How to 'Force Fruit' a Mushroom Log

So you’ve followed your new mushroom log’s care instructions to the letter, giving it an inch of water per week, elevating it 6+ inches from the ground to avoid rot, and keeping it shaded so that the wood tissue won’t dry out. Perhaps you’ve enjoyed a flush or two of mushrooms from your new mushroom log, but consequent 'flushes', or yields of mushrooms have been slow coming.

Or maybe you’re a little frustrated because you’re still searching the bark everyday in vain for signs of that very first flush.

Whatever the case, take heart, because there is an easy and effective technique to ‘force fruit’, or trigger new mushroom growth from your log.

The mushroom mycelia cells in your log are constantly growing, replacing the wood cells with their own cells. The mycelia cells need air, water, and light to grow. Every couple months or so, you can trigger fruiting by submerging the log for 24 hours in ice water. This mimics conditions in the spring or fall rainy season, when mushrooms will naturally produce new growth.

To force fruit your log, simply place it in a tub large enough so that the log(s) can be completely submerged when it's filled with water, weight the log down with bricks, cinder blocks, rocks, etc. ( the log will float on the surface otherwise ), fill the tub with cold water and add ice. Let the log sit submerged like this for 24 hours.

When fruiting begins,  the log will "pin,” meaning little white buds will break through the bark. The pins fill out, or fruit, into beautiful brown mushrooms. At first you may only have a few mushrooms, but as the mycelia fill the log, and the log is fruited regularly, production will increase. In the second or third year, your log can be covered with mushrooms.

After the log fruits, and you’ve cut the mushrooms, resume the regular care regimen of water and shade, allowing the log to ‘rest’ for two months while the mycelia cells recover, grow, then prepare to fruit again. You can fruit the log earlier, but force fruiting too soon or too often weakens the log. Resting longer may produce larger crops.

Keep your log strong and healthy by soaking it every 2 weeks. Using only unchlorinated water if possible… filtered or bottled water, well water, or rain water.

If you take good care of your log, you can enjoy growing and eating fresh mushrooms for three or four years, until all the wood cells have been replaced. The light, temperature, and moisture level will affect how quickly the log will fruit and how many mushrooms you'll yield in each flush.