This is the first company I have seen show you how to make most of the mushroom kit. Seems like the heart is int he right place. I will definitely be buying from you!
Yea I definitely respect and appreciate them promoting using their product sustainably rather than some single use package that you have to rebuy after depleting it. I’ll keep that in mind when it comes to buying a starter kits and spores.
Yes, I did it Jimm, I inoculated outside strawbale bed with spent blue oyster blocks and harvested some mushrooms in less than 10 days already. Texas winter rain helps increase humidity to 80 percent in 62 degrees F average temperature. Wow what a difference in taste wise growing them outdoor. Really recommend people try this method. I even saved the mushroom stalks, chopped them and covered them in straws. The mycelium is growing like crazy. My only complaint is the price of strawbales have gone up to $14 each! Still we are enjoying our endeavors. Thank you!
Fantastic video. Great to see your young daughter so engaged with the farming! She's a cute as a button (as opposed to an oyster). I'm having to resort to trials in a cheese fridge at 17 degrees over here in Australia. I'm trying both Golden Oysters and Buttons so thanks for the info.
Só excited about this idea... thank you thank you! Except i'll start by growing winter oysters (locally sourced in the wild), topping my 3d compost bin (nearly cooked) and the 4th one (cooked) with straw and spawn slurry. Will try and avoid active-ant season - not sure if that will give the spores enough time to grow mycelium and fruit, maybe if i shelter them from the cold somewhat. I anticipate mycelium growth at least, and will see where to go from there. Couldn't quite work out when you added the elm oysters to the straw. Somewhen in summer, to have them fruiting late summer or early autumn? Will try these around my allotment too. 🙏🏽 both , and 🌳🕊💚
Bob, Thanks for the comment...this straw and spent kit were layered in the garden bed in Austin, TX on Jan 1st. The productions of mushrooms were 9,12, and 15 weeks later then it become too hot (late April). Regardless of where you are, a good time to inoculate the straw/mulch is when you would first plant your vegetable garden in your area....when the chance of a hard frost has become minimal. This gives sufficient time for growth throughout early spring and production should occur before the temperatures become too warm.
Hi! I followed this advice and tried to grow oyster mushrooms outdoors just like this gentleman. I succeded! I planted my mycelium in May or June I guess, now in late August I have the first mushrooms appearing. I'm in a climate zone 7a. During hot and dry summer (temp. even over 30'C) I kept the straw humid. When it's raining, I don't water it. :)
George, Use hardwood chips for continued growth, wood chips are much better at spawning another generation than straw (straw will typically produce 3-4 times in a season, then it is finished). Once your bed is established in chips, add new hardwood chips each spring.
What kind of shade requirement do they require? Also, it seems they might do well in a hugelkultur bed since they tend to stay moist year round. Would fresh sawdust work, too?
90% + shade. hugelkulture is a great application. And aged sawdust 3-4 months works bettter than fresh (fresh does not readily absorb water) Thank you!
At 3:18 I think the mushroom is as big as your helper. I like the ideal of mushrooms composting mulch in the garden bed, oh & eating the fruit of the Mycelium.
awesome! I always enjoy your videos. I am so interested in growing mushrooms and thinking of doing mushroom farming business in the future. You make everything you do look so easy. Thank you for the share :-) please keep it coming, it's wonderful to see your child is enjoying the mushrooms as well.
yes, that's exactly what I hear. I hear people that are interested in purchasing the kit but they want to know if it will continue to give off mushrooms. I haven't tried the kit myself though.
So awesome. Thanks so much for trying (and documenting) this! It looks like the straw was chopped to ~2-4" long pieces - is that correct? I wonder what effect that has/had in this outdoor context on the mycelium's rate of growth; I can only imagine it helped. I know chopped/shredded straw is favored for indoor growing, and I figure the same general principle applies outdoors.
Does it have to be in sun or shade, what season (temp.) does it need to be, and how frequently do you have to water it? I love this idea! Do you sell the kits? Can you do this with Button and Portabella mushroom? I so want to do this; fresh mushrooms at home ~ Yum! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi, love your video. Can I mix the golden and blue oyster all in one garden bed? What’s going to happen if I do mix them? Yuh have veg grow on straw? Or you have soil under your straw? No cardboard under straw? How do you make your mushroom came up like planting veg, evenly spaced? Thank you!
