14/01/2022
Oyster Mushroom Growing on Straw.
You can grow Oysters on many different substrates but straw is one of the
fastest and easiest substrates. I like to use Barley Straw and chop it up rather
finely with a whipper snipper inside a large bin.
To prepare the straw for inoculation, it must be soaked and pasteurized first
to kill any mold spores that may be present in the straw. It needs to be soaked in a "hydrated lime" solution overnight or for 12 -24hrs. The solution is 2grams of hydrated lime (builders lime) per litre of water.
The straw is submerged in the lime water, using something heavy to hold it
under the surface. Then the straw needs to be well drained, (takes around 2 hours usually).
I like doing this process in a large 60 litre storage container so it can be turned upside down to drain the water out and keep the straw protected from the open air and wild spores.
Then the straw is ready to go into bags with the mushroom spawn to inoculate
it. Generally the amount of spawn should be 5% - 10% of the total weight.
With clean hands layer the straw in the bag with a small handful of spawn
sprinkled evenly between each layer.
It is good to compact the straw as much as you can to increase contact with
the spawn and reduce large air gaps.
When the bag is full, seal it up and cut 8 - 10 slits (4 or 5 on each side) with a clean knife and cover the cuts with micropore tape.
This allows the mycelium to breathe and also creates places for the mushrooms to eventually grow out of. The micropore tape allows gas exchange but wont allow mold spores in.
Keep the bag in a place away from direct light and wind/draughts. When mushrooms start forming, they need to be misted regularly to keep the
humidity up and allow the mushrooms to form properly. They take 5 -7 days
to grow to full size. Harvest them as the outer edges of the mushrooms start to
straighten out by twisting the stem of the flush just where it emerges
The bag/block should fruit another two or three times, with rests of one to two months inbetween.
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To grow Shiitake Mushrooms on wood with dowels you need....
● a freshly cut log from a healthy tree, of about 10-15cm in diameter and 50-100cm in length (any hardwood should do it, such as eucalypt, poplar, oak, beech, etc)
● shiitake spawn plugs to inoculate the log.
● drill to make holes in the wood for your plugs
● mallet or hammer to bang the plugs into the wood
● wax to seal your plug holes
● a shady, preferably humid spot to store your log until it's ready to fruit.
To make:
1. Once you have your freshly cut log (up to 4 weeks old) and your shiitake spawn plugs, drill holes all over your log at about 10cm apart, just a few millimetres deeper than the length of your spawn plugs. Make sure you choose a drill bit that is the same diameter as your spawn plugs, so they fit snugly when you bang them into the holes.
2. After your spawn plugs are tapped in level with the surface, seal each hole with wax to ensure that no other fungi or bacteria can get into your holes and out-compete your shiitake mycelium.
3. Place your shiitake log somewhere shady but with good airflow (down the side of the shed, next to the shower, etc) and leave it there for a few months. Regular falls of rain will help to keep it moist, or regular sprays of water if the weather is dry.
4. Now for the waiting game, which is around a six - twelve month period for the first harvest. If you live in a cold climate you'll see mushrooms after this time, but if you don't you can kickstart the formation of mushrooms by soaking the log in a bath or bucket of cold water overnight.
5. After the wait period you should start to see mushrooms sprouting up from the log. You'll know when it's time to fruit the log when the timber around the plug insertion points start to become a little squishy and change colour. The ends of the log might also show some white mycelium (a white thread-like mass).
6. When the log is fruiting, keep it in a moist shady place and keep an eye on it so no critters get your tasty mushrooms. Your log can be fruited standing up, or lying down. Your log should "flush" (produce more mushrooms) every few months for years to come. This will happen usually when the weather turns cool and wet.
Resources :
Fantastic fungi : Netflix documentary
freshcapmushrooms.com
Grocycle : grocyclecourses.com
https://mushroommountain.com/growing-shiitake-on-logs/
facebook/mushroomgrowing
Podcast : Joe Rogan with Paul Stamets
Books : Mycelium Running, Radical Mycology
Supplies :
www.aussiemushroomsupplies.com.au
www.newgenerationmushroomsupplies.com.au
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