PLUG SPAWN

STORAGE

Plug spawn will store for 6-8 months in a refrigerator. For best results, use the plugs as soon as possible. If you don’t get around to inoculating right away, place the plug spawn bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

The plug spawn bag is impulse sealed - only open the plug spawn bag when you are ready to use the plugs. Prematurely opening the bag will increase the risk of contamination.

TOOLS NEEDED

DRILL BIT

The spawn plugs measure 8mm in diameter and 25mm in length. We recommend using a 8.5mm or 11/32" drill bit to drill holes in your log(s).

SEALING WAX

All holes drilled into the logs need to be sealed with wax to prevent the plugs from drying out and/or contaminating. Common waxes use include cheese wax, food grade paraffin wax, and beeswax. One pound of wax is enough to seal about 10 logs. A wool dauber is a great cheap tool used to help apply melted wax to your inoculated logs.

HARDWOOD LOG(S)

The most common wood species used include: alder, beech, birch, maple, and willow. Any size logs will work. Small-diameter logs will colonize faster, but will not produce for as many seasons as a larger logs. For drilling methods, a 4-6’’ diameter with a 3-4’ length is ideal.

APPROACH

Using the recommended drill bit, drill to a depth of 1’’ in a diamond pattern all over the perimeter of the log, omitting the cut ends. We recommend spacing holes four inches apart in rows that are staggered two inches apart.
Ensuring your hands are clean, insert one plug into a freshly drilled hole - it should fully seat into the hole and be flush with the outer surface of the log.
Dab melted wax over each plugged hole. You can use a crockpot or double boiler to melt the wax and a wool dauber or paint brush to apply it. We recommend using dedicated wax melting equipment (crock pot or double boiler) since wax does not clean up easily. All holes must be sealed and is critical to success.
Once all holes are plugged and sealed, the logs can be stacked like firewood in a shady area outside. Log stacks should be kept low to the ground where it’s more humid. Use a pallet or pieces of scrap wood to raise the logs off the ground. After the colonization period is finished, restack the logs in a log cabin fashion for easy harvesting and airflow. Place in a shady area outside.

YIELD AND HARVEST

Most logs in temperate climates will take about a year to fully colonize before they fruit. This can vary between 6 months to two years. Smaller diameter logs will typically fruit sooner, though they’ll have less longevity. Often, mushrooms need cool weather and moisture to fruit. Growth slows in the heat of the summer. If you inoculate in the spring, you might get your first flush of mushrooms in the fall but most likely it will take a full year until you see your first fruiting. If you inoculate in the fall and are able to keep the mycelium from going dormant, you may get mushrooms as soon as the next spring, though more likely the following fall.

As an approximation, you can expect one year of production per inch of log diameter. However, yields will vary greatly depending on the strain of mushroom, tree species used, and environmental conditions.

Logs should be stored in shady outdoor locations close to but off the ground. In temperate climates, they generally retain enough moisture to colonize fully without watering. During especially dry years, droughts, and in arid climates, watering may be necessary.

Logs will survive over the winter as the mycelium goes dormant. A layer of snow will help to retain internal moisture.