Thanks to Van and Irene Cotter for hosting the Shiitake Mushroom workshop on a beautiful Saturday this past weekend.
Van and Irene broke out the chain saw and we experimented with both Oak and Sweet Gum trees for spawning shiitake mushrooms.
We also sampled delicious mushroom soup and capped off with chocolate brownies.
20 plus people attended and logs were given out to all that wanted them to enjoy mushrooms in the future.
 
Our next workshop will be on Birds hosted by Dick and Marianne Welsh, April 8 at 7pm on Katharina Court.
Please join us and we still have available memberships for only $10 per person an entire year!

Karen Rice
Garden Club President


Van Cotter adds this reminder to participants:
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Dear Shiitake Workshop participant,
It is important to keep the aluminum foil caps tight on the log ends to protect the growing shiitake mycelium as it colonizes the wood and to kept it from drying out.  

If your caps are tight, great.
If your caps are loose, it can be remedied in a couple of ways.
If your foil cap has triangular flaps of foil descending down the log from the main body of the cap,
they can be lifted and turned around the circumference of the log, crimping them into the lower part of the main body of the cap.
This will tighten the cap onto the log end.  If the cap still seems loose, then a strong rubber band can be used to hold the cap tight.  
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Thanks.