Log cultivation of oyster mushrooms is a bit different then bag cultivation, however, is practically based on the same concept and above all is easy and doesn't require much effort. It is largely applied especially in the countryside, where wood is plenty. I will present here a standard technique (without getting deeper into details) including several steps as follows:
1. Selecting the proper wood substrate
For growing oysters on logs you may use deciduous wood such as: beech, poplar, oak, alder, birch, maple, etc). You have to avoid cultivating oyster mushrooms on conifer wood substrates (pine, spruce, fir, etc) because such substrate type contain tanines, resins and other type of wood constituents that inhibit mycelium growth and development through the wood mass. However, some other type of fungi may develop on conifer logs, oyster mushrooms cannot. You should fell the logs when the sapwood is full of nutrients: late autumn or early spring. Inoculate them after felling because water content inside them is higher than in logs left for several months. In the latter case, you have to re-hydrate them by leaving them in water for several days.
If you will use softwood (poplar, aspen, etc) logs then you should know that you will get mushroom fruitbodies faster but of lower quality and lower overall mushroom production compared to what you get when using hardwood (oak, maple, beech, cherry, etc). However, the disadvantage is that it is going to take a longer period of time until mushroom fruitbody formation if you will choose hardwood.
Log size is also important and is directly connected to mushroom fruitbody production and time necesarry for the first flush.
2. Tools necessary for the inoculation process.
You will need the following tools:
- a drilling machine;
- a hammer;
- mycelium, spores or dowels colonized with mycelium;
- wax;
- a paint brush or a piece of sponge.
- a pot
- and a heat source
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| Fig. 1. Tools needed for log cultivation of oyster mushrooms. Photo: www. google.com |
Drill holes over the log surface 3-5 cm in depth and 5-10 mm thick (or as thick as your wood dowels are). You can purchase plug spawn or dowels at Fungi Perfecti or instead you may use mycelium grown on wheat or other support or spores. If you will use one of the latter, you will need cotton to cover up the mycelium when you'll introduce it into the holes. Remember that you have to inoculate only moist logs (see above). If their not freshly felled, then keep them in water for 2 to 3 days. To a log of 1.5 x 0.3 m wide you should apply around 40 holes in zig-zag covering its entire surface.
Steps to follow:
a) Take a pot and melt the wax;
b) Introduce the freshly purchased dowels into the holes by using a hammer;
c) Isolate each dowel by applying a thin layer of wax above it.
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| Fig. 2. Drilling holes over the log surface. Photo: www.google.com |
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| Fig.3 Wood dowels colonized by mushroom mycelium. Photo: www.google.com |
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| Fig. 4. Inoculating holes with wood dowels colonized with mushroom mycelium. Photo: www.google.com |
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| Fig. 5. Isolating the dowels with wax. Photo: www.google.com |
4. Log placement.
Place the freshly inoculated logs outside in the shade away from direct sunlight. Moisture during incubation is essential therefore you must allow rainfall over your logs or to find some other ingenious method to keep your logs moist. In case of poor rainfall you should water your logs from time to time. However, in order to keep logs at an optimal level of moisture and temperature there are several techniques available. One of them is burying the logs into the sand: this technique prevents moisture loss and keeps temperature at a constant level. You should bury the logs vertically at 10-20 cm distance one from another with the inoculated side up and with up to 20 % of log length above ground level. Otherwise, use a hose to spray down the inoculated logs in order to keep moisture.
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| Fig. 6. Inoculated logs placed outside in the shade. |
Pinning induction occurs generally after 8-12 months depending on wood type, log size, hole number, strain, environmental conditions and other factors involved into mycelium colonization process. If you inoculated hardwood logs then you should be able to expect pinhead induction in about 12 to 14 months and you will harvest mushrooms for 3 to 4 years. If you used softwood, you will be able to harvest your mushrooms earlier: after 6 to 9 months and you'll harvest mushrooms for 1 to 2 years. Now, there are several methods to stimulate pinning induction such as cold-shock or or log soaking into water. As a general rule stimulating fruitbody formation requires spraying enough water over each inoculated log.
6. Harvesting fresh oyster mushrooms.
Harvest oyster mushrooms 4 to 6 days after pinning induction. During this time keep moisture at an optimal level for fruitbody development. After harvest, keep logs moist and wait up to 2 weeks for the second flush.
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