Taryn Hubbard
Environmental Research
Spring 2010
Jason Hamilton
 Food
and Medicine production
• Non-timber forest product
• Exciting biological process
• Nutrition—Protein, Vitamin B
• Medicinal—Benefits to immune
system
• Business opportunity
 Beneficial
decomposition
• Mycoremediation: “Use of fungi to
degrade or remove toxins from the
environment.” 1
• Mycoforestry: Restoration,
mycorrhizal relationships
• Natural composters, pesticides, and
fungicides
How
does it work?
 Location
• Outdoors
• Indoors
 Substrate
• Straw, log, sawdust
 Spawn
• Mushroom starter
culture—mycelia &
grain/sawdust
 Ideal
growing
conditions
• Warm, humid,
moderately lit
 Oyster
 Shiitake
 Maitake
(Hen of the Woods)
 Wine Cap/King Stropharia
 Reishi
 Portabello, Button, Crimini
 Morel
 Lion’s Mane
 Chicken of the Woods
 Turkey Tail
 Straw mushroom
 Shiitakes: freshly
cut logs, 3-8” in
diamater
 Ideal bark: in between thin &
thick, developing ridges
 Hardwood—Oak is best!
 70-77˚F, 80-85% Humidity
 Natural shade & canopy cover—
mix of deciduous & evergreen
forest
 Clean forest floor, little to no
slope

Spring or fall
• Will fruit faster if spring



Drilling pattern
Plug or sawdust spawn
Cover with wax
• Prevents infiltration
• Holds water


Stacking formation: “Crib”
“Forcing” logs
• Soak in water to “awaken” mycelia

Different varieties  different time
frames
• Reishi & Maitake: 2+ years!
 Must
replicate ideal
conditions in an indoor
setting
 Oysters:
• Temperature = 60-70˚F
• Humidity
• 80% inoculation
• 90% spreading
• 100% fruiting
• Light
• Air flow
 Species
dependent
 Sterilize
substrate
• Boil chopped straw(170º for 1-2
hours)
• Carbon to Nitrogen ratio = 20:1
 Layer
sterile bag – substrate &
spawn
• Spawn: Grain or sawdust
 Seal
bag
• 10-20 quarter-sized holes for
fruiting
 Hang
area
bag to maximize fruiting
 Difficult
to replicate an ideal environment
• Humidity & air flow
 Infestations
• Fungus gnats
• Green mold
• Outdoor insects & animals
 King stropharia bed
 Time
and Size
 Benefits
• Supply of healthy mushrooms
• Safety
• Delicious!
• Learn to build, create, and manage a space
• Business potential
 Forest
fertility
• Growth & Decomposition
 Community
connections
• Teachers, local cultivators
Future Fungi Goals
• Mushroom marketing & business
• Collaboration with EcoVillage, New Roots
•
•
•
•
•
•
Charter School, and other community
connections
Spawn production
Fungi in the forest
Fungi in the community garden
Mycoremediation
Mycology course
Wild mushrooms
Thank you!
 1Paul

Stamets Mycelium Running
 Penn State University Cultivation of Oyster Mushrooms
Mary Ellen Kozak & Joe Krawczyk Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in a
Continental Climate