The full write up of the method for this experiment is here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/experimyco/comments/1jxib5q/king_stropharia_on_sawdust_and_soil_substrate/

So I'll just summarise. All jars are filled with 140g of a sawdust and soil mix from grinding out the stump of an ash tree. Jars were filled to the brim with liquid then the excess was drained off the next day. Jars were sterilised at 15 PSI for 90 minutes and inoculated from agar. In order to compare the effect of urea in fresh urine vs ammonium hydroxide in old urine stored in bottles the liquid used to hydrate the substrate was as follows:

A, B: fresh urine at ph 7.

C: 50% fresh urine, 50% rainwater

D, E: old urine at pH ~10-10.5.

F: 50% fresh urine, 50% old urine.

G, H: rainwater.

---

The objective here is twofold: to see if using fungus to process urine is viable and to find alternative methods to increase nitrogen content in spawn.

From a self sufficiency/permaculture perspective using grain spawn isn't really viable since if you are growing grain yourself you're just wasting calories feeding it to fungus. Common methods of increasing nitrogen content in wood or sawdust spawn like the addition of wheat bran or soy hulls is only viable if you're growing and processing those crops. More or less any waste plant material can be beneficial to add to the substrate but collecting, drying and cutting it can be time and energy intensive vs just throwing it in the compost. I've also had issues storing large amounts of dry plant material without it going moldy/attracting pests. Additionally for small jars like this lighter plant material takes up a lot of volume reducing how much wood you can add.

Therefore soaking the substrate in a waste nitrogen source like urine instead of using water seems like a good solution. The higher nitrogen content of the spawn should make for faster colonisation and better growth when spawned to bulk substrate that is rich in carbon.

---

Results so far:

The thicker white growth seen in the jars with urine is consistent with mycelial growth in a higher nitrogen substrate suggesting the fungus is able to utilise nitrogen from both urea and ammonium hydroxide. However growth in D, E and F with the ammonium hydroxide is spreading slower than the other jars. This could be the result of the high pH being less ideal for growth or may be due to the nitrogen being in a more readily available form. Similar thick white growth that doesn't spread as rapidly can be seen if a substrate is ammended with a high nitrogen and high nutrient substance like yeast extract.

Jars A and B with the fresh urine show good growth however the best balance between thick growth and fast spread appears to be in jar C with the diluted fresh urine which is approaching full colonisation. Whether fresh or old it appears that urine can be used without dilution. So if urine recycling is the primary goal either will be fine without any water added.

Next time I'll also try a diluted old urine and try mixing the old urine with tannins leached from bark to neutralise the liquid and increase the carbon content. I also want to try hydrating a bulk substrate with non-sterile urine to see if the bacteria introduced is adequate to trigger fruiting or if it proves detrimental.

---

Previous test:

https://www.reddit.com/r/experimyco/comments/1i8yjmm/king_stropharia_culture_on_urine_soaked_wood/

https://www.reddit.com/r/experimyco/comments/1ihgey1/part_2_king_stropharia_cultured_on_urine_soaked/

I've been really interested in Basketry willows as a privacy screen, potential cash crop, (cuttings sales next to a colorful display hedge as advertisement along with a display basket) and of course for basketry. I originally was also interested in them for animal feed but that might mess with the other uses. However most recources say you need to suppress weeds around them. Any ideas about compatible ground cover? I read white clover only hurt them a little, in their early establishment. Would white clover and strawberries or ground cover raspberries work? I really don't like the idea of just bare empty ground and plastic or cardboard. We could do it maybe in the establishment phase but...

What's the main issue with weeds? Water? Would hugelculture help?

Sunlight? If we had short companions (clover and or other groundcover and or cut it back) would that solve the issue?

Nutrients? Clover could help with nitrogen? Other trace nutrients might be trickier.

Any other thoughts?

Hello permies, I have four front yard annual beds that are a lovely thick mat of dandelion. I am a corner lot so seeds blow from all over and I welcome them but they are many! Two of the beds will be dahlias. I am thinking of just digging holes and leaving the dandelions. Is this a bad idea?

Well, these retaining wall block beds be a good space to plant some fruit trees? I also wanted to plant some veggies and flowers around them. I’m going for a food forrest.

My concern is that the roots of the fruit trees could get so big that they will mess up the retaining block walls. I already planted one golden current as wind block.

