Learn How to Care For Your Mushroom Logs

 

Commoners and mushroom cultivators can grow a massive variety of edible fungi species outdoors on the logs of hardwood trees. If you want to grow them, you need to introduce the fungus via sawdust spawn or plug. Within six months to a year, the fungus will colonize. The same thing happens naturally on fallen trees, but it takes longer. It leads to the growth of multiple species of fungi. Besides, the fungi may not be edible. Now, if you’re going to replicate the process at home, you must learn to take care of the growth media.

 

1. Packaging removal: You have to start by getting rid of the packaging material from the Mushroom Log for sale. Don’t remove the date tag or the wax from the Mushroom Logs purchased from Agrinoon (Fujian). The purpose of the wax is to retain moisture in the inoculation areas. You don’t have to worry about the container because you can use anything you like. It can be a bathtub, a potting tray, a five-gallon bucket, or something similar.

 

2. Soak it in water: Now, pour water into the container. Make sure it accommodates the growth media you purchased from Mushroom Log suppliers. Just make sure that it doesn’t submerge the wood more than six inches. Tap water is good enough for the process, but once you fill it, you should leave the set-up alone for at least twenty-four hours. During this time, the chlorine content of the water will evaporate. If the growth media floats, put an object on it to submerge it completely. Leave it for another day.

 

3. Placing the log: After hydrating the wood for twenty-four hours, select a shady area in your yard. Keep it leaned against a shady tree or fence. Remember to elevate the timber off the ground by a few inches. Inspect it for moisture content every few weeks to see whether it’s becoming dry. If it feels light, put it back in the water tub for another day. Once the rehydration process is complete, return the wood back under shade.

 

4. Fruiting: Once the spawn run is over, the mycelium will take about six to twelve months from the date of inoculation to start fruiting. Check the log frequently for the presence of white fibers or hyphae. If you see them running through the ends of the wood, you’ll know that the fruiting process is ongoing.

 

5. Shocking: Sometimes, you have to take steps to initiate the procedure of fruiting. You may have to shock the growth media by knocking on one of its ends sharply on solid ground. After that, submerge the growth media in cold water for another twenty-four hours. Make sure that you use non-chlorinated water.

 

Conclusive statements

 

The pinning stage should begin within four to ten days after soaking. Remember that the timeframe depends on the environment where you reside. You should be able to harvest the fruits of your labor after five to ten more days. For harvesting, use a sharp blade to cut the fungi from the block of wood. Just slash them from the base. It’s best to harvest the edible fungi once the gills get exposed by the caps are still concave.