Blog Posts

  • 2025.06.24 #1 research update on “Chinese chestnut seedling mycorrhization with porcini”

    Introduction  Supported by SARE, the Southern Ohio Chestnut Company has begun a farmer-led research project. “Chinese chestnut seedling mycorrhization with porcini”. This is our first update to the public. Porcini mushrooms go by many names. This project works with porcini specifically –Boletus edulis– and also a group of other closely related “King Bolete” mushroom species…

  • Woodland roses, invasive and native

    We kill a lot of invasive multiflora rose. This organism was brought here by the USDA as a living fence species and escaped captivity. Living fences are better accomplished with trees grown in place, with any wire tacked onto a floating piece of treated lumber so that the wire doesn’t get swallowed by the radial…

  • Chinese chestnut seedling mycorrhization with porcini

    I am delighted to report that a SARE Farmer/Rancher grant which I submitted has been fully funded. The funding will go to a research project, where we’ll study a forest farming practice known as mycosilviculture. In particular, we are seeking to colonize the roots of a new orchard’s worth of Chinese chestnut seedlings, with a…

  • Paradise Ecological Services offers mentorship opportunities

    Since early 2024, I have been active in offering professional development training through Rising Appalachia. Besides the education, our group produced a satisfying, effective, holistic body of work in the form of projects completed- and projects ongoing! These things were summarized by Rising Appalachia’s staff in their latest newsletter (see below). These people learned a…

  • Controlling ginseng diseases in your commercial ginseng planting

    People frequently ask me how to control disease in ginseng, particularly damping off disease (caused by Rhizoctonia solani ), foliar leaf disease (caused by Phytophthora cactorum ) and black root rot (caused by Cylindrocarpon destructans). Because this is an FAQ, here is an answer. Start by checking out this paper for the background. As you…