
Logs do not need to be sterilized prior to use-if the wood was freshly cut from a healthy tree, the interior of the log is already clean. In a hurry? Here is a list of the Best Sawdust Mushroom Substrate. Log-loving mushrooms include the following: The same log can go on producing regular flushes of of mushrooms for years. Preparation of the log and later disposal are simple, and the growth process, though lengthy (several months to a year before the first flush), is almost maintenance-free. Not just any log will do while many fungus species accept multiple types of wood, others are quite picky, and most have at least some woods they can’t or won’t eat. Many types of fungus eat dead wood, making cultivation in cut logs an obvious option. It is quick and results in high yields, but requires a lot of fuel, especially for larger-scale growers. Pasteurization requires heating the straw above 145 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours.The method is simple and requires no special materials or equipment, but yields can be low.

Paradoxically, allowing some microorganisms to colonize the straw excludes the “weeds” growers worry about. Fermentation involves soaking the straw in water for several days, until it begins to stink.Yields are good with lime but uneven with wood ash. The method is simple and inexpensive, especially for growers who heat with wood and have a lot of wood ash on hand. If using lime, be sure the magnesium content is below 10% so that magnesium residue won’t inhibit mushroom growth. Either will raise the pH of the water high enough to kill anything living in the straw. Lime or wood ash can be mixed with water and used to soak the straw for 16 hours.There are several methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The next step is to clean the straw so no wild fungi are present to compete with the crop for space and food. The finer cut makes it easier for the fungus to colonize the material. The process begins with chopping the straw to about two to three inches long. Preparing Saw Substrateīefore straw is inoculated (planted) with fungus, it must be prepared. In a hurry? This is my Favorite Straw Mushroom Substrate. Agaricus species, like Agaricus Blazei.Oyster mushroom species, like Golden Oyster, Phoenix Oyster, Veiled Oyster, Pink Oyster, and Tree Oyster.Mushroom types often grown on straw include: Straw is an agricultural byproduct with little nutritional value, but it can be fed to animals as roughage, and it can be used as bedding, as a soil amendment, or as mushroom substrate. Hay is grass or other plant matter harvested for animal feed. Non-farmers sometimes confuse straw with hay, but the two are quite distinct. Straw is the material left over after the harvest of grain, the dried stems and leaves of the plants. Most mushrooms can develop on more than one substrate type (just as most animals can grow on more than one type of feed), so growers sometimes try substrates that aren’t recommended for a particular species just to see what happens.

A good substrate type not only provides a good diet for one or more edible mushroom species, it also is inexpensive and easy for the grower to work with.
