This quick and easy method for growing oyster mushrooms requires no pasteurization- just aspen shavings (or small pet bedding), a 5-gallon bucket, a large pot, and oyster mushroom grain spawn.
This chick really knows her sh… ah, mushrooms! 🍄 I’ve watched so many “how to” mushroom growing videos and none come close to this level of concise knowledge. Finally, I can grow my pink oyster mushrooms with confidence. Thank you young lady.
1:01...Boil water, dump the shavings in and let it cool...also known as the quick and easy version (essentially) of hot pasteurization. 12-12.5mm drill bit = approximately 1/2" inch.
Great video! Did this using oyster spawn (golden) from FFP in 2 gallon buckets using hardwood (hickory) sawdust pellets. One tip - don't overdo it on the spawn! Mine colonized faster than I expected and all at once, so I had more than I could eat.
It's pretty impossible using this method in the SW as the air is just too dry. I had success putting my bucket in larger container and putting a layer of water in the bottom for moisture.
So I have never grown mushrooms in my life... After picking/harvesting these do you just dump the contents of the bucket? Or will they just continue to produce indefinitely?
Eventually the mushrooms will run through all the edible material in in the bucket at which point you compost the aspen shavings and start anew. This typically takes 2 to 3 months.
Autumn started here, and I just started learning about the mushroom world. I’ve bought a shiitake log, and an indoor grow kit little bucket, so excited! Can I start a big bucket with what is left of the little bucket? Do you have any tips on stacking/storing/best placements for the buckets indoors?
Hi! We generally will just stack the buckets right on top of each other in a room that has the proper fruiting conditions (this will vary slightly depending on which strain you are using). As for expanding your bucket- you can certainly try! The mycelium will be weaker after it fruits and no longer be in a sterile environment, so it's likely you will be faced with some contamination woes, but it's worth a try!
Hi Thomas, That is a great question! King Oysters are generally cultivated to fruit from bigger surfaces, so we think they could fruit from the top of the bucket, but not on the sides. It's definitely worth investigating, though!
That is normal! As time goes on (and this is true of any mushroom and any substrate) the mycelium starts to lose some vigor allowing other organisms to sneak on in. Fortunately oysters can last for quite a while co-existing and will give you several more flushes!
Hey just bought some spawn from you all! I purchased a cheap wood chipper/shredder and have some cottonwood sawdust and chips now from local trees. Do you think simple sterilization like this would work on that cottonwood? I use buckets so I don’t want to do bags and the pasteurization method.
Sawdust is a little more tricky than wood chips just as it creates a lot of heat being so compacted. I think it would work, but I wouldn't do a full 5-gallon bucket, I would work with a one gallon pail and adjust from there!
If you packed the chips a little tighter it would probably be about the same. Then it wouldn't hurt to pasteurize the chips a little longer than is done in the video.
When you do it this way with your spawn from your kit " that I bought for myself", will I end up with a bigger result of more mushrooms, by making a bigger area for them to grow in? Thanks, Robin.
Certainly. Part of it is expanding the spawn into a larger area, but it's more about providing the mushrooms a proper medium to grow in. Mushrooms will grow poorly directly out of the grain, but once that grain is put into wood or straw it provides the proper conditions for good mushroom growth!
Also if I want to stagger the starting of my buckets (i can't eat 4 buckets of flush all at once) how long can the spawn bag sit and still be good for?
Great question. You can keep spawn and stagger the buckets. To store spawn roll the top of the bag down to the top of the filter patch and clip it shut tight. I would use opened spawn within 2 weeks- store pink spawn at room temperature and all other spawn in the refrigerator.
Straw is difficult to source and expensive at best in my area. I would like to trying doing an oyster bed outside while the temps are cooler her in the Florida winter months (50s to 70s during the day 40s to 60s at night). Would the soaked aspen chips work as bed substrate as well?
They would work! For oyster bed cultivation (either on straw or aspen chips) the yields are lower than in a bucket, but it will produce mushrooms. I would certainly cover the bed with a tarp for the duration of spawn run time to ensure it colonizes well!
@@FieldandForestProducts Thanks for the quick reply! Would it be a good idea to cover it with a light layer of the free aged mixed chips/leaf litter type I have access to to try to help hold in the moisture or just tarp straight on the aspen? How long do you think a run would take at those temps/conditions? I will be out of town (with someone looking after it) for about 4.5 weeks. Debating about whether to start it before or play it safe and do it after. Also how deep would you lay the aspen - 3 to 4 inches.
@@helpisonthewaytutoring4259 I would use closer to 8 inches of aspen chips (make sure to rehydrate them before laying them out) and tarp right on the aspen. Spawn run should take around 4 weeks if the temperatures are in the 70s.
It depends on what oyster strain you are using and will also vary based on conditions. On our last bucket after 2 flushes of grey dove the yield was just over 2.5 and pink was a little less just as pink is a less robust oyster!
Hi! Sawdust is too dense and would take a long time to colonize if put in a bucket. It would also need to be sterilized to lower any risk of contamination. (it could also make the bucket very heavy!) We would recommend using straw or wood chips with the bucket method.
"Thats who i talked to!" My dad just purchased the oyster grain spawn today haha. We are excited to try this and move into making our own spawn and sub. Great to have you guys a few hours away
