3' Logs for Mushroom Growing (About a 6" Diameter)(Single Log)

Logs for Mushroom Growing (3' Length) (About a 6" Diameter)(Single log) Shipping can be adjusted for smaller size logs. Due to the weight of this item, shipping prices tend to be on the high side. The shipping rate is calculated through Etsy with USPS only, which normally runs high when mailing heavier items. Contact us for quotes with other carriers or for pallet prices! Choose from these woods that we have available: Elm Hickory Oak We do provide custom wood size orders. Please contact us for a quote. We also have limited quantities of: Honey Locust Ash Persimmon Sassafras Locust Please contact us for availability. Grow your own mushrooms! Here's how: Selecting Your Wood Logs may be cut for Plug Spawn inoculations at any time during the year. However, for best results, we recommend cutting your logs in late Winter/early Spring just before tree buds sprout. This is when the sap and moisture content in the wood are highest. The mushroom mycelium will feed on the sugary sap and moisture during the colonization period. Higher moisture and sap content equates to more food for the fungi. Hardwood species prefer deciduous trees types such as Oak, Poplar (Cottonwood), Elm, Alder, Maple, and other similar woods. Fruit woods, such as Cherry or Plum, should generally be avoided, as they tend to be too dense for all but the most aggressive species, such as the Tree Oyster and Turkey Tail. Thick-barked hardwoods are preferable over “paper-bark” woods such as Birch and Cherry. Eucalyptus has proven to be highly suitable for Shiitake. Logs that have damaged bark or are shedding their bark should not be used. Some species of wood such as Sycamore and Madrone tend to shed their bark quickly after cutting, making them less suitable for log cultivation of mushrooms. Your logs and stumps should be clean, healthy, and free of any other fungi (as they can compete with the new fungi you are trying to establish). Your logs or stumps should also have all of their bark intact. This is especially important to aid in water retention and to help protect the inoculated fungi from parasites and competition from other native fungi. The logs should be cut from a healthy, live tree. If you do not want to cut the whole tree, trimming large limbs is acceptable. The ideal log size should be 3 to 4 feet in length and 4 to 8 inches in diameter. The larger the diameter, the longer it will take for the mycelium to fully colonize your log. For stump cultivation, we recommend using the same wood type guidelines described above. Once the stump is cut, we suggest girdling the base (removing bark from the bottom 2 inches of the stump), this will ensure that the stump does not continue to grow after plugging. As with the logs, your stumps should sit for at least 2 weeks, but no longer than 6 months prior to inoculating. Be sure the stump will be mostly shaded: sunny conditions are not ideal for mushroom cultivation. If the stump is not shaded you can offer it shade by putting up a shade cloth. You are now ready to begin the plugging process! Equipment Needed You will need the following equipment. Gather these materials before opening your Plug Spawn: 5⁄16" drill bit (to drill the correct diameter hole) High speed drill (for drilling) Rubber mallet (for tapping the plugs in the holes) Beeswax or a soy-based wax (e.g., cheese wax) for sealing your logs or stumps Camping stove, electric hotplate or other way to melt the wax Old metal coffee can or other container in which to melt the wax Small 1 inch paint brush (to apply the wax) The best time to plug your logs varies depending on your location. The general rule of thumb is to inoculate when you’re not experiencing extreme weather conditions, such as snow/ground freezing, or heat waves. Mid-Spring is generally a good time to do your inoculations (after the threat of freezing temperatures has passed). If you have a protected area in which to place your newly inoculated logs, such as a garage, root cellar, shed, barn, or other outbuilding, feel free to plug logs all year round. Keep in mind the logs will need moisture during the incubation/colonizing process. If storing the logs in an outbuilding, make sure you have an adequate way of watering the logs. Now to begin plugging!