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OT: Blue Oyster Mushrooms

Just thought someone might enjoy this. I grew these myself. Stems are to long because of lack of free air exchange, and the color should be bluer. Temps were a bit too warm, thus the greyish color instead of blue. Total weight: 1lb 10oz.

[IMG_1167]  [IMG_1168] 

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Those look great!  My mouth is watering. . . . I've got some shiitakes sprouting from logs behind the garage.  There are also oysters in logs but those haven't produced much yet.  Winecaps and Blewits in the ground have also worked well.
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I grew white button mushrooms years ago. Was wondering it there is a mushroom blog?

Thanks John
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Beautiful! Now you will have to come up with some great mushroom and fig recipes and share.😋
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How did you do it? Is it a  kit?
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Originally Posted by Blackfoot
How did you do it? Is it a  kit?

I grew a culture out on agar, and then put that on sterilized rye grain, and then put that into sterilized hardwood fuel pellets.
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Originally Posted by LeanderFig

I grew a culture out on agar, and then put that on sterilized rye grain, and then put that into sterilized hardwood fuel pellets.


Now that's hard core -- good for you!

Did you find culturing difficult?  And what did you start with -- spores, inoculated grain, . . . ? 
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Originally Posted by jrdewhirst


Now that's hard core -- good for you!

Did you find culturing difficult?  And what did you start with -- spores, inoculated grain, . . . ? 

Culturing is not difficult with some practice. I received a small piece of agar with mycelium on it from a member of a mycological forum. Then I put that on a petri of agar, and grew it out. Then I cut it up, and put it in small micro tubes. Then I used one of those pieces to colonize another plate. Then I used that colonized agar to transfer to the sterilized rye berries.
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I grew these in a similar manner. These are shiitake.

[101_4810] 
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I grow shitake mushrooms on white oak logs that I inoculated 3 years ago. I set them up by my creek and do not force fruit them but when the harvest comes it is huge and I dry the surplus. I love mushrooms and to anyone that wants to try you will get your money back many times over. I wish I had more time to dedicate to growing mushrooms.Your mushrooms look great! 
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Originally Posted by grant441
I grow shitake mushrooms on white oak logs that I inoculated 3 years ago. I set them up by my creek and do not force fruit them but when the harvest comes it is huge and I dry the surplus. I love mushrooms and to anyone that wants to try you will get your money back many times over. I wish I had more time to dedicate to growing mushrooms.Your mushrooms look great! 

That's awesome! I love mushrooms too. It only cost me a little less than $3 to make a bag, and I get about 1.7-2lbs of shiitake from that. That's a pretty good deal if you ask me. It does take a little time and effort though. Not to mention that it take a bag 2-3 month before they are ready to fruit.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LeanderFig

Culturing is not difficult with some practice. I received a small piece of agar with mycelium on it from a member of a mycological forum. Then I put that on a petri of agar, and grew it out. Then I cut it up, and put it in small micro tubes. Then I used one of those pieces to colonize another plate. Then I used that colonized agar to transfer to the sterilized rye berries.


I'll have to try it someday.
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Originally Posted by LeanderFig
I grew these in a similar manner. These are shiitake.

[101_4810] 

Nice job
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I started with a kit but it was very small. I then approached a local mushroom farm and was able to work out a deal. When they dressed their beds I would go and get a large bag of their excess inoculated bedding for $10 (mind you this was many years ago). and then ( if memory serves me) two weeks later I would go and get the casing. This was a great experience for me and my kids watching them grow. This is another avenue to explore as the mushroom farms always have leftovers when dressing a lot of beds. I always thought it took the guessing out of the compost and casing  nutrients etc and I always go a great yield. 
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  • gorgi
  • · Edited

I got an oyster mushroom kit (box) from Home Depot a few months ago.
Miracle of miracles, a beginner's luck, grown in basement,  it did produce one
very good burst of mushrooms. They made a very good egg omelet too!
Subsequent busts were useless; it is not easy to maintain the right temp/humidity.

It is more fun than just buying mushrooms from the store ...
I will experiment more; next maybe I let nature do its way;
aka.; using dowel plugs (incubation) in short freshly cut hardwood logs?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gorgi
I got an oyster mushroom kit (box) from Home Depot a few months ago.
Miracle of miracles, a beginner's luck, grown in basement,  it did produce one
very good burst of mushrooms. They made a very good egg omelet too!
Subsequent busts were useless; it is not easy to maintain the right temp/humidity.

It is more fun than just buying mushrooms from the store ...
I will experiment more; next maybe I let nature do its way;
aka.; using dowel plugs (incubation) in short freshly cut hardwood logs?


I for get the exact % but I think the second flush is 1\2 to 2\3 the original flush if conditions are right.
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Originally Posted by gorgi
I will experiment more; next maybe I let nature do its way;
aka.; using dowel plugs (incubation) in short freshly cut hardwood logs?


