Part 4 Mycology in the Garden: Grow Mushrooms in Containers

This video will show you how to grow oyster mushrooms on straw bale in containers. This video series is in partnership with the Central Texas Mycological Society.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

1. Substrate: Straw Bale
2. Container: 5- Gallon Bucket, Laundry Basket, any Container that you can drill holes into.
3. Tools: Drill, Garden Fork, Spade, Pry Bar, Alcohol, Soap & Water
4. Spawn: We recommend blue oysters spawn because it does best in a non-sterile environment.
   • Oysters (Pleurotus ostreatus): Oyster mushrooms grow well outdoors and readily outgrow competitors and potential contaminants. This mushroom grows in several bright colors such as pink, blue, and yellow. Blue tends to be the best for growing outdoors. The taste of oyster mushrooms is very mild, and some describe it as subtly woody or like seafood. Oysters grow in partial shade and prefer straw to denser woody substrates.

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Many times mushroom farms have used sawdust blocks that have grown mushrooms once, and then end up getting tossed in the waste stream. Check with your local mushroom farm to see if you can help them reduce waste and use the spawn in your organic garden. If you are in Austin, we are collaborating with a new local mushroom farms to help keep used mushroom blocks out of the waste and help get them into gardens around Austin and building healthy soil!
The mushroom blocks are for free but you can also support our mission of helping the crew that is making sure they stay out of the waste by making a donation or becoming a member.

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GROWING STEPS
STEP 1: Soak bale with water for a few hours. It will soak water up like a sponge. Use hot water if available to make for a cleaner substrate.
STEP 2: Inoculate Straw with Oyster Mushroom Spawn After the straw has drained, disperse spawn evenly on all sides of the bale, getting as close to the center as possible. It’s helpful to use a spade, or garden fork to get deeper into the bale. We even used a pry bar to loosen it up. Use one 5 lb bag of spawn for one straw bale.
STEP 3: Water When You Water Your Vegetables While the mycelium spreads, be sure to keep the bale hydrated, lightly watering when you water your vegetables. After 7-14 days you will start to see mycelium colonize the straw.
STEP 4: Keep the Bale Cool Once temperatures exceed 80 degrees, the bale may get too hot for mycelial growth. Try placing in the shade or use shade cloth. You can also inoculate with more spawn to keep your mushrooms growing as temperatures rise.
STEP 5: Harvest and Enjoy! Time to harvest will likely be about 10-21 days depending on the oyster species.Try to harvest your oyster mushrooms right before they drop spores. You will know they are ready to drop spores when the caps start to curl upwards. Remove the mushroom cluster from your bale at the base of the cluster with a knife, or simply twist off with your hand.