Between May and December you can usually find the parasitic stick fungus in deciduous but also coniferous forests, which is considered a tasty edible mushroom. However, the tufted-growing species is easily confused with very similar poisonous mushrooms, which is why you can also grow the stick fungus in your own garden - without any risk to life and limb.
How can I grow stick fungi in the garden?
To grow stick sponges in your own garden, you need fresh hardwood, grain spawn or seed plugs, partially shaded space and mulching material. Inoculate the wood with the mushroom cuttings and keep it slightly moist at all times. The first mushrooms can be harvested after 1-2 years.
Why only experienced mushroom connoisseurs should collect stick fungi
Only experienced mushroom collectors should look for wild mushrooms and always have them checked at a mushroom advice center. Due to their very similar fruiting bodies, the mushrooms can easily be confused with the deadly poisonous poison mushroom, which only differs in its whitish, frosted, unscaled stem and the grooved edge of the cap - whereas stick fungi are hardly grooved. The poison cap contains the same toxins as the death cap mushrooms, which are also deadly poisonous. It can even happen that stick fungi and poisonous fungi occur on the same tree trunk.
Safe alternative: breed stick sponges yourself
The Japanese stick sponge, also known as the gold cap or Tuscan mushroom, is an edible relative of the stick sponge that is native to us. The bright orange mushroom is very popular in Japan and is almost as well known there as shiitake. From us you can get the tasty cultivated mushroom in the form of grain spawn or inoculating dowels, which you can use to grow yourself.
How to breed the Japanese stick sponge
To grow the Japanese stick fungus, you need freshly cut hardwood, preferably red beech, oak, birch, poplar, but also willow or he althy (i.e. not already infected by other fungi!) fruit trees. If you have such a trunk or stump, inoculate it as follows:
- Place the wood in a semi-shady place.
- Apply mulching material around the wood.
- Now saw the wood with several crosswise cuts.
- These should be at least ten centimeters deep.
- Fill the seed spawn or inoculating dowels deep into these cuts.
- Close the cuts with additional organic material, e.g. B. Bark mulch.
- Keep the tree stump slightly moist at all times.
It takes about one to two years until the tree is fully colonized and the first stick sponges can be harvested. But your patience will be rewarded as you will continue to get fresh mushrooms over several years.
Tip
Stock sponges become particularly aromatic when dried. Use mainly the stems for this, as they cannot be cooked anyway.