I've got shiitakes growing in logs -- white oak, red maple, and beech.  I inoculated them 2 years ago using dowels.  The oak and beech have been very productive, the red maple so-so.  But it took more than a year for production to start.  The crop last fall was great and they're already producing this spring. 

I've also got a variety of oysters in oak and maple, also inoculated 2 years ago.  Despite the fact that oysters are supposed to be aggressive growers, these were even slower.  I took three clusters off one log last fall. That's it.

My take-away is that oysters may be much quicker in a softer hardwood, such as poplar.  I don't doubt that they can grow in harder woods --I see them wild on sugar maples.  But if you want a harvest in this lifetime, you might be better off picking a softer hardwood. 
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Originally Posted by jrdewhirst


I've got shiitakes growing in logs -- white oak, red maple, and beech.  I inoculated them 2 years ago using dowels.  The oak and beech have been very productive, the red maple so-so.  But it took more than a year for production to start.  The crop last fall was great and they're already producing this spring. 

I've also got a variety of oysters in oak and maple, also inoculated 2 years ago.  Despite the fact that oysters are supposed to be aggressive growers, these were even slower.  I took three clusters off one log last fall. That's it.

My take-away is that oysters may be much quicker in a softer hardwood, such as poplar.  I don't doubt that they can grow in harder woods --I see them wild on sugar maples.  But if you want a harvest in this lifetime, you might be better off picking a softer hardwood. 


You're doing pretty good. Many times it takes up to 3 years to see fruits from shiitake logs. Of course it depends on how big the log, and how much you inoculated. You are correct about the softer hardwood. It's faster because it's easier for them to colonize, but they won't produce as long. In my opinion, it seems like a good idea to have a mix of the harder, and softer. That way, you can begin harvesting earlier, while the other ones are still colonizing. I've never done the logs, but I read voraciously about cultivation, and have corresponded with many who do the logs.
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What conditions do the logs have to be stored in. I know the button mushrooms temperature and humidity are critical but that is more of a production environment to force the flush and maximum yield.  
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Originally Posted by jhend
What conditions do the logs have to be stored in. I know the button mushrooms temperature and humidity are critical but that is more of a production environment to force the flush and maximum yield.  

Not sure about storage condition on logs. After you inoculate, you leave them outside. After colonization, most people give them a soaking in cold water overnight, then they will slam the end on a hard surface a few times. Then I know a lot of people lean them against something in an upright position. If it doesn't rain every few days, they will spray them down with water. They should be in a fairly shady area also. Temps are variable depending on what strain you use. Some like it warm, some like it pretty cold.
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Originally Posted by jhend
What conditions do the logs have to be stored in. I know the button mushrooms temperature and humidity are critical but that is more of a production environment to force the flush and maximum yield.  


As Leanderfig said, it's recommended that you keep them dampish, either from rain or hose.   I couldn't be bothered -- I might have watered three times last summer.  

It helps to have long (>3') and thick logs (e.g.,. 6") so that they don't dry out readily.  Also you should wax the ends and the holes where you've inserted the dowels.  Then you stack them like cordwood for a year or so, someplace shady.  Not directly on the ground, which can introduce contaminants.  My bottom layer is on cinder blocks.  When they show signs of fruiting, you flip them to a vertical orientation with space between so the 'shrooms can pop out all over.  Mine are leaning against the north side of my garage.

Temperature doesn't matter for success, only for time of fruiting.  Some varieties fruit in cold weather, some in warm, some both.  I have seen best results from the "wide-ranging" varieties.

Once the logs are well infected, you can stimulate a flush by soaking them for a day.  I've done that with good success.  My takeaway from the experience with shiitakes is that if you have good wood (white oak, cut in late winter, inoculated within a window 2-4 weeks after cutting) and you are only moderately attentive to humidity, the chances of success are high.  
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https://s14.postimg.org/cbkxrau0h/Shiitake_2016.jpg

Picture of my shiitakes last fall
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Originally Posted by jrdewhirst
https://s14.postimg.org/cbkxrau0h/Shiitake_2016.jpg

Picture of my shiitakes last fall



Good job Joe and thanks everyone for all the great info. Help I think I am falling off the wagon and back into a mushroom addiction. :D)
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I thought you may be interest in what I do with dried mushrooms. Here is a picture of the Oka cheese with mushrooms that I make. IMG_1385.JPG 
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Originally Posted by jhend
I thought you may be interest in what I do with dried mushrooms. Here is a picture of the Oka cheese with mushrooms that I make. IMG_1385.JPG 

Whoa whoa whoa! Let me get this straight. You make cheese? Do tell. I love cheese also! And mushroom cheese? That has to be friggin awesome.
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