'Easy' Backyard Mushroom Cultivation On Hardwood Logs
Monday, September 23, 2013 at 1:14PM 
While few would label mushroom cultivation as ‘easy’, there are varieties that are more predictable and better suited to a backyard setting. These include the popular shiitake mushroom, oyster, and reishi strains.
Inoculating hardwood logs with plug spawn – small wood dowels containing mushroom spores – is the most reliable, but also the slowest cultivation method.
Logs should be harvested from a live tree in its dormant phase (winter). During this period, the moisture content in the wood tissue is about 40%, which is ideal for successful inoculation and spawn run. Trees or logs that have already fallen or been cut, are not suitable as they are most likely already too dried out and well below the minimum 35% moisture content needed for successful spawn run.
For ease of handling, logs should be cut to lengths of about 36”, and between 3”-8”.
Logs vshould receive an inch of water per week, whether in the form or rain or from a hose or irrigation system, and they must not be allowed to dry out below 35% moisture content during the incubation phase.
Have access to live hardwood trees and a chainsaw? Have the drill charged up and ready to inoculate your own mushroom logs?
Click here to see a short video tutorial on inoculating hardwood logs with shiitake plug spawn.
Click on each mushroom variety below for available strains and specific cultivation suggestions from Field And Forest products.
Would you rather skip the tree cutting and log drilling part, and buy logs already inoculated with your favorite mushroom spawn.
Click Here to order.
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