Shiitake Mushrooms

We love to try new things.

We once had an olive tree.  It wasn't a huge success as we didn't have an area with decent soil that got a lot of sunshine.  You can grow olives in the Gulf Islands as there is an olive grove on Denman Island.  Our little tree, however, didn't survive its second winter.

Then there are the Perigord truffles we're waiting for.  We have 2 hazelnut bushes which have their roots inoculated with truffle spores.  In a couple of years we can expect to start harvesting truffles and hazelnuts.  And apparently we won't need a pig or a truffle hound because ripening truffles kill off the  green growth above them.  We just look for brown patches in the fall!

This spring we're waiting for shiitake mushrooms.  We've grown them before - along with oyster mushrooms.  We had a real battle with slugs however, and our harvests weren't as large as we'd like.  Oyster mushrooms are grown on sections of logs which are half-buried in the ground.  These were just about impossible to keep the slugs off and we've given up on them.  We only got one really good harvest.  We think we may have spread spores through our forest however, because a dead alder tree sprouted a wonderful crop of what looked to us like oyster mushrooms.  We just weren't brave enough to try them!

Oyster mushrooms growing in the wild - we think!

Last spring we found another supplier of shiitake mushroom spawn in Aldergrove - Western Biologicals Ltd.  As our old logs were spent, it was time to give it another try.  It's really rather easy - except for the slug part.  You start with green, healthy logs about 4 to 5" in diameter and about 3 to 4' long.  Spring is the time to cut the logs just before the buds break.  The sap will be rising in the trees with maximum nourishment for the mushroom spawn. You drill holes in the logs about 6" apart and insert the spawn plugs, sealing the holes.  Part of our problem the first time was with the beeswax which was recommended for sealing.  It cracked and fell off.  Western Biologicals recommended we seal with latex and it's still in place.  Our logs were set in a shady place so the spawn could spread throughout the logs.  We placed them under our deck where they could also be splashed by rainwater from above.  Then it's just waiting as we wouldn't expect anything to develop for a year.

Mushroom logs racked and waiting

As the time approaches for mushrooms to start popping out, it's a good plan to "shock" the logs and so my husband soaked them in a barrel for a day and then set them back on their rack which has copper netting placed at all access points to keep the slugs off.  We're hoping to see some signs of life within a week or two.  You can expect to harvest half a pound of mushrooms from one log each year. Can't wait!

Shiitake mushrooms sprouting from our first alder logs

Making It Count

When you don't have a lot of soil - or a lot of room - you have to make every bit count.  Our vegetable garden is in the sunniest spot on our treed 2-acre lot.  That also happens to be at the top of a rocky plateau with nearby cedars.  This is why our garden is mostly composed of concrete raised beds.  The concrete beds have concrete bottoms and the drainage is above ground so the hungry cedar roots can't get in.  When you garden in raised beds, you are concentrating the nutrition you add to the garden and the soil is loose because you aren't walking on it.  Because your nutrition is concentrated, you can grow a lot more in a small space than if you were growing straight into the ground.

The original part of our vegetable garden was 2 wood-sided beds plus 2 pits that we grow asparagus in.  The wooden beds are starting to rot now and we will put concrete sides on them to create one large Three Sisters bed.  The wide side of the "vee" between the beds is walled with tires.  Unfortunately there is the top of a monster rock in the middle of the "vee" so there isn't a lot of soil depth.  It'll do, though, for the squash component of the bed.  I can grow zucchini in the tires.

The original wooden beds which become the Three Sisters bed

We have used tires elsewhere in the garden as well.  Stacked 2 high and filled with rich soil, they create a container that I will grow cherry tomatoes in.  There are also 2 half-barrels that will also be used for cherry tomatoes.

Make-do containers for cherry tomatoes

In addition to the raised beds, on the north side of the plateau lies what was supposed to be the rose bed.  It has now become the rhubarb bed!  The soil here needs lots of building for the 6 rhubarb clumps.  Each spring, I add compost to the plants and then heap on a thick layer of unshreaded maple leaves.  The maple leaves smother any weeds which have plans to take over and the leaves rot into the soil.  This will take time, but eventually the rhubarb will have the kind of soil it needs.

Almost the entire garden.

Of course flowers have a place in my garden - it's not all practical stuff!  The central bed in the garden contains perennials - peonies, delphiniums, day lilies, phlox, as well as spring bulbs - narcissi, tulips, hyacinths and self-seeded windflowers and grape hyacinths.  There was an arbutus tree in the middle, but this winter we removed it.  There will be a lot more sun for the beds to the north now.

We have also tried growing blueberries, black currants, tay berries and raspberries on the plateau but the lack of soil made it very unsuccessful.  They have now all been removed.  Off the back of the plateau we have 2 large hazelnut bushes which are producing nicely.  A couple of years ago, we added 2 more hazelnuts, the roots of which have been inoculated with Perigord truffle spores.  In a couple of years, we might be digging up truffles!

The point of all this is to demonstrate that you might not have a lot of room, but with raised beds and some creative thinking you'd be amazed at how much you can grow!