The yellow oyster mushroom has a vibrant color, a delicious taste, and the ability to grow aggressively. Take a look at the inoculation process here
The springtime is a great time to inoculate stumps with yellow oyster mushroom spawn. I am going through the process for you today. Check out the video below for a detailed look. If you need spawn for your own yellow oyster mushroom cultivation, you can find that in our online store.
Today I am inoculating a red maple stump where the total size of the tree is about 20 feet tall. The tools I am going to use are a chainsaw and some protective gear, a hammer and some nails. I am also using some yellow oyster mushroom spawn.
This mushroom will fruit during the summer once it gets established, which will likely take two years. However, after it does fully colonize the tree it will be able to produce for many years to come. Some people have great success with yellow oyster mushroom cultivation because they are fast growing like the blue oysters. Even on a large tree like the one in the video.
In this video I essentially cut little cookies into the tree. I used the chainsaw to do this. I cut a total of five that go around the entire tree. The mycelium will be packed into the holes and it will grow down into the roots of the maple for moisture, as the mycelium also grows up the tree.
I begin by breaking up the spawn. The yellow oyster mushroom spawn has a great smell to it, which is a lemony-cucumber aroma. I start by taking one of the cookies out of the tree. I place the mycelium down at the bottom of the hole and press it down tightly. The cookie is then placed back on top. I jam more mycelium into the top of the cookie as well. You really want to pack the mycelium in so that it does not all dry out. In the northeast it is ideal to do these inoculations in April when you are seeing a fair amount of rain in the forecast. That will help your chances of success.
Once the mycelium is all packed in, as you see me do in the video, I pick up my nails and hammer so I can tighten up the gap between the wood. I put the nails in with some going upwards and others going down so that it is well attached. Sink the nails in enough so that the wood cookies get tight into the tree. Some of the mycelium closer to the top of the cookie may dry out, but the mycelium that is well-packed into the tree deeper will be fine. Big cookies are helpful in this process. I cut mine about 3-4” deep. I wouldn’t go any smaller than that. A base layer that is 4 or more inches is ideal.
This tree will probably take a year to colonize and then will hopefully begin producing yellow oyster mushrooms by next July. That is the process of inoculating yellow oysters in big stumps.
Grow your own yellow oyster mushrooms at home
Do you have stumps you want to inoculate with yellow oyster spawn? You can buy a bag of yellow oyster spawn from us and start the process at your home. We recommend using our yellow oyster sawdust spawn for this process.
You can also see the entirety of our sawdust spawn options here if you want to attempt growing other species of mushrooms as well. We also have yellow oyster grain spawn, which is often used for indoor growing on substrates like coffee grounds or straw.
If you are interested in growing oyster mushrooms on straw, take a look at this article which goes through the process of treating the straw accordingly. It is a necessary part of the process to stop contamination.
For those interested in growing yellow oyster mushroom in the easiest way possible, consider one of our mushroom growing kits. We have yellow oyster mushroom, as well as blue oyster and pink oyster. For those of you interested in some other gourmet species, we also have growing kits of shiitake, lion’s mane, and chestnut mushrooms. Our kits come ready to fruit so you can begin using them shortly after you receive the kit in the mail. The kit should yield up to two pounds of fresh mushrooms before it is spent and it will do so through 2-3 flushes.
Once the mushroom growing kit begins breaking apart, you can add the remains to your compost pile or garden bed and you will likely get some more mushrooms from the pieces of the kit. Have you ever grown yellow oyster mushrooms before? What has your experience been like? Please share some of your experiences with us.