[Carolinajim]

I've started an experiment on some of my coppice stools of red maple, sweet gum and a variety of oaks.  One method of inoculating wood with mushrooms is to add mushroom spores to canola oil which is used to lubricate the chain saw chain.  Adding things up I elected to combine this technique with coppicing. 

I used oyster mushrooms since these mushrooms attack dead wood rather than live wood.  The root system of the stool (stump) provides moisture for the mushrooms. 

Pictures and, as always, free information at:  http://www.redbayfarm.com/Shiitake.html

[daviddb]

Side stepping a little ( forgive me)  Canola oil for chain saw chain lubricant?? Any good?

regards

David

[HappyHippy]

I've just spotted this post and as we're going to coppice some of our trees I was wondering if you've had any success Jim ? (Maybe it's too early, I'm not clued up on mushrooms)

[Carolinajim]

Yes canola oil infused with mushroom spores.  The concept was introduced by Paul Stamets.  You can find his product at Fungi Perfecti.  This year I am trying pearl oysters next year...shiitakes.  Fall is the best time for shiitakes.  Oysters are less demanding.

My neighbor and my father were dubious about using canola oil for chain lubricant on the saw...as an alternative, I simply tried the technique using a paint brush.  I ran the saw using the canola mushroom oil as a lubricant for most of the firewood cutting season...no problems.

As for the results...it looks promising.  For landowners with woodlots...right now this technique appears to be much less complicated as a means to raise mushrooms for personal consumption and maybe for sale.

Here is a photo of the top of a sweet gum stump/stool inoculated with the chain saw in late Feb. I removed the top for the picture...a slice is taken off the top and then put back on top the stool to maintain moisture to help the mushrooms grow.


http://www.redbayfarm.com/Shiitake.html

I didn't take pictures of a red maple stool which has numerous sprouts and on which the mushrooms seem to have taken hold.  I also used the technique on two different types of oak.

Only time will tell.  Cant wait to post some photos of stools with mushrooms and new growth...oysters only eat dead wood.