If you've ever wanted to grow your own mushrooms, the first thing you'll need is a log. You could go out and buy one at your local hardware store (but they're expensive!), or you can try growing them on milled hardwood lumber. If this sounds like something that interests you, keep reading! We'll walk through everything that's involved in growing mushrooms on milled hardwood lumber.
Yes, mushrooms can be grown on milled hardwood lumber. Milled hardwood lumber is the most common type of mushroom growing substrate and it's easy to find at home improvement stores or online.
You'll need to choose a species of mushroom that works best in your area. Some species are more tolerant to temperature changes than others, so it's important to do some research before you commit yourself to growing them from logs!
Once you've decided which species will work best for your climate, it's time for inoculation: introducing spores into the log so they can grow into mycelium (the vegetative part of fungi) and eventually produce mushrooms. This process takes weeks or even months depending on what kind of spawn you use; we recommend using plug spawn because it gives quicker results than sawdust or grain spawn does
When you're growing mushrooms on logs, you have to consider the species of mushroom that you want to grow and the size of the log.
For example, if you want to grow oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), then your logs should be at least 1 inch in diameter and at least 8 inches long. For shiitake (Lentinula edodes), they need to be at least 18 inches long and as wide as possible without splitting; this will allow them to spread their roots through more wood than if they were confined inside a narrower space. For maitake (Grifola frondosa) or king oyster (Pleurotus eryngii), you'll need a larger diameter--1 1/2 inches or greater--and length between 36 inches and 48 inches long so there's enough room for growth on both ends of each log section before cutting off any excess material when making an end cut or two during construction later on down p
Once you have a good log that is suitable for growing mushrooms on, it's time to prepare it for inoculation.
The first step is washing off any dirt or debris that might be there. You want your hardwood lumber to dry thoroughly before inoculation because this will also help prevent mold from occurring later in the process.
Now that you know how to grow mushrooms on milled hardwood lumber, it's important to know that mold can be a problem. Mold is bad, especially if you're growing mushrooms for food. In order to prevent mold from occurring, make sure your mushroom logs are dried thoroughly and washed off before you put them in a plastic bag with some paper towels (to keep them moist). You also want to make sure that there isn't any dirt or debris left on the log--this will help keep things clean!
Yes, mushrooms can be grown on milled hardwood lumber. You just need to pick the right species of mushroom and make sure you have the right size log.
First, let's talk about what kind of log you want to use for your inoculation (the process by which the spores are inserted into your logs). You'll want to choose a piece of wood that has been cut from a deciduous tree, such as an oak or maple tree--there are many different types of fungi species that can grow on coniferous trees but not many that will grow well on them.
Second: how big should my inoculated log be? Well...that depends on what kind of mushrooms I want! If I'm growing oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) then I'll need at least 4 inches diameter at its base; if I'm growing shiitake (Lentinula edodes) then 6 inches diameter works well--but if those aren't available in stores near me then Japanese matsutake may still work fine even though they prefer larger diameters than either one does!
If you have a log that's suitable for growing mushrooms on, then it's time to prepare it for inoculation. You can use the methods listed above or any other method that works best for your situation. Once your log is ready, all that's left is to wait for those delicious mushrooms to start popping up!