# 20 YEARS A GROWER



## trahn008

Some of my grow projects thru the years. Happy Growing!!


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## trahn008




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## trahn008




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## trahn008




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## nate

Very, impressive!! Now where are the Morels youve grown?


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## sb

Real magic! . . . good stuff!


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## trahn008




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## trahn008

@nate This one!! SHHHHH!!


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## trahn008

Interesting Mane, grew this one off the top of a quart mason jar.


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## sb

trahn008 said:


> @nate This one!! SHHHHH!!
> View attachment 3695


I'm intrigued. What's the story on this one?


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## trahn008

sb do you grow??


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## sb




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## trahn008

Think this was a tissue culture first gen. from a local black morel. Not the best pictures. Notice the sclerotium formation at the glass (key in growing morel spawn you need a barrier) some use low nutrient mix in there spawn run, but I found the glass or bags work great as a barrier.


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## trahn008

Outdoor hen project.


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## sb

*Trahn*
1. Black Morel:
Tissue used taken from inside of cap?
Sterilized grain? Type? other additives?
Did you do anything to shock it, to get it to fruit? Nice sized Morel, by the way.

2. I had 7 grow in the back yard year-fore-last, at the border of a flower bed & yard grass; from thrown-out trim pieces and wash water.

3. It appears that disciplined consistency is required for anything better than random luck in getting the mycelium to fruit. (This has been my downfall.)

4. Every other year I research/download the latest Chinese Patents on Morel Cultivation. There is now a legacy of 25-30 Chinese patents on various techniques.

The lead Chinese scientist/grower (at the Gov sponsored Mushroom Institute) with 25 years experience with Morels expresses that in the beginning he had success of only 4-5% and now after 25 years of consistent honing of techniques, he/they are at 98-99%. Their Morel cultivation industry in China has been doubling every 2 years for the last 6 years.

5. The latest patent was on the techniques by which the highest quality Morel strains could be winnowed from the germination of spores to arrive at the "seed-stock" to be used, multiplied for high yield cultivation - as in acres and acres!


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## trahn008

@sb
1-Tissue culture was cut from where cap rolls into stem. Did about 8 transfers on agar cutting leading edge of myc threads until I out ran contams. Ended with a nice mono mother culture. Had 5 or 6 morel strains master cultures. Always used grass seed for my spawn runs water used was always 7.0PH nothing else. The big key to spawn run is moisture it has to be perfect (if you want to know how to do this PM me). (Shock) is what I call the trigger that's the secret for controlled environment growing.
2-Key word is (border) I call this barrier think about the glass in the spawn run what happens when the myc hits a barrier it forms sclerotium and you know what fruits from those!
3,4,5-I'm very well read on the subject. They are written to be rabbit holes!! Trigger...think a mold that acts like a fungus. Happy Growing!!


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## nate

Wow, great job Trahn. Thats got to take a ton of dedication and patience. Very impressive. I'd love to learn more about it sometime.


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## sb

Trahn -

Check your inbox on this site for PM.

Thanks for your posts.


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## trahn008

This was an outdoor morel patch. Take note of the stone wall it is my barrier! The mother is about 15 feet away which I feed and all my fruitings are along this wall.


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## trahn008

Hen of the woods outdoor grow bed, can't find the pic of fruiting!!


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## trahn008

Pink oyster grow on toilet paper rolls. Don't think this one went really well. Got some fruiting off this but contams took over early. TP is hard to control moisture for myc run.


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## morelsxs

Living vicariously thru you, for now, Trahn. Was s'pose to start my logs in 2016 and had my damn accident. This is the year. Steep learning curve and lots of reading to do . . . again! Can't wait to inoculate my logs . . .


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## trahn008

@morelsxs never give up brother!!! Hope you are healing well. Any help I could offer just ask. Happy Growing!


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## morelsxs

Thanks much, Trahn! I'm never afraid to ask a dumb question!


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## judymoon

trahn008 said:


> View attachment 3672
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I’d really like to learn to grow the Lions Mane, I make tinctures from it! My only question would be does it have the same nutritional value as in wild? Would love some feedback


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## trahn008

I also make tinctures! Yes, as good as wild. I grow all my mushrooms organic (NO Chemicals add).


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## beagleboy

i


trahn008 said:


> I also make tinctures! Yes, as good as wild. I grow all my mushrooms organic (NO Chemicals add).


