The oyster mushroom often grows with many fruiting bodies in a shell shape on top of each other. It is one of the most popular cultivated mushrooms and is often sold commercially under the names veal mushroom, oyster mushroom or pleurotus. In culture, the oyster mushroom is able to use various substrates - for example straw, paper, coffee grounds, hardwood and others.
How to grow oyster mushrooms on wood?
To grow oyster mushrooms on wood, you use freshly felled, untreated hardwood or spruce wood. The trunks are made with oblique cuts, filled with mushroom spawn and sealed. After storage in a cool, dark place, the mushrooms begin to grow.
Oyster Mushroom Growing for Beginners
If you're trying your hand at growing mushrooms for the first time, a mini-plantation on an already inoculated log or sawdust block (€26.00 on Amazon) is a good way to get started. There is no need to prepare the breeding ground because the mushroom spawn is already in the wood and you can concentrate entirely on adhering to the manufacturer's recommended information on irrigation, ventilation and humidity. Inoculated wood blocks have a very high success rate and are colonized for up to five years.
Growing oyster mushrooms on wood – instructions
However, such ready-made sets are quite expensive - depending on the provider, you can expect to pay between 25 and 50 EUR. Of course, it will be cheaper if you inoculate freshly cut wood yourself. The mushroom spawn required for this is available commercially for significantly less money. However, it is important to use freshly cut wood; if it is stored for longer than two to three months, it is often already colonized with competitive fungi and other microorganisms. In nature, oyster mushrooms are found primarily on hardwoods such as beech and poplar, but they also thrive on spruce wood. The round logs should have a maximum diameter of 30 centimeters and be up to 100 centimeters long.
Inoculate tree trunks and care for oyster mushrooms
The best way to inoculate the tree trunks is as follows:
- Beat the logs fresh or only store them for a short time.
- Only use untreated wood - no wooden boards or similar from the hardware store!
- Cut diagonal cuts in the trunks against the grain, for example with a chainsaw or hand saw.
- These should reach about half or two thirds of the trunk deep.
- Cut a section like this every 30 centimeters.
- Fill each cut with mushroom spawn.
- Seal the filled cuts, for example with beeswax, clay or adhesive tape.
- This protects the mushroom spawn from vermin etc.
- Keep the trunk with the mushroom spawn evenly moist.
- The trunk should be stored in a cool, dark place.
- Temperatures between 10 and a maximum of 25 °C are ideal.
Make sure to always keep your hands and tools clean and sterile so that no bacteria or other microorganisms that could compete with the fungal spawn get into the wood.
Tip
Oyster mushrooms also grow very well on nutrient-rich coffee grounds.
