How to Grow Lion's Mane Mushrooms Outdoors
The lion's mane mushroom is a decomposing type of mushroom, which is also known as a saprophyte. These mushrooms break down dead plant matter and work to access all available nutrients. Lion's mane mushrooms are popular with chefs because they look and taste similar to lobster meat. They resemble white pom-poms when they are growing. You can grow your own lion's mane mushrooms on a log in your own backyard. The process takes up to a year. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Logs
- Mushroom plug spawn
- Power drill
- 5/16-inch drill bit
- Hammer or mallet
- Melted cheese wax or beeswax
- Natural-fiber paintbrush
Instructions
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1
Cut several logs that are less than 14 inches in diameter into 3-to-4 foot lengths.
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2
Drill holes in the log using the drill and drill bit. The holes should be 1 to 2 inches deep and about 4 inches apart, placed in a diamond pattern. Drill up to 50 holes in the log--the more holes, the better.
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3
Hit a mushroom plug spawn into a hole in the log with a hammer or mallet.
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4
Brush melted cheese wax or beeswax over the hole using a natural-fiber paintbrush to protect the plug spawn from weather and insects.
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5
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all the holes in the log.
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6
Place the finished logs in a shady area near a water source.
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7
Label each log with the date that you inoculated it to keep track of how quickly the mushrooms grow.
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8
During dry times, soak the logs in water once a week until the mushrooms begin to fruit.
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Tips & Warnings
Use hardwood trees such as oak, maple, hickory, ash, beech, poplar, ironwood, cottonwood, aspen, willow and elm for your logs. They will last up to six years. The best time to harvest logs is in winter or early spring when they have all of their sap. You can also use a stump instead of a log. It is best if it is in an area that remains shady most of the day. If you don't have a water source available, bury a log upright in the ground, with one-third of its length buried so it can draw moisture from the ground. Stumps also draw moisture in this manner.
Do not use conifers, fruit trees or birch trees. Mushrooms don't grow well on them. Do not inoculate freshly-cut logs. Trees have anti-fungal compounds that degrade two or three weeks after they are cut down.
