worowa

I've grown it, still got it, happy to trade. Survives the cold of Canberra and Tassie, just goes dormant. As soon as it heats up, it takes off. I've fruited it on eucy sawdust, but mine were about 10cm diameter. Can't wait to try with a shitty substrate.

I read that years ago...referring to chicken of the woods I think, collected in Hawaii? It was a single incident, someone got sick from eating some mushrooms-blamed the tree. Eucys are used around the world to grow edible mushrooms. Mushrooms can harbor all sorts of bacteria, insects, feces, etc. that can make you sick, as well as containing toxic compounds that are destroyed through cooking.

So the Aussie Blewit grows twice as fast, but they couldn't fruit it? Someone sent me an agar culture, hoping to revive it, but the agar has turned to soggy runny gloop. If it moves, I'll plate it up and spread it around.

Wow, been on the block for 3 weeks, hopefully no more moving. We have a healthy Devil population! Scats full of teeth and nails-leave a dead wallaby out, the next day all that is left is intestines. Watched a family of Quolls playing by the dam last night. Here's the dam during the day-Plato the Platypus enjoys it here. White Goshawks, Wedge tailed Eagles, Peregrine Falcons...all visit regularly. So much to do, a bit overwhelmed. Working on the vege garden first, then a nursery for the perennials. Anyone in Tassie know good spots for netting, shadecloth, general nursery supplies, 200L barrels etc? Anyhow, I'd better get back to work...well, thinking about where to start.

It can be a bit of a "cult". I've worked for some Permaculture groups who ignored the 3 ethics which are supposedly the basis of Permaculture-i.e. Care for the Earth, care for the people, return the surplus". Beware of fancy marketing... There are some awesome examples of Community Permaculture all around the world, focused on helping people and problem solving. Then there are the profiteering marketeers selling themselves. From my perspective it is a design tool/process, well intentioned and thought provoking. Borrowing good ideas and adapting them to your situation in an organized fashion. More about work minimization than profit maximization. Of course there is work involved. The scale depends on the situation. Here is a free course http://www.permaculturedesigntraining.com/

I've got Isa Brown/Hyline crosses-retired from a "free range" egg farm. They bury the ones they can't sell when the chooks are about 18months. Theses girls lay almost everyday for a few years. Australorps and Barnevelders are my old favs, getting some more soon-heaps of eggs and good meat. Maybe look at bantam breeds if you want small layers.

Thanks Obtuse, South America-you lucky thing. Those folks knew their plants-can't imagine the worlds cuisine without tomatoes, chillis, spuds, chocolate etc. etc. I've got a morel plate ready for you!

Yes, plants and cuttings need to be treated and certified, which we did for some plants (well, my partner managed for our Gingkos, Lemon, Sapote, Curry tree, quite a few succulents, native capers). It was a joke-the people doing the drenching didn't know what they where doing, the certifier had no idea, then when we got the plants inspected in Tassie, the bloke wouldn't know a ficus from a fagus. So I guess for plants and cuttings, I'm hoping some Tas folks will come to my aid. Definitely be keeping a detailed record of before and after, with plans etc.

I've used from 3mL/L to 25mL/L...always works, except for a "stropharia rugoso-annulata" (never got it to fruit, so not sure if it was the real deal). Mycelium moves slower with peroxide, but that's a good thing usually. 1000's of plates, no contams. Still get the occasional grain spawn contam, but I've never used peroxide in grain. My current recipe, which probably needs updating to avoid Nestle is 1 tablespoon malted milo, 1 tablespoon organic black strap mollasses, 1 cup of freshly brewed black coffee, 25 grams agar (1 packet swan brand), top up with boiled tap water to 2L. The extra agar makes it set thick, which makes it easier to take wedges out. This is nice and dark, easy to see mycelium. Add peroxide between 50 and 60 degrees.

