Edible Wood Farm Journal: 2019 (4)
Mid-August: time for the first autumn soaking of the shiitake logs! A moment that highlights the beginning of the end of the summer period and a signal that the mushroom season has begun. A mixture of retrospect and anticipation. Some of the logs have suffered from the sunny spring days when there were no leaves on the trees and the moisture content is not what it should be. Young mycelium needs moisture to to grow and a log that is too dry can start losing its bark. The bark is comparable to a buffer zone that protects the moisture content. An edible wood log without bark is useless and can be downgraded to firewood. A big pity for all the work, time and costs.
Closed canopy
This Edible Wood Farm is in a young beech forest with a closed crown canopy. It is very shady and that is really good for the mushrooms and logs. When the logs (during a dry period) have been watered with a sprinkler the droplets remain long in the air which gives it a magical misty effect.
Goofy, the dog, was my assistant. We had been given a giant puffball by the local forester. It will be on the menu this weekend.
