Tony O’Neill, gardener and author of the popular “Composting Masterclass” and “Your First Vegetable Garden,” combines lifelong passion and expert knowledge to simplify the art of gardening. His mission? Helping you cultivate a thriving garden.
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Ever thought about how you can grow mushrooms at home? They can grow in all sorts of a medium, such as straw, woodchip, cardboard, and coffee grounds. Do not limit yourself to button mushrooms purchased from a supermarket; thousands of edible types exist.
My partner and I have experimented with growing mushrooms by inoculating hardwood logs. We buy dowels impregnated with the mushroom mycelium, drill holes in the log, and bang them in. The mycelium will then take eight months and a year to spread through the log, giving spring and autumn crops up to 4 years! We are growing Oysters, Shiitake, Lion’s mane, and Chicken of the woods. It is very exciting.
Table of Contents
Choosing a Log
When choosing a log, it is important to choose the right type; most mushrooms do not grow in pine and dislike fruitwood but love oak and ash. The best time to cut the log is in winter when the sugars are in the wood, not the leaves, as this is what the mycelium eats up.
When you have cut your log, leave it to rest for a couple of weeks so that the sap loses its anti-fungal properties, some people leave them ‘to rest for four weeks or more, but this can raise the risk of other competitive fungi inhabiting your log.
So now you have your log and your dowels (there are plenty of places on the internet to buy them from).
Usually, the correct-sized drill bit is supplied with the dowels. Drill your holes about 6 inches apart and tap the dowels in. Seal the dowels in the holes with cheese wax, which must be heated. Ensure it sizzles when you dab it over the hole. The wax keeps the moisture in and competes for fungi out!
All That’s Left To Do
All that is left is to put the log somewhere shady and damp. It is really important that it does not dry out. In time you will see the white mycelium at the end of the log. If you are growing Shiitake, you could try forcing it to fruit. Do this by dropping it, banging it, or it soaking in water.
Last but not least, beware of slugs!! They love mushrooms and will eat your precious crop overnight!
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