Hi Jim, Dropped in to see your latest video and then checked to find indeed your website is up. Great reviews page. Wondered if you had pasturized the straw? An ice storm two winters ago damaged many alders on our farm. Presently have 200 + logs ready to drill, the ends already waxed. Dowels sourced from here in Washington. Excited new mushroom farmer. Dennis
have you ever thought of combining this with hugelkultur. we live in a pretty big drought area. but if you put the bottom layer as woodchip chunks maybe that's been decomposing for over a year? 5 inch thick. then followed by 10 inches of straw. i wonder if it would hold water better. possibly some biochar on that bottom layer for water holding. perhaps (cook the decomposed chips to pasteurize them a bit before adding)
This kind of ideas is what the world needs more of! Sounds very creative and feasible, give it a try and keep us posted on the results (with photos, of course).
hey man. you seem to be the expert on shrooms:) was wondering, i mix a massive amount of goat and horse manure and straw into my garden every year "clay soil"is my soil type, would these mushrooms grow well in such a mixture?
beautiful oysters. I grew up picking them in the woods with my dad. I had no clue they could be grown without being on a tree. does the flavor change from the different growing method? straw vs tree?
Thank you for the video, One question. How can you make the mushrooms fruit all year if you don't have to worry about the cold? Btw I live in Ecuador if that helps.
Will the mycelium continue to grow and fruit after picking the mushrooms as long as you keep giving it straw to grow on? Would be great for a permaculture garden if so!!
Steph Bigorneau I’m late, but in case you still care ice and dry conditions don’t easily kill fungi. Not the ones that are native to my part of the world at least. I had dried spawn bought for a fun experiment from three years ago. Shit is growing rn in hrs. It’s very contaminated so I’ll throw it, but three years of bone dry ain’t killing my fungus.
I'd be very worried about contamination of the straw with competing and poisonous mushrooms. Is there a type of eatable mushroom that is so distinctive it cannot be mistaken for something poisonous?
No need to pasteurize you straw outdoors...and the ants will not be a problem. See our latest video to answer may of your questions: Growing Mushrooms in Garden Beds Thank you!
100thMonkeyMushrooms I use a mixture of Garlic and Black pepper and spray it around the plants. It will keep all the bugs away and want affect the mushrooms Do no spray it on it just right around it. I use an old Window cleaner spray bottle it makes it easy
Great helper and video! Do you think it will grow well if the bed is situated beside the house on the north side which means it will be constantly under the total shade of the house? Since I live in Vancouver, Canada, our temperature range is in zone 7 and the growing seasons are from 10 - 30 C (50 - 86 F). Thanks! :)
+100thMonkeyMushrooms Biochar would not have an immediate effect on the fungi. The advantages of biochar seem to take a few months to years to be realized, but they are significant. So yes, add your charcoal.
Thank you! Shiitake will not grow in this layered straw manner, being as you are correct, shiitake does not grow on straw like oyster mushrooms will. Shiitake needs a hardwood log. And, yes, this technique will work in a terrarium. Give it a try and let us know how it goes!
Hi! I saw shiitake grown on a mix of wheat straw and gypsum, if I remember well. I will give it a try! Hardwood log are not necessary. By the way, I followed your advice and made an experiment. It's late August 2021 and I'm seeing my first ever oyster mushrooms growing! :D I am beyond excited! That you so much for sharing this method!
How thick is the straw bed and is it right over soil? There is no mention of pasteurization or soaking of the straw beforehand. What are your feelings about that?
In this particular application the 4-6 inches of straw is directly on the soil. However, best to put a layer of cardboard down first. No pasteurization...success is the norm. Soaking straw, if you a large enough vessel is ideal.
i have two raised beds for vegetables and 8 totes that i grow tomatoes and such in. the soil in the totes is pretty much depleted of nutrients, so i have been putting coffee grounds/tea leaves/organic waste from the house into the totes. my question is would it be feasible to cover the tops of the totes with several inches of straw and grow mushrooms to help enrich the soil again?
