Blue Oyster Mushroom Outdoor Log Starter Kit

Grow Blue Oyster Mushrooms Outdoors

Grow your own Blue Oyster mushrooms outdoors with our mushroom log starter kit. Each kit contains everything you need to inoculate a freshly cut hardwood log for your very own natural mushroom patch. Blue Oyster is an ideal mushroom species for new cultivators as it can colonize fairly quickly and fruit in a wider range of temperatures. Fruits yield large clusters of beautiful mushrooms that can reach full maturity in as little as 48-72 hours from the start of their growth. 

Sustainable Mushroom Cultivation 

Log cultivation is one of the oldest forms of mushroom cultivation, dating back over 1000 years - this sustainable method uses freshly hewn logs to cultivate mushrooms as they grow in nature. By reducing the amount of one-time use plastics commonly associated with cultivation, you can feel good about your grow!

Harvest Over Multiple Years

One of the biggest advantages of log cultivation is the harvests - depending on your log’s diameter and type of wood, you can get multiple harvests out of a single log over several years! A general rule of thumb is for each inch of log diameter, you will get a harvest for each year, so a 4” log can be harvested for up to 4 years. Hardwood species also tend to last longer than softwoods and can contribute to additional harvests. For more info on selecting mushroom logs, check out our guide.

1. In order to use this kit, you will need to source freshly hewn logs of a suitable species. For Lion’s Mane, the best candidates are hardwoods of the following species: 
2. Aspen, Cottonwood, Tuliptree, Willow
3. Alder, Basswood, Beech, Birch, Box Elder, Buckeye, Elm, Ironwood/Hophornbeam, Maple, Mulberry, Pear, Sweetgum, Sycamore are all acceptable for use as well. 
4. Avoid using Ash, Hemlock, Oak
5. Oyster Mushrooms can thrive on certain softer hardwoods thanks to their rapid colonization, making them somewhat unique when compared to other mushroom species used in log cultivation. 
6. Prepare and clean logs with a brush to remove debris. Keep bark intact. 
7. Drill 1” deep holes using the provided drill bit. Alternate hole placement between rows. 
8. Add colonized dowels to holes and pound into the log with a mallet or hammer. Ensure plugs are flush with log surface. 
9. Using the melted wax provided, apply melted wax using the dauber to each inoculation point. 
10. Once the wax dries, move the logs to a shady, humid area such as beneath a tree, and follow the log care instructions in our guide. 
11. Harvest 6-12 months later. 

For more information, refer to the following guides, or download our free log cultivation guide in the resources section. 

• Log Cultivation FAQs
• Log Cultivation Blog
• Log Cultivation Guide