Mushrooms on Pellets – A Simple Method for Shiitake & Co

In addition to oyster mushrooms, other wood
decaying mushroom species can be cultivated on wood substrates
for example, king oyster mushrooms, shiitake, enoki, reishi, or lion’s mane.
Each mushroom species requires specific conditions for the different growth phases.

Materials & Tools
Wood pellets: Hardwood pellets (see smoking pellets for barbecuing)
Fruiting containers: Plastic bags (with or without a filter)
Protective gloves (possibly long-sleeved clothing)
Cable ties or clips
Mushroom spawn
Water or mulled wine kettle.

Steps:

1. The required amount of water is brought to a boil. The finished substrate should have a water content of approximately 55 – 65%. Since pellets are usually produced with a wood moisture content of around 7%, a weight ratio of pellets to water = 1:2 (i.e. 0.5 kg of pellets to 1 litre of water) is generally correct.
2. While the water is being heated, the pellets can already be filled into the plastic bags. The bags should only be filled about a quarter to a third full with pellets. The pellets expand as they absorb water, and space is also needed to mix the substrate with the spawn inside the bag.
3. Pouring in the boiling water should only be done while wearing protective gloves and long-sleeved clothing. The required amount of boiling water is poured into the bags over the pellets. Care should be taken to ensure that all the pellets in the bag are evenly covered with boiling water.
4. Most of the pellets will have turned into sawdust after absorbing the water. Stirring the remaining pellets into the mix will help them break down as well. To do this, hold the bag closed at the opening with one hand while massaging the intact pellets into the substrate with the other hand.
5. Before inoculation, the substrate must cool down to below 38°C. To achieve this, the opening of the bag is folded down and clamped between the table and the bag’s contents. This allows the substrate to cool while preventing contamination from the air. It takes about one day for the substrate to cool to the desired temperature.
6. To prepare the mushroom spawn, the closed spawn bag should be shaken or kneaded to break up the spawn into individual grains. The substrate bags should only be opened immediately before inoculation. Around 10% of the substrate weight in mushroom spawn is added per bag (i.e. approximately 200 g of spawn for 2 kg of substrate).
7. After adding the mushroom spawn, the bags are sealed just below the top edge using cable ties, string, clips, or an impulse sealer.
8. The mushroom spawn is mixed into the substrate by shaking and kneading the bag.
9. For plastic bags without filters, holes should be punched immediately after mixing using a nail. Alternatively, multiple crosses of approximately 2 cm in size can be cut with a knife. For bags with filters, holes or cuts should only be made after the substrate has fully colonised (after about 2 – 3 weeks at around 20°C).
10. To induce fruiting, the bags should be placed in a cool, shaded, and humid location. If only a drier environment is available, the holes in the bags should be misted with water 1 – 2 times daily.

You can learn more mushroom cultivation techniques in our workshops.