry. Six months later you will have black gold to feed your plants!
RELATED videos in the series:
Part 1: How Fungi Benefits the Soil
Part 2: Grow Mushrooms on Wood Chips in The Garden
Part 3: Grow Mushrooms in a Straw Bale
Part 4: Grow Mushrooms in Containers
Part 5: Grow Mushrooms on Logs
Part 6: Grow Mushrooms using Trench Composting Method
Mycoforms: Using Fungi in Design and Architecture
Fungi offer a range of design and architectural applications from furniture and product packaging to insulation and regenerative building material.
Fungi offer a range of design and architectural applications from furniture and product packaging to insulation and regenerative building material. In this talk learn more about how to leverage the wisdom and materiality of fungi to create forms, sculptures and practical designs from a variety of substrates inoculated with fungal spores and nutrients in a mold. Given several days to grow, the mycelium—the threadlike root structure of the fungi—expands, increasing the substrate’s density and rigidity. Designer and educator Christopher Kennedy will share a protocol for using an accessible kit available from Ecovative, as well as DIY methods to experiment with fungi as both sculpture form and building material. No previous experience needed.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Christopher Kennedy is the assistant director at the Urban Systems Lab, The New School and lecturer in the Parsons School of Design. Kennedy’s research focuses on understanding the socio-ecological benefits of spontaneous urban plant communities in NYC, and the role of civic engagement in developing new approaches to environmental stewardship and nature-based resilience. As an artist and designer Kennedy creates site-specific projects that examine conventional notions of “nature,” interspecies agency, and biocultural collaboration.
LINKS FROM VIDEO
https://boltthreads.com/technology/mylo/
https://www.aivan.fi/portfolio/korvaa...
https://www.ijdesign.org/index.php/IJ...