Maydena railway station has a patch...some near Gardners Bay, and a promise of some from the Derwent Valley. If I get some, I'll share them for free. Big thanks to Watertrade for his genorousity.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra has a free ID service (plants and fungi)...I used to help process them when I worked there... Send them some photos, spore prints and details...they should get back to you with a positive ID within a week or two. I've got a few patches of Birch Boletes south of Hobart...seemed to have stopped about a month ago, but heard reports of a Blackmans Bay patch still cropping. I've had red bleeders from bags of Agaricus from mushroom farms-one or two from a bag at a time, their companions didn't bleed...I didn't eat them-had more than enough mushies, but I did wonder what was going on, an invader, or just a random mushie that accumulated something.

Lucky you! They're pretty widespread from what I've gathered, and once you've got a patch, it lasts for yonks. I'm running a few workshops in Tassie this year...mainly Cygnet, but also Penguin and Lilydale. I've given a few free spots to members here and elsewhere, you're welcome to come along if you want-only proviso is you pipe in with tips!

Wow! Love my booch, it's fixed my osteo-arthritis...well, the pain has vanished since I started taking it. One of my batches smells a bit eggy...sulfur smell. Is that something others have noticed?

So I managed to lose my amazing enoki culture during a move interstate. Amazing because it fruited on agar in the fridge and survived for a few years on the plate. This was the one and only culture I left for my partner to deal with, because enoki never excited me, but she really wanted it... Anyhow, a neighbor has a big gorse problem, and has asked me to help. Apparently enoki grows on gorse in Scotland. Happy to trade...I've got Ganodermas (Reishis), Pleurotus eryngii (King Oysters), Hypholoma sublateritium (Chestnuts), Milkies (Calocybe indica), plus a few others. I've also found a wood blewit (Lepista nuda) patch, and a Birch Bolete (Leccinum sp.) patch, which I'm trying to isolate pure cultures from. Also happy to clone or propagate material for others-I've got a good set up now.

Hmm, I wonder what is left after the oil is extracted for Biodiesel? If it's steam distilled, the left overs could be ideal for shrooms.

Send me your details.

Shop's closed Shortly, but I can still help you out if you need some.

OK, I'm putting in another bulk order for filter patch bags. Can do size 4 bags ( about 7.5 cm x 10cm x 45cm) size 10 bags (about 10cm x 12.5cm x 45cm) size 14 and size 3 bags (about 10cm x 20cm x 48cm) For a box of 1000, cost price (between $200-$250) plus postage from Australia. If you want bags with injection ports, same sizes, a box of 1000, cost price ($700-$800) plus postage from Australia. These bags are great for most species, a box would last most hobby growers well over a year. Get together with some mates and split the cost! I'll be ordering at the start of July, so let me know by then.

Due to lack of interest, I can't yet offer the bags for the discounted price. I need to order 25 boxes for the discount. If I get commitments to buy 10 boxes, then I'll go ahead and order 25 boxes and pass on the discount.

I've been using omsources dowels, and promoting them (and his spawn) through the courses I've been running with Milkwood. I think these kits are great, very professional looking. Not sure if Permaculture students, who have learned to make their own, would be the best market..."give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, teach him how to fish and he can eat forever"...but hey, for some folks this would be the quick and easy way, and might get them inspired to learn more. Tripsis-you're welcome to borrow my flow hood.

Just harvested a few kgs of Oca tubers, have spares for trades. Lots of gobo-burdock seeds. Also heaps of Jerusalem Fartichokes to trade.

Looks good omsource, nice work.

No worries. All the info anyone needs is on my website for free. Check the links page. I'll be runnig 1-day courses again soon, bit cheaper.

Milkwood permaculture are organizing this course in Sydney.... Learn to clone mushies on agar, make grain spawn, make sawdust spawn and dowel spawn, make fruiting substrates, inoculate logs...all with readily available materials. http://milkwood.net/2012/03/30/making-sawdust-spawn-for-shiitake-mushroom-growing/

Good for you. Some people want to get started without hours of searching and experimenting-like I did. Stamets is great, but his books make it all seem too hard unles you've got a million bucks. I would have done a course years ago-if there was one. Plus participants get lots of goodies to take home-like agar cultures, grain spawn, dowels, and ready to fruit bags. Are you going to the Tasmanian Fungi Festival? Could be a good networking op. Some of my past students will be there. Wish I could go...