Substrate and Spawn Required for Totem Inoculation

Growing lion's mane or oyster mushrooms on totems requires hardwood logs; sugar maple and American beech for lion's mane, and a variety of softer hardwoods such as cottenwood, box elder, and poplar for oyster mushrooms. Spawn comes in two varieties for lions mane, Hericium erinaceous and Hericium americanum while oyster spawn comes in a variety of colors. Once a bag of spawn is open, it should be used within a month. Trees can be cut anytime between January and October but inoculation should be done within three months of cutting the wood and when the temperature is above 50 degrees. A fresh log will provide a sterile environment for the mushrooms. Older logs will have competing fungus in them and should not be used.

[@tjsennstrom2729]

If my mushroom plugs are completely colonized since they arrived in the mail 3 weeks ago... can I store them in the fridge or are they too alive to store now?

[@chasnaj]

Has anyone experimented with quaking aspen for the oysters? It seems that if poplar and cottonwood work it would be a prime candidate.

[@michaelgus1090]

Why american beech.? not europe beech?

[@icarus901]

Would birch / ash be appropriate for oyster mushrooms as well?

[@exforestfarming]

+icarus901 Yes, oysters are not as picky as lion's mane.