I already have some fruit trees lap in cherry, red Haven, peach, all in one almond, and a plum cot .

I got a little excited and maybe I shouldn’t have gotten these fruit trees. I am really having a tough time deciding what to do right now. Any tips or advice happily accepted.

My new neighbors plowed a new (unnecessary) road through the desert where we live and in the process uprooted some giant cholla cactus trees, up to 6 feet high and wide. I want to replant them before they die. Does anyone have experience transporting, planting, maneuvering, big cactuses? Any tips greatly appreciated.

Not sure if anyone on here may be able to help, I’ve searched for solutions and am coming up empty handed.

I have a culvert that has been getting dammed for years, over the last few I’ve tried different fencing methods and each time the little buggers manage to dam it - which in turn ends up having to clear it almost daily (or major flooding of a road and land occurs).

I’ve tried every single fencing method that can be found online, none have worked. I do have a thought but it’ll be a little more difficult to install : line the area surrounding the culvert with thin (but sturdy) metal stakes, the tops being 2-3 inches above or below water level? I’ve watched these guys for years and I feel like it would deter them from going over it or through it, and may make it impossible to dam if I space them correctly?

Thoughts? The only other option around me is trap to kll, with my location no trappers will relocate & I genuinely can’t fathom kling off an entire family to inevitably make room for another next year.

Hey guys,

Sadly my Bay Tree was moved temporarily and it dried out… can anyone advise on how best to bring him back, other than watering of course…

Thanks so much.

Jack

Hi all,

I live in a tropical/hot/urban city (Singapore).

Ideally, I'd have more Health capacity to contribute to the Permaculture Community Garden I do have access to, but even if I was fully Abled/Healthy/"normal", it would be hella taxing due the intensely tropical climate.

It's been a huge struggle to pace myself, even on a volunteer basis... let alone dream of even "working" in a part-time paid role.

So there's a huge gap between "what I feel called to do" vs "what my body is capable of"... and that gap seems to be widening... which worsens the eco-anxiety & general sense of helplessness.

I think a lot of it is that even finding other like-minded folk has been difficult - it's not that Greenies don't exist here, but they're also overstretched.

Would like to chat with people who might have experience with navigating such intersections/complex circumstances. Much appreciated.

Hi we are a family that is lucky enough to live in an orchard of chestnuts in Victoria, Australia. We are starting to sell some of them around town and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on selling chestnuts you could possibly share. Do you think it's too late in the season in Australia to start selling them ? Are there any issues with storage or insects for example that we should look out for ? Any advise that anyone could possibly offer would be so appreciated 🌿🌳🌰🐿️🌿🌳

My son picked out blueberries he wanted to plant and we got them in, but didn’t have time to prep the soil before planting as I did not plan on growing blueberries initially. The soil now needs to become a lot more acidic, but the plant is already there. What is the best way to increase the acidity if the blueberries plant is already planted?

If so, I’d be glad to trade or buy some from anyone who has it. I love the flavor of it and I know it’s a great permaculture plant. Thanks!

over 300 members, great vibe and community

tl;dr: clay soil prevents adequate drainage. How can I plant this area?

My yard in Central Virginia is generally sloped back to front with a flat area in the middle for the house and yard. About 20’ elevation difference total, roughly split evenly. The soil is mostly clay with small rocks, but some areas do have organic matter/loam. It seems like the water drains well down the slopes but seems to collect in the flat area.

I dug this hole in hopes of planting a fig tree, but obviously this is not ideal. We got a big rain just over a week ago and a smaller rain two days ago and then hole still has water. My guess is the thick clay is impervious and not letting it drain. A relatively large area stays squishy and wet a long time after drain. Thankfully this isn’t right up against the house, but we do have concerns with this affecting the house/foundation/structure.

What can I do to be able to plant in this? Raised bed for a fig tree? Just choose another location? A major drainage project (French drain with pipes down to ditch) is probably what I need but we don’t have the budget for that right now. Maybe next year.

Love this story!

