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| Day 7 |
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| Day 8 |
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| Day 9 |
And the next crop is already starting to emerge from the block.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Project Shiitake - almost there!
A few more update pictures, and they are growing FAST!
Almost ready to pick. Shiitakes are considered ready when the gills are exposed, but on day 9 there is still a veil covering the gills. Won't be long now!!!
And the next crop is already starting to emerge from the block.
And the next crop is already starting to emerge from the block.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Project Shiitake, Week 1
This is where we left off last week...
And here's what happened since then:
Day 5 is when things start to get really interesting. It deserves some closeups!
Each one of those bumps will become a mushroom. Slowly but surely.
Time to start reviewing my recipe files... I sense stir-fry, pasta, and risotto in my future!
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| Day 1 |
And here's what happened since then:
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| Day 2 |
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| Day 3 |
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| Day 3 - yes those are baby mushroom thingies!!! |
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| Day 4 |
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| Day 5 |
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| Day 5 |
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| Day 5 |
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| Day 5 |
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| Day 6 |
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Project Shiitake - Day 1
Things are pretty slow outside this time of year, so it's the perfect time for an indoor growing project. And look what finally arrived!
I did one of these last year. It was a lot of fun, and I got two good crops of mushrooms. But I didn't read the directions well and I messed up after the second crop. This time I'm paying better attention, and I'm sharing the adventure here.
Several companies sell these ready-to-grow kits. This one came from Park Seed.
The day the box arrives, unpack it. For this kit, the box contains the block of impregnated growing medium, drip tray, plastic bowl that elevates the block off the tray, a vented plastic bag, and instructions.
The plastic bag is used to make a tent that helps hold in the humidity. In addition to this, the block needs to be misted with water daily (that's part of what I screwed up last time).
The first step is to soak the block. This time the block was still damp from shipping (which is why you need to unpack immediately - even a day or two and it would have been the right environment for the wrong type of fungi to proliferate). But the block needs to be saturated with water to help jump start the mushroom growth.
While I was waiting for the horses to finish their dinner I set to work on soaking the block in my wash rack area. A bucket, some cold water, and I'm almost ready to go. I say almost because the block is very light weight (usually its compressed shavings or chopped straw - very buoyant). It needs to be weighted down so that the block is completely submerged. This way it soaks up water evenly throughout. The instructions recommend filling a gallon milk jug half-full with water and using that as the weight. However, this block was really big, and really buoyant, so I filled up the jug all the way so it provided enough weight.
The instructions said to soak for a few hours, but I let it go overnight. Last time I ran into problems with subsequent soaks, so I'm hoping by making it super saturated this time I can stave off those issues.
In the meantime, the cardboard shipping box needs to be prepped. The box comes preprinted with lines indicating where to make the cuts. Just be careful to not cut yourself.
This morning it was time to remove the block from the soaking bucket and assemble the growing module. The instructions say to put it in an area out of direct sunlight and with temperatures in the range of 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Since I keep my thermostat at 65 in winter, and the kitchen is always cooler than the rest of the house, the kitchen table is the ideal spot.
It's a little early to expect some mushroom growth, but give it a day or two. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to mist my block.
I did one of these last year. It was a lot of fun, and I got two good crops of mushrooms. But I didn't read the directions well and I messed up after the second crop. This time I'm paying better attention, and I'm sharing the adventure here.
Several companies sell these ready-to-grow kits. This one came from Park Seed.
The day the box arrives, unpack it. For this kit, the box contains the block of impregnated growing medium, drip tray, plastic bowl that elevates the block off the tray, a vented plastic bag, and instructions.
The plastic bag is used to make a tent that helps hold in the humidity. In addition to this, the block needs to be misted with water daily (that's part of what I screwed up last time).
The first step is to soak the block. This time the block was still damp from shipping (which is why you need to unpack immediately - even a day or two and it would have been the right environment for the wrong type of fungi to proliferate). But the block needs to be saturated with water to help jump start the mushroom growth.
While I was waiting for the horses to finish their dinner I set to work on soaking the block in my wash rack area. A bucket, some cold water, and I'm almost ready to go. I say almost because the block is very light weight (usually its compressed shavings or chopped straw - very buoyant). It needs to be weighted down so that the block is completely submerged. This way it soaks up water evenly throughout. The instructions recommend filling a gallon milk jug half-full with water and using that as the weight. However, this block was really big, and really buoyant, so I filled up the jug all the way so it provided enough weight.
The instructions said to soak for a few hours, but I let it go overnight. Last time I ran into problems with subsequent soaks, so I'm hoping by making it super saturated this time I can stave off those issues.
In the meantime, the cardboard shipping box needs to be prepped. The box comes preprinted with lines indicating where to make the cuts. Just be careful to not cut yourself.
This morning it was time to remove the block from the soaking bucket and assemble the growing module. The instructions say to put it in an area out of direct sunlight and with temperatures in the range of 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Since I keep my thermostat at 65 in winter, and the kitchen is always cooler than the rest of the house, the kitchen table is the ideal spot.
It's a little early to expect some mushroom growth, but give it a day or two. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to mist my block.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Root Vegetables!
Turnips were a failure.
The beets were poorly planned. Apparently they need more than 2-3 hours of direct sunlight. Golf ball size at best. Only about 1/4 even made it to that size. *sigh*
However, the parsnips and carrots are looking great! Picked the first ones today.
Parsnips and carrots were growing side-by-side in the middle raised bed - no day-length problems here!