I have been thinking about trying to grow some kind of mushroom. what kind would be the most simple to do, and which method for outdoors. I have access to tulip poplar logs and can get other types if needed.


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## trahn008

Shiitake plugs. Oak works the best for shiitake.


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## beagleboy

trahn008 said:


> Shiitake plugs. Oak works the best for shiitake.


Thanks, is there a place you recommend to get shiitake plugs and when is the best time to start them.


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## trahn008

Field and Forest Products the best for shiitake plugs. Try a cold and warm weather strain. Now is the best time to start them if you have oak logs that have been cut already. If you fresh cut logs you will want them to sit inside for a month before plugging. Happy Growing!


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## beagleboy

trahn008 said:


> Field and Forest Products the best for shiitake plugs. Try a cold and warm weather strain. Now is the best time to start them if you have oak logs that have been cut already. If you fresh cut logs you will want them to sit inside for a month before plugging. Happy Growing!


Thanks that really helps. The area that I hunt morels in was timbered in December do you think if I get some of the bigger limbs that they would work. some of them are 6 to 8" in diameter. they left the elm so I hope there will still be morels.


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## trahn008

That would be perfect. Try to mix some small size 3inchers in your patch. You might get a fall flush on the smaller ones this year if you do them soon. Happy Growing!


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## beagleboy

trahn008 said:


> That would be perfect. Try to mix some small size 3inchers in your patch. You might get a fall flush on the smaller ones this year if you do them soon. Happy Growing!


I will try to get the logs by next week then it will depend how quick they deliver the plugs.


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## beagleboy

I just saw where the Snyder county conservation district is selling shiitake inoculated logs during their spring tree sale. They said they will have 3 flushes this year 16 days apart.


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## supplyguy1973

Awesome pics. I would love to learn more about growing all kinds of mushrooms


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## farsouthsider

Cool pics, trahn008!

I'm fascinated by the idea of morels forming sclerotia as they encounter a barrier or run out of nutrients. I wonder if lining the bottom and sides with brick would help a morel bed prosper?

Where my morel bed is, I don't have anything that qualifies as a barrier - they're 2 soil trenches in the backyard, no other features nearby. I planted morel spawn for the first time this year, in the spring. I'm following Tradd Cotter's layered bed technique from Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation. I put in 2 trenches, one with a little ammonium sulfate for nitrogen supplementation (saw some deer mushrooms appear on that side by the way - perhaps they've consumed the original spawn). I'm hopeful for spring.

I've read that Chinese cultivation methods involve a top application of a perforated spawn bag on top of the prepared bed. After 2 weeks allowing the spawn to grow downward, the spawn is entirely removed - forcing the morel spawn into expanding and fruiting as a survival strategy. I've often wondered if microbial/pest attack on top-laid spawn accomplishes the same thing in Cotter's strategy. Source: https://plantpath.psu.edu/research/news/2017/china-trip-unveils-morel-cultivation-mysteries

Oysters and commonly-cultivated varieties are what I'm actively focused on now. I just birthed 19 blocks and I'm hoping to get out to the local market and sell oysters and a few lion's mane mushrooms for the first time on the 18th of this month. (crosses fingers)

FYI on another topic, I know there was a flurry of some legit spam posting yesterday and 2 threads I posted on were deleted, one a classified ad - but that was later corrected. I believe you mentioned elsewhere that this might be your last day on the site. Yesterday was my first day actually. This morning my posts were reinstated after a message to a quite reasonable admin. Hang in there, and it was nice to have a chance to meet you, either way.


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## sb

Trahn - I liked your idea and also ask if a Growers Thread could be started that stood on equal ranking as other Forums. Then it would have equal standing as any state, under Forums.

Right now they are hard to find because they are hidden within a particular state like your "20 years a grower" being under PA and the "Morel Cultivation" being under OH. Or for that matter, the "dinner Plate" thread for recipes being under OH also.

These are not geographically defined and they would be easier to access and participate in if they stood beyond a single state (in my opinion).

So they are harder for people to find because they roll down and off the list of recent posts if they go a few days with no postings.

Before the currently used software, Jack responded to my similar and previous request by saying the software at that time didn't allow for the creation of a Thread on the Forums level as it was set for just one Forum for each state, with many topic thread under them. Maybe it is different with the newer software nowl.


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## trahn008

farsouthsider said:


> I wonder if lining the bottom and sides with brick would help a morel bed prosper?


