Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Did the Alder logs get taken over by green mold? Alder enhance the growth Trichoderma? apparently YES!

attached photo. I put these stacked "log cabin" style now. So hopefully the green mold won't take over?
is it the "green mold" cited in that pdf? Or maybe something different.
Thanks for your help again,
drew
EcoEcho Forest Cultivation
 So as per the pdf link - the white mold on the outside could all be the green mold?!!

So I await an answer from Joe at Field and Forest - he's been very helpful thus far. But Mother Nature is in control on this one! Like I said - the logs were on the forest floor - and damp - and so got contaminated. I thought all the white was shiitake but now it could be turning to ALL that green color? 

Hi Joe - that's the only log that has the green but all the Alder logs got that white on the outside - on the side on the forest floor. So now I'm wondering if all that white will also turn green as Trichoderma? this is in northern Minnesota in the tamarack forest. thanks again - I'm assuming this is just contamination from the forest floor. drew

 Species of the ascomycete genus Trichoderma (teleomorph Hypocrea) are found in many ecosystems, but the most common and natural habitat of these fungi is known to be soil (Druzhinina et al. ).


oops - it probably is NOT shiitake after all?

Here is Trichoderma BEFORE it turns green - looks the same to me!


and then this:


So let's hope my shiitake logs can fend off the attack!!?



wow fascinating! pdf link

Well all I can say is Mother Nature is complex, mysterious and unpredictable!!

I wonder if that whole pile will turn green or if the shiitake can fight it off? hmmm. I have no idea.

 You're absolutely right, in the wild they obviously fruit but it's different indoors....It can fruit, and there's no reason the fruits would be dangerous or contaminated in terms of flavor.
Video showing Oyster mycelium taking over the Trichoderma! (above quote is from one of the youtube comments)

Logs that sit in the sun get sunburned, which makes the bark less useful for shiitake mushroom growth, but worse, the logs warm up and grow Trichoderma, a locally prevalent, aggressively competing fungus. If that stuff gets a toehold before the shiitake can get established, then the logs fail to ever produce mushrooms. So keep your logs cool and in the shade!
Shiitake mushroom cultivation on alder logs

Wow thanks for the warning - but luckily the Shiitake is already "well-established" - so hopefully the logs still have a chance!!

My 2011 logs were invaded by Trichoderma and have never fruited.
oops. https://www.mushroomcompany.com/resources/shiitake/CornellShiitakeGuide.pdf
 

Wow so this really is Trichoderma and NOT shiitake! dang.  So the key is for the logs to not be TOO damp (only 30% to 50% moisture content) and also NO full sunlight!!! wow I didn't know that - but they don't get a "day's" worth of full sunlight - to be sure. They get "some" full sunlight but not a day's worth. Also if the moisture is over 60% but the temperature is low then this causes the Trichoderma to grow.

Live and learn!
Trichoderma competes well with shiitake and is highly antifungal. If you cut in winter inoculate in early spring this will limit the amount of trich and give the shiitake an advantage. Waxing the ends also helps. But most important is to NEVER allow direct sunlight to hit the logs, even for a day.  This favors the trich and causes it to overrun the shiitake.
I guess I need to keep the logs on pallets for sure!!
I have a small Shiitake farm ... I have logs like this and i still get plenty of Shiitake mushrooms out of the log.  I would say keep it and watch it grow
Amazing. https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/18674642

Competition tests between Lentinula edodes (Sanjo302) and the Trichoderma species indicated that the six species of Trichoderma were significantly different from each other in terms of their ability to invade the mycelial blocks of shiitake. In both of dual cultures on potato dextrose agar and sawdust media, Trichoderma spp. 1 and 2 strongly invaded the mycelial blocks of shiitake. Our results suggest that the two Trichoderma species may cause potentially serious economic losses in shiitake cultivation of Korea.
This is currently the most important disease in the U.S. Agaricus industry. Many farms spread salt on the compost in affected areas when green mold is first recognized. Strict sanitation is essential. Shelving, trays, walls, floors, etc. may be surface disinfested as a matter of routine, but it is done with a sense of urgency following an outbreak of a disease.
 Shiitake Sawdust blocks fighting off green mold Trichoderma - vid

Will I put in Rafter Blocks in the Hermit Hut? filling the space between the rafters and above the wall top plate

I was not trained to do rafter blocks at top plate.

