On The Stump

with
Joe Luzanski
President Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club

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Wed, May 18 2005
WPMC Meeting

Last night we had a most interesting WPMC monthly meeting. This meeting was packed so full of interesting activities that we did not have enough time to do our table talk on the mushrooms that our members brought to the meeting.

Mark and Rebecca Spear provided oyster mushroom kits, with Rebecca explaining how to grow your own oyster mushrooms. And these oysters are pink. I have never seen a pink oyster mushroom.

Jim Tunny's presentation on cultivation cleared up a lot of the mystery of cloning and growing mushrooms. I had talked with Jim about this in the past but the process intimidated me. Seeing Jim do this in person made me realize that without a lot of expense and some basic material one can get started on what could be a very interesting hobby.

Add to all of that the books, mushroom materials and shitake logs Paul Golan had for sale, our door prize drawing of a photo of pink oysters by John III and our tasty snacks for a meeting jam packed with Fungi, Fun and Friends

 


by Joe  Contact Me

Sun, May 15 2005
End of the season?

Perhaps it's time to throw in the towel for this year. I spent another couple of hours getting nothing but exercise. My total for the year "10" morels. I never did find any under the tulip poplar trees. Everything that I found was under elm. I did find a spot where an elm had gotten the worst of a wind fall by a cherry tree. The elm, though green, is bent and broken with the bark coming off. I'm already looking forward to next year J .

The morels that I had picked went very well with tonight's supper of pork steaks on the grill, fresh asparagus from the garden and German potato salad. Speaking of asparagus. The asparagus in my garden, like the morels, is behind the curve in that only now are we picking enough that we can pass some on to friends and family.

Remember that Tuesday is our meeting at Beechwood Farms and that the topic this month is cultivating oyster mushrooms. By the way, my oyster kit from last year finally gave up the ghost when I moved it outside so that my dog wouldn't be exposed to the oyster mushroom spores.

When I go into the woods I take my camera with me. I had intended to publish these with my blogs. There are not many mushroom photos here because well there weren't many mushrooms.


by Joe  Contact Me

Thu, May 12 2005
Just a few more

I was out hunting the last two days. After walking many miles I found four yellows about the same size as the ones that I found on Sunday. That brings the season's total to ten. Not a stellar season to be sure. Every morel that I found this year as under a dieing elm where bark was just beginning to come loose from the tree. I think that the season will last only another two weeks here in my neck of the woods. Perhaps further to the north folks will have better luck.


by Joe  Contact Me

Tue, May 10 2005
At last

I've got a lot of posting to catch up on. I have some interesting photos to post but I just had to put this one out on the web.4 big ones I've only found six morels the whole season but at least I didn't get skunked. It's going to be a short season here. The undergrowth is coming up fast. I've found nothing under tulip poplars. These were under an elm tree that had been the victim of a wind fall by a larger tree. I hope it will produce well for the several years.


by Joe  Contact Me

Posted at:Wed, Jun 01 2005 09:58:53 AM