Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

They eat the waste paper as the energy source

the spawn used is grain spawn
which is sterilised grain to which the fungus has been added
it grows through the grain then the grain is mixed through pasteurised (hot water) paper or straw. The grain enriches the colony by providing all the protein and vitamins needed. paper alone is too poor.

the easiest way is to have a business you can mail order the spawn from.
you may have that option in South Africa

the only person who might be doing it in oz would be worowa
see above posts

i used to do it too , but my equipment is in storage this year.

I'll look into it..... thanks.

I have a couple of questions that may be answered her,

Firstly: Is it possible to use the spent grains from brewing beer as a substrate for any type of mushroom, or should I just keep fattening up the chooks?

Secondly: Is it possible to get spores for truffles anywhere in Oz, I have Oak trees, hazels and chestnuts growing on my property and would be interested to see if it was possible to grow truffles?

H.

There is a place down south of Perth that grows Truffles for export to France, but not sure of their name...

I think I remember seeing something on the news about them growing the biggest one in the southern hemi a few years back.

Firstly: yes. but the chooks sound like a better use of it

Secondly: yes

youll be wanting a temperate climate with loamy rich soil of at least 1m over limestone subsoil
thats the last i read
so its a special location you want

Oak, chestnut or Hazelnuts host the perigord truffle

ill have to go to another forum to find out where to get the trees from
i think it takes 6-10 years to begin bearing

ive asked, just waiting for a reply

They're a couple the biggest is The wine & truffle company and my father in laws business but I doubt they would give away spores willingly

the truffles are the spores
the product is the innoculum

each truffle has millions of spores in it

in theory all you need to get started is one truffle
tubestock of the host species
and the know how

i saw the experiments at murdoch uni in the early 2000's
its deliberate and specific, with a bit of luck, but its not rocket science
which is why people are so cagey about information
anybody with the will to learn could do it in time

a benefit in australia is the lack of competing mycorrhizal species for the host

see the white bits?
thats mycelium
all the rest is untold millions of spores

here we go



good luck. im in the tropics now and have no intent to leave for any reason ubless in a pine box...

Thanks Juicemonkey et al.

lot's of info to read through...
though at a rough glance I would need to purchase an "infected" or inoculated tree to get the whole thing started.. this may be a bit of a problem as the trees in question get to be quite large and the ones I have are well established..

I might get in touch with Tim Terry myself and see if there is any other solution.

BTW, I do produce quite a bit of spent grain from "the brewery" , to the point where the chooks are sick of it (they still eat it, but they have that look in their eye), which is why I was asking about it being used as a substrate..might still give it a go when I get my celler built.

I will post here as to how I get on.

H.

all i can suggest other tha what youve said is that you could buy a truffle

i think i paid $30 for one the size of a macadamia nut (shell on)

try it to be sure you like these things - very odd aroma!

you can use direct- say grated
or lese you can place it among your eggs to infuse the aroma
or make a truffle infused oil
++

take a bit of fresh truffle and make a spore slurry

blender w/ rainwater plus 1/6th of a truffle
and inject it around the feeder roots of your established trees

you wont miss 1/6th
youl be able to give informed opinions on the culinary merits of truffles
and you might get lucky

till then

For you fungi lovers out there a youtube vid with Paul stamets talking about fungi of coarse *Warning this is a 18min vid* towards the end i found it interesting ... any pest contol guys out there http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5frPV5 ... r_embedded
if that link dident work try this http://permaculture.org.au/category/soil/fungi/

Very cool. I have watched the guy from the Permaculture Institute of the Southeast give a tour of his place and he set up innoculated logs in his basically man-made streams/leaf collecting ditches/worm farms ... you could copy this idea with a log half submerged in your AP bed?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-mIYuJePNc

Apparently my soil garden is well suited to grow the Mexican Truffle.
AKA "huitlacoche," and "Corn Smut."
Farmers do NOT want to see this hitch-hiker on their ear corn because it looks awful fugly, but it's just another fungal fruiting body.
Let me tell you, they are delicious (just don't look at it. Seriously) and if you find the right market outlet, it multiplies the value of the corn by approximately Umpteen-Jillion.
No, I'm not gonna post a picture because the appearance gives gardeners nightmares.
It's also all spores inside, I think it hijacks the kernel and starts ballooning with spores inside the kernel's skin... getting bigger... and bigger...
Texture is firm to yielding, the taste is like "moderately tangy" got married to "earthily savory" and their kids moved in to Cornbread's house.
Plum Yummy when sliced up amongst some cheese and melted between starch bookends of your choice - such as a Quesadilla, Grilled Cheese Sandwich or in a Pita.
It will help you create a Twenty-Dollar Omelette when you combine with Swiss Cheese and some Pancetta.

Just don't gaze upon it.

Rick

Now you know you are *going* to have to show a picture.

With a "reference" like that? you have to...