This is my first time growing both parsnips and Kaleidoscope carrots. Usually I just stick with the Scarlet Nantes carrots - they get about 6-8 inches long and as big around as my thumb, a nice size to work with. I'm liking the color variation in the Kaleidoscopes.
As for the parsnips, I guess it's time to start looking at recipes again. All of the growing guides say this is a crop that can overwinter in the garden, and that frost helps make them sweeter. I'm hoping temps in the teens and twenties a few weeks ago did their trick.
The beets were poorly planned. Apparently they need more than 2-3 hours of direct sunlight. Golf ball size at best. Only about 1/4 even made it to that size. *sigh*
However, the parsnips and carrots are looking great! Picked the first ones today.
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| Top to bottom: parsnips, Kaleidoscope carrots, Scarlet Nantes carrots |
Parsnips and carrots were growing side-by-side in the middle raised bed - no day-length problems here!
This is my first time growing both parsnips and Kaleidoscope carrots. Usually I just stick with the Scarlet Nantes carrots - they get about 6-8 inches long and as big around as my thumb, a nice size to work with. I'm liking the color variation in the Kaleidoscopes.
As for the parsnips, I guess it's time to start looking at recipes again. All of the growing guides say this is a crop that can overwinter in the garden, and that frost helps make them sweeter. I'm hoping temps in the teens and twenties a few weeks ago did their trick.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Full Sun Exposure
Or, how to not locate a garden.
This is the time of year I start getting an itchy green thumb. The soil is too cold for starting seeds, but I can't help daydream about what to put where once February rolls around.
This is also a good time of year to plan out any garden expansions. Why? The sun is near it's lowest point in the sky, so how the mid-day shadows cast across the ground is different than in June.
Consider this a lesson in how to locate a garden.
I moved to my property almost five years ago. I immediately started watching the shadows in the yard to determine where to put a garden. My first attempt was in the front yard. I found what I thought was a good spot, looked straight up and saw clear sky, and began removing sod. A few months later though, once the pecan trees were fully leafed out, I realized that my previously sunny spot only got 3-4 hours of direct sunlight thanks to the trees. After two years, I gave up and relocated the garden.
When I started siting the raised beds behind the house I laid out poles on the ground to outline the bed location. I watched the lawn for several days to see how the shadows were cast before I put my shovel in the ground. What I didn't account for was that the sun does not come up as high in winter as it does in summer. As a result, come October one of my raised beds only got 2-3 hours of direct sunlight before it fell in the shadow of the house.
This would explain why I can't get the kohlrabi and beets to do much more than exist. They only get a few hours of light in the morning, and that was after the big pecan tree on the east side of the barn lost its leaves. In December this entire bed is in the shadow of the house at mid-day. Now at mid-January about six inches get mid-day sun. When I start spring planting, that will be the first area to get fresh seeds. No sense planting if it doesn't see direct sunlight to warm the dirt or nurture photosynthesis.
I don't even bother planting anything in this tank over winter. It's best chance at getting daylight is a bright but overcast day, where the clouds are just thick enough do diffuse the sunshine.
Slowly but surely, the sun is coming back. But it also serves as an example of why it's a good idea to observe the yard for a full year before undertaking a major planting project.
Or generate a sun position graph. And then work out the math, angles, etc.
I'll just stick with observations.
This is the time of year I start getting an itchy green thumb. The soil is too cold for starting seeds, but I can't help daydream about what to put where once February rolls around.
This is also a good time of year to plan out any garden expansions. Why? The sun is near it's lowest point in the sky, so how the mid-day shadows cast across the ground is different than in June.
Consider this a lesson in how to locate a garden.
I moved to my property almost five years ago. I immediately started watching the shadows in the yard to determine where to put a garden. My first attempt was in the front yard. I found what I thought was a good spot, looked straight up and saw clear sky, and began removing sod. A few months later though, once the pecan trees were fully leafed out, I realized that my previously sunny spot only got 3-4 hours of direct sunlight thanks to the trees. After two years, I gave up and relocated the garden.
When I started siting the raised beds behind the house I laid out poles on the ground to outline the bed location. I watched the lawn for several days to see how the shadows were cast before I put my shovel in the ground. What I didn't account for was that the sun does not come up as high in winter as it does in summer. As a result, come October one of my raised beds only got 2-3 hours of direct sunlight before it fell in the shadow of the house.
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| House shadow |
This would explain why I can't get the kohlrabi and beets to do much more than exist. They only get a few hours of light in the morning, and that was after the big pecan tree on the east side of the barn lost its leaves. In December this entire bed is in the shadow of the house at mid-day. Now at mid-January about six inches get mid-day sun. When I start spring planting, that will be the first area to get fresh seeds. No sense planting if it doesn't see direct sunlight to warm the dirt or nurture photosynthesis.
I don't even bother planting anything in this tank over winter. It's best chance at getting daylight is a bright but overcast day, where the clouds are just thick enough do diffuse the sunshine.
Slowly but surely, the sun is coming back. But it also serves as an example of why it's a good idea to observe the yard for a full year before undertaking a major planting project.
Or generate a sun position graph. And then work out the math, angles, etc.
 |
| December 21 - Winter Solstice |
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| June 21 - Summer Solstice |
I'll just stick with observations.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Warm Thoughts
We have Arctic cold on the way... well, Arctic by Alabama standards.
Now would be a good time to look back at some pictures from warmer days.
Now would be a good time to look back at some pictures from warmer days.
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| moonflower vine |
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| camellia |
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| crepe myrtle |
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| Knock-out rose |
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| gladiolus |
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| tomato |
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| sweet potato |
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| spaghetti squash (male) |
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| snap pea |
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