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mycelium running
December 2009 
Ready to Grow Mushroom Patches
Posted on Nov 4th, 2009
by 
Bird
Bird
http://fungi.com/kits/index.html
Cool Christmas Kits
Excerpted from Edible Wild Mushrooms of Southern Illinois and Surrounding States by McFarland and Mueller
"Here's how it works: Even though the sturdy roots of a healthy tree keep the tree from toppling over in a breeze, the roots aren't exceedingly efficient at supplying al of the moisture and nutrients that the tree requires to thrive. Thirsty tree roots, feeling their way through the soil, encounter the tiny fungal threads of a compatible fungus, some of which connecto to tree roots to greatly expand the moisture--and nutrient-- absorbing abilities of the relatively fat and clumsy tree root. Roots alone can't extract sufficient nourishment to feed the giant tree above. For comparison, imagine drinking from a tiny straw: If you happen to be tremendously thirsty, it would take an eternity before you said, "Ahhh.
Now imagine drinking through fifteen or twenty straws at once--then you've really got something. That's how fungi partner with trees. Tiny hyphal threads of a fungus reach everywhere in the soil, far more efficiently than tree roots. If there's a microliter of water to be extracted between grains of soil, the fungus owns it--and so does the tree.
There's a whole lot more to this tree-fungus partnership. And trees aren't the only winners in the deal. Fungi not only give trees moisture and nutrients they've transported from nature's recycling bin, they also siphon surplus sugars from the tree roots, like humans might collect sap from making maple syrup. It's a sweet, necessary source of energy to fuel the hungry providers."
Cool Christmas Kits
Excerpted from Edible Wild Mushrooms of Southern Illinois and Surrounding States by McFarland and Mueller
"Here's how it works: Even though the sturdy roots of a healthy tree keep the tree from toppling over in a breeze, the roots aren't exceedingly efficient at supplying al of the moisture and nutrients that the tree requires to thrive. Thirsty tree roots, feeling their way through the soil, encounter the tiny fungal threads of a compatible fungus, some of which connecto to tree roots to greatly expand the moisture--and nutrient-- absorbing abilities of the relatively fat and clumsy tree root. Roots alone can't extract sufficient nourishment to feed the giant tree above. For comparison, imagine drinking from a tiny straw: If you happen to be tremendously thirsty, it would take an eternity before you said, "Ahhh.
Now imagine drinking through fifteen or twenty straws at once--then you've really got something. That's how fungi partner with trees. Tiny hyphal threads of a fungus reach everywhere in the soil, far more efficiently than tree roots. If there's a microliter of water to be extracted between grains of soil, the fungus owns it--and so does the tree.
There's a whole lot more to this tree-fungus partnership. And trees aren't the only winners in the deal. Fungi not only give trees moisture and nutrients they've transported from nature's recycling bin, they also siphon surplus sugars from the tree roots, like humans might collect sap from making maple syrup. It's a sweet, necessary source of energy to fuel the hungry providers."
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