A couple of weeks ago I finally read this book by Paul Stamets:
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World
It was a fascinating read, containing info on mushrooms as food… mushrooms as medicine… mushrooms as toxic waste crews… mushrooms as water filters… mushrooms as firestarters… mushrooms as a biological internet… mushrooms as pest control… mushrooms as plant feeders…
Mycelium Running is well worth reading just for the insight into one of the lesser-known Kingdoms. (If you end up buying a copy, buy it through the link above and I’ll make a buck or so from Amazon.)
That said, it’s been nice and rainy lately and the wood chips in my food forest are really starting to rot into the soil. With that rot has come a profusion of fungi. Since I’m on a mushroom kick right now, I figured I’d re-start my blog writing with a bunch of photos I just took of the various species popping up in my yard.
I wish I were better at identifying mushrooms so I could give you the species. Sadly I’m a much better horticulturalist than mycologist.
Ready for some close-up pictures of lots of mushrooms in a food forest? Here they are – enjoy:
A pretty unbelievable selection, eh? These are all growing inside my half-acre food forest.
How did I end up with so many mushrooms? Well, it’s a combination of lots of wood chips, lots of chop-n-drop, lots of logs being dragged onto the property, plus when we take walks I’ve been known to pick mushrooms and then spread them around the yard and in the mulch.
Anyone recognize any of the species? Let me know!
If you’d like to find wild edible mushrooms, I recommend you start here.
8 responses to “39 pictures of mushrooms in a food forest!”
Beautiful! There has to be the "Green Deane" of mushrooms out there somewhere! I hope he or she chimes in so you can add some of these to your dinner plate!
YES
I got wood chips from power co too-but I grew shrooms that smelled like poopy diapers!! Also the pile grew roach colonies- ughh! Hopefully it will pay off…
HA. Sounds like stinkhorn mushrooms.
If you have lots of roaches, consider running chickens over the mulch. They eat roaches like candy and will transform them into tasty eggs.
Those mushrooms that look like little cups with pebbles inside? I LOVE THEM. They are prolific in my herb garden, which also started out as a mound of chipped mulch. They are Nidulariaceae fungus. Great photos!
Yes – I love them too and have seen them growing in the potted plants in my nursery. I've heard them called "bird's nest" fungi, though "Nidulariaceae" has a nice ring to it as well. They look like something completely out of this world.
Fast forward 7 years later. 20 months into covid. Loved these pics. I cannot believe forests are not full of mushroom growing to feed the world and help the poor. I hope that you are well David. Sent 9/25/2021 Saturday 10 pm EST
I am well – thank you.