Trying some new techniques

[Kevin Hoover]

I’m experimenting some this winter, exploring some cultivation techniques that are easier and less time consuming than sterilizing grow bags with masters mix (1 pound hardwood sawdust, 1 pound soy hulls, 3 pounds water).

I saw these two techniques using boiling water on Field and Forest videos, and thought I’d try them.

First is an oyster block

In a grow bag, put 2.5 cups of hardwood pellets (or 1 pound sawdust), 1 cup of soy hull pellets (or 6.4 oz ground soy hulls, and 1.5 cups pelleted cottonseed hulls.  Shake it up well, then add 5.5 cups (or 2.5 pounds) boiling water.  Seal the bag, and let it cool overnight.  The next day, add 1.5 cups oyster spawn.

I did ten bags, and significant mycelium growth could be seen two days later.   I used ground soy hull and whole cottonseed hull, because it’s what I had.  Looks very promising so far.

 

The second technique is for lions mane, although I expect you could also use it for chestnut mushrooms.

In a grow bag, put 5 cups hardwood pellets, 1/2 cup of bran (I used soy hull, as I didn’t have bran),  and 5 cups of boiling water.  Let cool overnight then add 1.5 cups of spawn and seal the bag.  Video shows lions mane in a month, but I expect a little longer.

Mycelium growth is good, but they do state that there is a greater risk of infection than you have in sterilizing.  Out of the ten bags I did, I have had one infected so far

[Kevin Hoover]

Friends and I inoculated 79 red oak logs with Double Jewel shiitake spawn from Field and Forest.  I got 40 logs, they (father and son) got 39. 
 

Will stack them on a pallet in the shadiest spot I can find under my red pines 

[Kevin Hoover]

The oyster technique is working well.  Have 7 out of nine bags fruiting.  Clumps of mushrooms are large.  I picked these three yesterday and they totaled 1.6 pounds.

I haven’t fruited the lions mane, although I should.

[Kevin Hoover]

This technique for lions mane is working well, although I am getting infection in some bags.

I tried this technique on chestnut mushrooms and so far it seems successful.  I wasn’t sure, as chestnuts take about two months to fruit.  I did a trail with three bags, two of them just started fruiting.