 Very important, Yes would help with fruiting at those barriers. Wouldn't worry with the bottoms but the side for sure. Happy Growing!!


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## trahn008

SB, I know the forum game very well. Traffic, ad selling, sponsors, traffic control, spam control, money flow for upgrades, ranking major search engines, featured threads at the right time etc. I've done what Jack does and he does have his hands full. I offered my help...so lets get back to TALKIN MUSHROOMS!!


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## sb

Trahn -- Good idea!!

This was this morning's Chanterelles. (Central OH)


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## ladybug34

I'm impressed Trahn. I would love to learn how to grow something.


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## PickinFungi

Bump past the spam.


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## Pan0606

Trahn do you sell mushrooms or is it a hobby for you? I'm interested in growing oysters.


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## trahn008

Pan, just a hobby. Happy Growing!


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## sb

Trahn008: Thanks for all your sharing on here.

*What's the best alternative for getting a jar of Morel mycellium growing on grass seed to carry forward to October?*

My intention is to do a "Trad Cotter" style vertically layered trench this Fall/Oct in my back yard to carry forward through winter to next Spring

I originally wanted to have black Morels to try the vertical layered trench this Fall-October. However, I ate my first find (28 perfect blacks) from creek behind the house thinking Id find more. When I did, they were past their prime. Ha!

As luck would have it, I had a tan Morel come up in the back yard, the first since 7 Morels 3 years ago, which were also in the same spot.











I tried using the boiled grass seed and cutting up the Morel cap into little pieces and adding to two jars with the boiled grass seed.

These pics below are today 5-26, 18 days after harvesting, cutting the tan Morel and seeding the boiled grass seed on 5-8.


























Again, I want to do the trench in Oct.
What help can you offer? Freeze? Refrigerate? Do a further grow-out?

I also did a spore print into a jar before cutting up the Morel cap as below.


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## PickinFungi

Sorry for the thread hijack. I could not find a generalized growing thread in the PA section.

So I finally got my KIng Strapharia/ wine cap mushroom spawn in and got my bed put together. Layer of clean cardboard. 2-3 inches of soaked oak and poplar saw dust - mostly oak. Sprinkle of spawn . Few inches of straw. Sprinkle of spawn. Layer of straw. Packed down a bit . Good watering. I will water daily for the next couple weeks unless it rains. We'll see what happens in a few months. I will try to update once/if the spawn takes and runs.


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## trahn008

Looks good Pickin, I love the smell and look of King MYC. Thick and rope like threads. Happy Growing!


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## PickinFungi

PickinFungi said:


> Sorry for the thread hijack. I could not find a generalized growing thread in the PA section.
> 
> So I finally got my KIng Strapharia/ wine cap mushroom spawn in and got my bed put together. Layer of clean cardboard. 2-3 inches of soaked oak and poplar saw dust - mostly oak. Sprinkle of spawn . Few inches of straw. Sprinkle of spawn. Layer of straw. Packed down a bit . Good watering. I will water daily for the next couple weeks unless it rains. We'll see what happens in a few months. I will try to update once/if the spawn takes and runs.
> View attachment 22008
> 
> View attachment 22010


1 month update. Mycelium is 2-3 inches thick in the whole patch. The pulled back straw is just the surface of the growth.


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## trahn008

Pinkin, looks good. Happy Growing!


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## PickinFungi

My first garden giant / wine cap mushrooms! Just past 3 months from patch inoculation.


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## Gibz

PickinFungi said:


> I'm having a great morning! My first shiitake ever!
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Pickin Congrats! I plugged my logs in March and have been watching for any sign of pinning but nothing yet. The ends of the logs have turned black, which I am attributing to the mycelium taking over the log. Did you force fruiting by soaking in water? Or just happen naturally? Any drawbacks associated with forcing the flush?


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## PickinFungi

PickinFungi said:


> My first garden giant / wine cap mushrooms! Just past 3 months from patch inoculation.
> View attachment 23394
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## PickinFungi

I'm having a great morning! My first shiitake ever!


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## trahn008

Pickin, Congrats looking good. Notice how those kings are growing at the edges of your patch... Happy Growing!


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## PickinFungi

trahn008 said:


> Pickin, Congrats looking good. Notice how those kings are growing at the edges of your patch... Happy Growing!


I see . The low/no nutrient barrier helped with fruiting. Just like with your morels.


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