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 Theory45
Basidia Brain
Registered: 05/30/05
Posts: 16
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 What's attacking my woodchips!?!? 
#15795515 - 02/11/12 10:29 PM (3 months, 15 days ago) |
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I have a pile of mixed hardwood chips (mostly cottonwood and alder, some laurel) that was dropped off by arborists. It has been sitting for about 2 weeks now exposed to rain waiting to be put into garden beds and inoculated with Stropharia Rugosa-annulata, Coprinus Comatus, Hypsizygus Ulmarius, and a few others.
I discovered today to my horror that the entire pile seems to have been commandeered by some rogue fungi. It has already raced through the entire thing.
It was very hot about six inches down. I believe there to be two separate culprits to blame.
This side seems to have white mycelial growth that holds the chips together in clumps.
A close up of the white growth.
The other more wet side however has this grayish-green mold like growth.
A close up of the mold.
My biggest concern here is whether or not my wood chips are still usable for growing the edibles listed above. Some will be in outdoor beds and some will go into a greenhouse.
I turned the top of the pile a bit just for lack of knowing what better to do.
With as hot as it is in there perhaps it will self-pasturize?
Okay so all you experts on here what would you do? Are they still possibly usable? Anything I can do? And equally as important is there anything you would have done differently to begin with to prevent this or does this just happen with wood chip piles?
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 chefinainteasy
Chef
 
Registered: 12/12/10
Posts: 376
Last seen: 8 hours, 37 minutes
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 Re: What's attacking my woodchips!?!? [Re: Theory45]
#15797968 - 02/12/12 01:27 PM (3 months, 15 days ago) |
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The pile is composting. The heat is from anaerobic bacteria near the core. The fungi is common in my compost pile. Not sure what type it is but could be beneficial and symbiotic to plants. This is actually good if you want to make a good compost. My only suggestion would be to spread out the pile if you can. Get more air to it and try to dry it out. That will only stop the composting and if it can get dry enough will stop the mold growth. Dont have any outdoor grow experience besides logs so cant help as far as the usability in beds for your mushrooms, but will be following as i plan to do a few this spring with shaggy main and king stropharia. Hope this helped a bit? Im sure someone more in the know will come along.
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Check out my youtube videos. the basement garden series by chefinainteasy
My new business is now on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/MushroomsNaturally
   
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Theory45
Basidia Brain
Registered: 05/30/05
Posts: 16
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Yeah, I was thinking it would be best to try to spread them out, but I have about 10 yards of chips there. So it would require a lot of room that i don't have a way to keep off the dirt and dry.
I thought of putting a tarp over it, but that seems like it would just create a better environment for mold to grow in.
Indeed I am on my way to producing some nice compost  Coprinus Comatus seems to me it may succeed since it does well on composted materials.
However Hypsizygus ulmarius is strictly a saprophyte so if i understand this correctly perhaps it will be unable to digest the remains of the woodchips. Does this sound right?
Are Stropharia rugosa-annulata primary saprophytes as well?
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chefinainteasy
Chef
Registered: 12/12/10
Posts: 376
Last seen: 8 hours, 37 minutes
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Re: What's attacking my woodchips!?!? [Re: Theory45]
#15800527 - 02/12/12 09:24 PM (3 months, 14 days ago) |
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Aren't all mushroom saprophytic? Detritus feeders of the earth?
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Check out my youtube videos. the basement garden series by chefinainteasy
My new business is now on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/MushroomsNaturally
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trout
Flyfisherman
Registered: 12/11/07
Posts: 393
Last seen: 5 days, 2 hours
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No some are parasites.
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I need a good Hot Weather Oyster culture!!
Well things don't always look as they are and things can be misread and mistaken for what they realy are so don't read too much into what I say since I might be mistaken myself. And remember I rarely ever give a definate answer.
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Byrain
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Registered: 01/07/10
Posts: 1,819
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Re: What's attacking my woodchips!?!? [Re: trout]
#15801861 - 02/13/12 05:59 AM (3 months, 14 days ago) |
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GourmetShiitake
Stranger
Registered: 03/15/09
Posts: 81
Last seen: 3 hours, 41 minutes
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Re: What's attacking my woodchips!?!? [Re: Byrain]
#15801992 - 02/13/12 07:15 AM (3 months, 14 days ago) |
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Don't have an accurate answer for you but i can confirm what chefinainteasy said. If you leave some grass or leaves in a pile that's exactly what it will look like in a week or so..
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure
Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 37,009
Loc: USA Mountain Northwest
Last seen: 17 minutes, 11 seconds
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Re: What's attacking my woodchips!?!? [Re: Theory45]
#15802071 - 02/13/12 07:56 AM (3 months, 14 days ago) |
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It's always best to get your wood chips or sawdust delivered during the dry hot summer so they can dry out and begin aging.
They're going to perform poorly if they're not aged for a season prior to making your chip beds. Try to build an awning. If all you have is a tarp, you can easily build a frame out of lumber to hold the tarp off the pile so air can circulate.
RR
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semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat
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