Healthy soil is a living system. Alongside roots, bacteria, earthworms and other organisms, fungi help break down organic matter and influence the way soil holds water, air and nutrients. For many home gardeners, the most useful way to support soil fungi is not to buy a specialist product, but to provide suitable organic matter, protect … Read more
A fungal buffer zone is a managed strip of vegetation, soil and organic material beside a stream where fungi are allowed or encouraged to contribute to the wider restoration system. It is not a separate treatment plant, and it should not be treated as a guaranteed way to remove pollution. Its value comes from working … Read more
Woody waste is a normal part of managing a lifestyle block. Pruning, storm damage, shelter planting, firewood preparation, and track maintenance can leave behind branches, wood chips, sawdust, and other plant material. Burning or hauling everything away is not always practical, so it is worth considering whether some of this material can be processed on … Read more
Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is the material left after mushrooms have been grown in it. It may contain straw, sawdust, manure, composted plant material, water, minerals and other ingredients used by the mushroom grower. After cropping, the material is no longer a fresh mushroom-growing medium, but it can still contain useful organic matter. For a … Read more
A fungal buffer zone is a managed strip of land beside a drain, stream, pond or other agricultural waterway where fungi are included as one part of a wider effort to slow, filter or otherwise manage movement of water, soil and contaminants. The fungal component may be established in organic material, soil, planted areas or … Read more
Mining can affect water in several ways. Exposed rock and mine waste may contribute acidity, dissolved metals and sulfate to drainage, while processing activities can add suspended solids or other site-specific contaminants. The resulting water may threaten streams, groundwater, soils and aquatic life if it is not properly managed. Fungi are being considered as one … Read more
Fungi are often associated with mushrooms, but most fungal activity happens out of sight. Fine threads called mycelium grow through soil, compost, wood and other organic materials, breaking down complex substances and interacting with plant roots. Used appropriately, fungi can help connect two goals that are sometimes treated separately: producing food and caring for the … Read more
Municipal green waste is often treated as a disposal problem, but it can also provide useful growing material, soil amendments, and feedstock for managed biological processes. Fungi are one possible part of that approach. By breaking down plant material and helping form stable organic matter, selected fungi may support composting, land restoration, and other environmental … Read more
A larger outdoor mycofiltration bed is a contained growing medium that uses fungal activity, together with the physical structure of the bed, to help manage selected water or damp materials. The word mycofiltration combines “myco”, meaning fungi, with filtration. In practice, the bed may slow and hold water, trap some solids, and provide conditions in … Read more
Mushroom beds can fit alongside a vegetable garden when they are treated as a separate growing system rather than as a guaranteed soil treatment. Most outdoor mushroom beds grow fungi on a carbon-rich material such as hardwood chips, logs or straw. Vegetables, by contrast, are grown for their roots and edible parts in soil or … Read more