Hi Jim, can this outdoor mushroom bed be grown in zone 8b ? Because in the summer it can go up 104 degrees F. I have five spent blocks of blue oyster that I had indoor and thinking of doing just like this rather than tossing them in a compost pile. Thanks for your response.
Give it a try, just remember to water it regularly. If it's very hot summer, you can shade your patch or grow your mushrooms under some bigger plants. Just experiment!
We do not sell oak logs, however; there are many hardwood logs in your local area you can use to grow your mushrooms. Please watch our videos titled "Mushroom Cultivation on Logs" (3 videos on our RU-vid channel - 100th Monkey Mushrooms), which explains the log inoculation process and gives you detailed information on what type of log to use. Also, keep an eye out for tree trimmers in your neighborhood or neighbors pruning branches...they are often happy to give their logs away. Happy growing!
Thanks for this very informative video! But one question: once the mushroom grows for one season, does it continue growing for more years or does it need to be replanted every year?
When straw is inoculated it will last one season. I you use the more hardy wood chips, more chips can be added the following season to initiate more growth.
What kind of straw is being used? (...and what wood is ideally used for this mushroom?) I'm growing pearl oyster, and do okay with barley straw along with coffee grounds and cardboard in bucket grows. I haven't tried a ground spawn yet.
The oyster mushrooms will grow like this in the Philippines, be sure to chose a species that likes the hot temperatures, such as; the golden oyster or pink oyster.
I realize this is a few years old , however, is that type of mushroom the best for garden plating or are there others that do well also...Thank you....
+Maurice Brown Yes, we specifically chose this species because it does so well with garden plant. If you want to try this method try our Elm Oyster Garden Kit. It is formulated differently to spread faster than the Box Kit shown it this older video. The King Stopharia mushroom also does well with garden plants. Happy Growing!
Is this specific mushroom one that can out compete others, or are there other edible mushrooms that can be used in a non sterile environment such as a garden?
The oyster mushrooms are a great candidate for growing in a non sterile/pasteurized substrate outdoors due to the speed of their colonizations. King Stropharia also does great, as well as Shaggy Mane. Both of these species actually need certain soil microorganisms to fruit.
You are welcome. Our Garden Kit is formulated specifically as a spawn (like straw) and much more effective than using a spent indoor grow kit. Happy Growing!
I just Bought a Giant Container of Portobello Mushrooms with healthy Mycelium on the Stems. Can I place them in the Coffee Grounds and Straw to Grow Them?
Mix 3:1 (Straw: fresh manure) in a heap. Use cow, horse, sheep...etc. manure, do not use dog manure. Turn it every third day until it cools down (about three weeks) then mix in your portobello spawn. Happy Growing!
+nemesisbreakz Yes, you can definitely grow these in Kansas. Wait until spring at the time you plant a vegetable garden, then inoculate with our Elm Oyster Garden Kit...see this video for more detail: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A0gzSQcuOMU.html
Inoculate early in the spring so you are able to maximize the number of flushes (2-3). In will not come back the following year, not from the cold, rather: it is spent.
Yes, other oysters will do very well in straw. However, we suggest the elm oyster if you are co-planting with garden plants. Other species such as, Shaggy Mane and King Stropharia also do well with garden plant/straw beds.
So awesome. Question, I have a wood pile that I use for grilling, and I see some of the chunks are covered with mycelium. If I bury the chunks under coffe grounds, compost and straw would I get similar results?
Great idea, but unfortunately, the amount of surface area on the chunks of wood would most likely not be enough to colonize (grow all over) your substrate. Also, there is no way to tell what species of mushroom mycelium is growing on your wood chunks. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching Dennis. The straw was not pasteurized but had been stored high and dry from the time it was cut. Good luck with the log inoculation! (Topic of our next video, too)
hello is it possible to get mycelium of a couple of oyster mushroom strains on agar plates sent through regular mail? I want to do some experiments with my school students many thanks in advance
+TheASTrader Yes, although it will take longer and is not as reliable as straw. See this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A0gzSQcuOMU.html