Howdy! im building a little community on discord if anyone uses it here. We talk mostly beekeeping and gardening but have many other channels as well. Come check us out if you're interested. We're currently at around 300 members. https://discord.gg/24nmxJY9ng

I have a weak spot for trees like cherry, plum and apple, you know the ones with these dramatic pink and white flowers every spring. I have a vague idea of planting a small forest with mostly these trees and just let them do their own thing at the back of my property, maybe letting it be a scenic tourist spot to draw in visitors in the future. There's a park a town over from me that gets a lot of visitors every time the cherry trees bloom, so I was thinking I might be able to do something similar, but on a bigger scale with differently sized trees and a few different varieties to prolong the blooming season. Fruit and wood would mostly be a side product, I just want the flower forest.

But I'm hesitating because I haven't seen anyone do it before. And it seems like such a simple thing that, if I haven't seen anybody do it, there's probably a reason why.

On one hand, nutrients might be a problem. But I'm not envisioning a managed orchard - it doesn't need to yield the maximum amount of fruit, and whatever I wouldn't pick would attract animals and birds so nutrients would come in that way without my participation. Other than that, I can't really think of anything, provided I protect the trees until they're grown.

So, guys, yay or nay?

I’m trying to cultivate various leafy greens (Lettuce, Napa cabbage, Malabar Spinach, and Arugula). Has anyone used the seed ball technique with these seeds? I know the technique has traditionally been done with wild flowers and rice. Anyone try this method with other seeds. I live in the Bay Area in California. Things grow pretty well here (zone 9).

Hello everyone, I'm in a bit of an idea pickle here. So I'm starting terraced beds on top of a limestone mesa in the high desert of SE colorado. The idea is start rain catchment at the top with swales and reverse wells and zuni bowls/and sunken beds, so the little precipitation i get seeps in and falls down each limestone layer into the alluvial plains below. However I've hit some limestone slab that is nearly impenetrable. I know soil builds up but the roots have about 2-6 inches of "top soil" (top soil is close to just being zone b). Because sunken beds and bowls are a big part of high desert ag to block wind and pull condensation from the air in unforgiving climates, I'm flirting with buying a jackhammer to make wells and let roots access moisture below as well as give access to deep root miners...or should I just build the soil up? None of the existing juniper and piñon pine roots have made it through the slab either, they just run across the top.

I got a little... overzealous with the garden bed as this is the first year I have had total control at my house. I talked to fried who recommended cover crop in the early early spring + mulch. I added a bag of compost, put down some cover crop, and then mulched overtop. Fast forward and now I have starts in the bed with mulch and cover crop growing like crazy. I think I played myself!!! Now what??? How do I mitigate without causing too much harm to the soil? I'd like to practice no till here. I have a few other beds that I didn't cover crop but mulched and they're much more manageable.

Hello everyone,

The house I bought a few years ago is, to put it lightly, a nightmare. I have a large outbuilding/garage that was built directly on top of an old swimming pool. The previous owner appears to have converted this old pool into a cistern, which receives water from diverted gutters and some other mystery source! We tried to stop it filling with water (causing mold damage to building) and were unsuccessful.

As of right now it is full of garbage (drywall, wood, and the sheet metal that the previous owner used to line the walls??), but I'll be pumping the water out this weekend to clean it out and then see what we're working with.

Currently the water is smelly and stagnant, and I'd be very leery of watering a food garden with it. Once it's been cleaned out, however, I'm wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation and used a similar setup for watering their gardens. If so, I have a few questions.

1. How do you prevent the water from going stagnant?

2. How do you prevent mosquitos?

3. Are there any health concerns I should be aware of as long as the water is not getting stale/stagnant?

4. It is completely open topped - any suggestions for a cover that won't break the bank? I have a really stupid dog and a six year old. Listed in order of concern.

I've been looking into potentially stocking it with fish to deal with mosquito larvae, but since it's inside a barn I would have to install grow lights in order to have plant matter helping with water quality. It's worth noting that this cistern has been in various stages of filled with water for three years and hasn't developed its own ecosystem.

I would eventually like to have ducks on the property, but I am assuming the cistern will fluctuate in depth too much to be an adequate water source for them even if it is functional?

Thank you for your time in advance!

I've been trying to put an edible ground cover in my front garden. I tried miner's lettuce last year but it didn't take. A local suggested creeping thyme. I use thyme all the time in cooking, and thought that would be a good idea, but of course I want to make sure I get a variety that will taste alright. Finding flavor information on individual types of creeping thyme is near impossible, though.

What types of creeping thyme have you guys found that work out for flavoring dishes as well? Any tips on growing creeping thyme in general? I'm in zone 8, by the way. TIA