Surprisingly there is quite a bit of forested area in the Netherlands. Not rugged enough for a survival experience but large enough to get lost in for a day. Small woods up to the size of a football field can also be found dotted throughout the countryside breaking the flat landscape with sturdy trunks and spreading branches. Lots of these woods as well as long lanes were planted with poplars several decades ago for production purposes. Thirty years onwards the poplars are now ready to be harvested.
The oyster mushroom likes poplar wood. So does velvet shank. Logs of all sizes: big or small, long and short. A poplar log does not have a great defense system against being inoculated and the results are generally fast and abundant (depending on the weather of course!). I like the poplar tree and every year I am on the lookout for a good supply of poplar wood. Preferably freshly cut, not too old, healthy and easy to access. Small diameter logs can be used for mushroom logs, an upgrade to Edible Wood which is much better than low quality paper or a quick energy source.
Use a tree wisely. Preferably let it grow, let it mature and let it stay old but if it has to be chopped down then get the best out of it. And that includes Edible Wood.
Waste Wood
