Taking Care of Your New Mushroom

First off, I want to personally Thank you for your purchase of your Mushroom..or ..Mushrooms!  It is important to follow the Tips and Care Techniques to ensure that your Mushrooms do not prematurely weather or get stained "Dang Birds!" or Fall over due to poor placement. These ideas, and tips, were created by us as well as many many people offering their solutions over the years. 
 You can always click here and ask me a question via email

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Proper/Suggested Placement

As these mushrooms range in height from 6" to well over 32", they can be compromised if not placed on suitable ground.  If placed outside in a landscape bed, please MOVE ALL UNSTABLE ground cover, i.e. mulch, ivy, gravel, etc.  a hard solid ground that's an inch or 2 deep can help secure and stabilize the base versus just "sitting on top".  Many people have suggested their idea of burying a concrete stepping stone in the ground then placing the mushroom on that for further stability.  Great Idea!! 

Seasonal Sealing of  your Mushrooms

Over the years we have performed trials of various sealers to protect the mushrooms, and have found that a good concrete/ stamped-concrete sealer works the best. Unfortunately many of these are only sold in 5 gallon pails and that's just WAY to costly for just a few mushrooms!. We found that either Seal-Krete or Behrs concrete gloss sealer works good and comes in a 5 gallon pail for about $20 or so.
If placed in full sun, like mine are...I seal mine right before I bring them out in spring....yes we are in Michigan so I seal EVERYTHING in my yard here!!
I give them a good 2 coats of Seal-Krete from Lowes, closest to me, and then when I notice that the sun and my sprinkler system start to diminish that high gloss, usually around July 4th, Ill grab a chip brush or a tiny roller and apply another coat. This is sooo imperative so that your mushroom does not get stained from "bird Droppings", (learned my lesson after they gorged themselves on blueberries next door). Its also imperative to help prevent fading from such extreme sunlight exposure.
Remember, shade has its negative effects also...Moisture retention, moss, algae!!

Attaching Head to Stem

Should you wish to attach the head, we suggest that you find the location where you would like it to "call it home", shift position of head or tilt it a bit to find the best "look"... Then use an outdoor adhesive, We use LOCTITE 3X Construction adhesive.  Use a caulk gun and apply a generous amount to the top of stem then lower the head onto the stem. We have found that using buckets or sticks to "Shim" the head works best so that it stays the way you want it.  After 24 hours into cure time, I will reach underneath and apply another bead of the adhesive at the joint and use a wood paint mixer to smooth it out and make sure there is a good 1" thick band of adhesive between the stem and tapering onto inside of the mushroom cap. 

Winterization/Seasonal Care

In areas where temperatures can fall below freezing, we suggest to bring them in either a shed, garage or basement for storage.  This will help keep it from adverse weathering and damage caused by ice.  If the head is attached, making it too heavy and impossible to move, we suggest covering with plastic visqueen and tape it tight so that wind cant get in and possibly cause it to fall over.  Do not use tarps or other material that can scratch the surface.

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