Selfsufficientish.com

Hi all,

I'm expecting a shipment of mushroom plugs this week: Shiitake, maitake, chicken-of-the-woods, pearl oyster and phoenix oyster.

I've seem some spectacular maitake and chicken-of-the-woods specimens on living trees in the wild, and I wonder if anyone's ever tried to plug a living tree with spore dowels, or any other spores? I'd like to 'introduce' (they're native here, anyways) them to the woods around my home, so we have a neverending supply, I hope.

Thoughts? The rest I'm using to innoculate logs. I'm in no hurry, as I'll probably keep them waiting in the fridge for a while while the drought breaks . . . . <fingers crossed>

Thanks!
Eva

i thought that when chicken of the woods was on a tree,the tree would die,but i dont know anything anyway.
steve

I know this thread is .... mmmm "Dated" LOL but i am very curious how EVA made out... I am thinking about ordering some plugs myself and drilling them into the root system/base of a living oak. I have been going to a secluded oak tree for about 5 years and my grandfather has been going there for 20 yrs.... he showed me the tree. The tree is very much alive and well, our mushroom harvest is fairly large... 1 FULL black garbage bag, from the one tree that’s there. We go every year to harvest, I would like try and secure this same type of harvest in my own back yard.

Anyone try plugs on a living tree?

I'd be interested to know too. I was going to buy my mother-in-law a mushroom box for her birthday and some plugs too. I tried the plugs before but think it would be easier and nicer on a living tree. My parents have a living tree with mushrooms growing on, not just at the bottom but in a branch quite high up. We think the tree might be on its way out though.