Mushrooms are fruit.
My shiitake logs I did from plugs have largely run their course, so it’s time to inoculate new stuff. I opted to do the totem method this time in order to use the larger logs from trees that were being taken down. I have white oak, beech, and maple inoculated with shiitake, Lion’s Mane, Chestnut, and various oysters (proper spawn to the proper wood, of course). Hopefully in the fall I will have mushrooms.
Do you just throw plugs in between the cuts?
I used sawdust spawn.
I’ve got winecap, shiitake and oyster going myself. Have you tried using the dowels on the rounds? Wondering why everyone does the spawn sandwich instead.
I just followed the ‘manufacturer’ recommendations. I don’t know if using plugs would have enough oomph? This was way easier than drilling/waxing a zillion holes.
I have not tried the sandwich yet. That’s why I’m asking. Seems like the dowels would have more fruiting spots. The sandwich only fruits at the joint.
Once the mycelium colonizes the whole log it will make it’s own fruiting spots thru any crack in the bark.
I have a TON of random various hardwood logs, and this looks super interesting to me. Can you recommend any resources for me to learn about this? Also, any recommended spawn suppliers?
Tiss true. The only reason I did not have more success is because I just got tired of drilling and filling holes.
When a Nor’Easter fells a tree in the woods (Growing Mushrooms) - General Fruit Growing - Growing Fruit
North Spore and Field and Forest are 2 good suppliers, they have tons of good info on their websites. Fyi, logs need to be relatively fresh, usually 2-6 weeks since being cut down. Beyond that wood dries out and other fungi can get in.
How cool! I just picked up an Elm log to try lion’s mane on, and going to hopefully get some box elder for oyster… though I’m a bit worried about the timing of the tree cutting. If I’d thought about doing mushrooms sooner I would have looked for some wood cut last winter. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out. I’m hoping this summer to find some thinner pieces of wood to try plugs on. The log I just got is about 14" diameter and 2 ft tall… and way heavier than I thought! Definitely got some looks rolling it down the street.
