Hardwood Logs for Edible Mushrooms?

[Newt]

So I've gone and ordered myself a small variety of edible mushroom spores so I can grow my own. I didn't want to spend out money on growing the same varieties you can pick up for cheap at the supermarket, and I've always wanted to try the sort of mushrooms you can collect when going foraging.

So I've got myself some chicken-of-the-woods, lions's mane, coral fungus, wine caps and morels to look forward to! Some of these are ideal for growing in mulch, which works well for me as my entire allotment is currently under several inches of hay. But the chick, lion's mane and coral all grow in wood, and the recommendation is to get reasonably fresh hardwood logs 10-20cm diameter and 50cm-1m in length for them.

I've gotten in touch with some local hardwood suppliers who grow and cut their own, to see about prices on any flawed logs they have that couldn't be cut into much of use for them, but was wondering if anyone knows of any companies specialising in providing logs for this purpose? Or if anyone else who's grown culinary mushrooms has any suggestions for alternate ways to grow some of these varieties?

[veggiechicken]

Don't want to disappoint you but I've tried growing in hardwood logs and on woodchip several times and haven't grown a single mushroom.
Could you ask some local tree surgeons for a couple of logs next time they're working on the right trees.

[Newt]

Oh I'm sure there's no guarantee of success! And even if there is, from what I understand some of the varieties I've picked don't mature enough to produce any fruiting bodies until the following year in any case. But they'll be a fun experiment either way.

As I said above, I have gotten in touch with some local companies that will hopefully be able to supply me with logs, I just figured it's worth checking in case there's an easier option I could go for.

[veggiechicken]

Where do you live, Newt? There may be someone locally who has a few fresh cut logs.
Can't remember which trees were recommended - think I tried oak, ash and maybe wild cherry and apple.
They had to be drilled and dowel plugs inserted, then the holes capped with sealing wax.
I tried the winecaps and summat else in woodchip and ordinary mushrooms in a manure straw mix.
The only mushrooms I've succeeded with are boletes that I've brought back from the woods and scattered the spores around in the garden.

[Kirk]

Without a location unable to be more specific then suggest looking around an RSPB or nature reserve or similar. The one I wander round seems to almost have a business cutting down trees and stacking the logs. Every few weeks I see a couple of new log piles.

Also, and likely more convenient, look at straw, wood chip, sawdust and coffee grounds as growing mediums. Have read of toilet rolls being used.

Growing on/in logs tends to be a long term exercise, the mycelium have to develop throughout the log first and then they need to be "shocked" into producing the mushroom fruit that we want. From some years ago trying the same I gave up after the second year as nothing had developed.

[WalterWhite]

Hi Newt,
I have a been cultivating mushrooms indoor/outdoor for probably 20 years now with much success. I would highly recommend reading up on mushroom cultivation as trial & error may lean more toward error! I don’t have the time to go into great detail on methods, consideration, variables etc but please do read up. It pays off. However to pick on a few points mentioned in the posts;

It's not the best time of year for morel cultivation. Recommended that you inoculate on a recently spent bonfire patch. Take my hat off to you if you successful cultivate the morel, challenging.

“which works well for me as my entire allotment is currently under several inches of hay”
Not necessarily a good thing as the present mycelium colonising the hay is competition for the small amount of spawn of the species you plan to use for inoculation. Sterilised substrate is the aim. Consider using large metal drum and wire basket to pasteurise straw.


With log growing try and get the ideal tree for the mushroom your planning to cultivate. Recently cut logs are best but leave them for 5 weeks before inoculating as some tree species have anti-fungal properties (natural defence). location is important and log stacking methods etc. They will need a soaking and shocking (hard whack) to trigger the primordia to go to fruit.

I would recommend speaking to local tree surgeons for logs/cutting. Must be hardwood. Alder, beech, birch or oak are my preferred choice for many species.

Protect your mushrooms from snails and slugs, they love them.



Recommended reads;

Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation: Simple to Advanced and Experimental Techniques for Indoor and Outdoor Cultivation

The Mushroom Cultivator by P Stamets and J.S. Chilton.
( The bible of mushroom cultivation however hobby cultivators may find it leans more toward commercial growing. P Stamets I highly recommend as an author on mycology)

Growing gourmet and Medicinal Mushroom by P Stamets.
(Would benefit from a new edition. There is a pdf version of this somewhere on the net if you google it. Otherwise PM me and I will email you a copy)

Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation: Simple to Advanced and Experimental Techniques for Indoor and Outdoor Cultivation


Good luck

[Newt]

WalterWhite thank you so much! This is a seriously excellent bounty of information.

The morels were something of a *oh they have these* spur of the moment purchase - they did say the spores are safe to keep in the fridge up to 6 months so if that's long enough to get them to a better cultivation time I will try that.

On the straw mulch - ah I didn't consider that side of things. Can I ask what you mean by pasteurising the straw? If it needs to be sterile, would natural animal bedding, like the stuff you buy for rabbits, be safer?

Sounds like I have some books to add to my reading list!

I'm really excited to try this. I know it's not an easy thing to cultivate and a long wait even if it does work, but I'd rather try and not succeed than never give it a go! If it doesn't work out, I'll have some interesting log "ornaments" at least!

[WalterWhite]

Pasteurising/sterilising the medium (straw,woodchip etc) will decrease/elimnate populations of potential competitors that your spawn may encounter as in colonises the medium. Thus it buys enough time for your spawn mycelium to capture as much of the medium substrate possible. Furthermore the process helps hydrate the medium making it more digestible for your mycelium.

For a low scale setup the hot water immersion method is ideal. Some hobby growers use an alternative method by soaking the medium/substrate in a water diluted peroxide solution . Think its 10:1. Never used chemical method though.

There are other methods such as team and solar.....

YouTube should provide demonstrations of sterilising your substrate/medium. If you type something along the lines of 'mushroom spawn sterilisation'. With the results focus on videos showing barrel techniques that are outdoors as many of the videos on youtube are indoor canning/pressure cooker sterilisation videos. These in general are not straw grow techniques and are geared toward mushroom growing of the psilocybin variety (Magic). Unless you wish to venture into growing magic mushrooms

I can email you relevant excerpts from publications if you get stuck.

[Newt]

Ahh I think I understand now. I think I'll try to avoid the chemical method myself as well - it may be fine and may work, but I'd like to try your suggestion first as it sounds tried-and-true.

Yes, I'll admit I've been nervous about googling for mushroom growing advice during my lunch break, in case the boss misinterprets my plans!

In good news, the spore plugs all arrived today, aside from the morels which the supplier has advised they will send closer to the right season for them, which is reassuring. In less-good news, the parcel got dropped off at my neighbours and I think he may have had the parcel on his radiator all day!

I've put all the plugs in the fridge right away, so I hope they didn't suffer too much harm from the heat