But about 15 years ago we were framing a place and a experienced carpenter that I had not worked with before started putting them in because that's how he always did it.

I really liked how strong it made that all feel. sort of plums the rafter. I can't stand rafters that aren't plum. makes a great insulation block and leaving the gap for the very important vent.

Come to think of it seems under-built without them.
https://www.contractortalk.com/f14/rafter-blocking-top-plate-71376/

That horizontal beam between the rafters and above the "top plate" of the wall is the Rafter Blocker
 I need to seal the greenhouse to the outside air. To do this, I cut 2x4 lumber. First I measured the distance between the rafters. I set the table saw to rip a 30 degree chamfered edge so when the roofing substrate was installed, it would sit flush with the rafters and blocking with minimal air gaps. Next I mitered the edges to 22.5 degrees to fit in between the rafters.
Since I don't have a real "roof" but instead a tarp or actually THREE tarps - I have not put on the third tarp yet - so now I have the issue of how to make the walls "air tight" at the tops. I got to thinking - you have the rafters with the roof over the rafters and the rafters on top of the wall plate. So that leaves a SPACE between the rafters and the wall plate!!

I guess normally this is not an issue because the ceiling is installed inside on top of the ceiling joists - or something - and you need ventilation into the roof.... But I don't have a ceiling. Also there are "closed soffits" under the eaves. But again I don't have any soffits.

When we say insulation blocks, I'm most familiar with batts so think of that highly skilled insulation installer up in the attic putting the batts in the rafter bays; it keeps the batts from migrating out into the soffit.
Right so my first tarp is the insulation - and so the rafter blocking would keep that insulation from "migrating" out into the eaves! exactly. Again this is what I was doing with the "daub" - building it up on top of the walls. But now I realize I also need to build it up between the rafters - rather I should install connectors.



And so I looked at this shed at a local park - and old shed that may be historic. Sure enough there was exactly what I was envisioning - at the top of the wall plate was installed a "trim" board BETWEEN the rafters - and so this filled up the space up to the roof. One side of the shed was missing this "trim board" and so had an OPEN space between the wall and the roof!! NOT air tight!! Precisely my issue.

Right now my plan was to just build up the daub or clay-horse manure - and that is working up to the wall plate. But what about ABOVE the wall plate - and between the rafters? So the first roof is from below - so that may fill in some of the space between the rafters.

 This is from the UBC in 1994.

Sec. 2326.12.8. Blocking. Roof rafters and ceiling joists shall be supported laterally to prevent rotations and lateral displacement when required by Section 2306.7. Roof trusses shall be supported laterally at points of bearing by solid blocking to prevent rotation and lateral displacement.
So glad to know this is a "thing" - but funny how most people don't do it apparently!!

 2006 IRC
R802.8
Lateral support. Rafters and ceiling joists having a depth-to-thickness ratio exceeding 5 to 1 based on nominal dimensions shall be provided with lateral support at points of bearing to prevent rotation.
 From the 2009 IRC

R602.10.6.2

1. For limited height rafters or trusses (i.e., =9.25-in. heel height), blocking is not required in low wind and seismic regions. This requirement establishes a reasonable limit on the generally accepted past practice of not providing eave blocking.
2. For conditions beyond this limitation, e.g., taller heel heights or in higher seismic and wind regions, “partial height” eave blocking is required to comply with one of four options. Three options are prescriptive framing details. The fourth option is for the connection to be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice.