SPRING PLANTING AT CAMELINA -

THE MAKING OF A MUSHROOM PATCH AND A GARDEN

In which Bob and Rob seed oak logs and cardboard with with shitake and oyster mushroom spawn and Bob turns an old IBC into two raised garden beds.

 

TEAM SHITAKE

Rob and Bob at their work station March 3rd.

 

DRILLING AND PLUGGING

   

Bob drilled holes in the seasoned logs from an oak tree which was cut down two months ago.  Then Rob pounded in the mushroom plugs (wooden dowels inoculated with shitake spawn.)  Ian stopped by to see what was going on.

 

WAX ON

 

The last step was to seal the plug with hot wax. The logs are stacked and covered in a place easily seen from our kitchen door.  Next fall, we should begin seeing shitake mushrooms growing from these logs and they should fruit periodically over the next five years.

 

OYSTERS

 

Rob cuts and spreads inoculated straw from an oyster mushroom kit onto corrugated cardboard, then covered it with cardboard and raked leaves over it.  Again, we'll look for fruiting mushrooms in the fall and over the next five years. 

 

MYCELIUM RUNNING

 

Bob inoculated this log in November when he attended Paul Stamets Mushroom Workshop.

 

HOW TO MAKE A GARDEN FROM SCRATCH

 

On March 4, before Jack got the mower running, we cleared a spot for the garden by laying down cardboard from our moving boxes. We then dragged over some scrap lumber and lay it over the cardboard to make a solid platform. Three weeks later, Bob was able to mow around the garden site and beyond to keep the ticks and chigger population at bay.

 

PLANTING THE SEEDS

On March 18 Bob planted seeds for two varieties of spinach and two of lettuce.

 

COMPOST

 

"The shoveler" unloads two cubic yards of compost onto the garden platform.

 

ALMOST FINISHED FOR TODAY

 

The next step is to mix equal parts compost, peat moss and vermiculite into the containers.  And then, water and seeds or seedlings.

You can see the wooden platform in these photos.  Bob made these two raised bed containers from one IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container).  He cleaned it out and cut it in half using a saws all.

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