Thank you for supporting 2FunGuys! We hope you enjoy the process of growing your mushrooms! Here are some in-depth instructions to help you get started.
Please keep in mind this is an all-natural product and each log has different nutrient contents and can fruit at different rates. The mycelium (mushroom spawn growth) typically takes 6-12 months from the inoculation date shown on the tag before it starts fruiting. The initial fruiting, depending on your particular logs’ inoculation date, can occur as quickly as 6 months while others can take over a year.
The fruiting process also depends on when winter occurs in your mushroom log cycle, as most logs go dormant during the colder months. Please be patient and wait until the weather gets warmer to continue your monthly counting. Once you see the first mushrooms, your wait is over and the fruiting process has officially begun! The log should fruit several times over its lifetime, which could span for several years!
Now, let’s talk environment. We realize that not everyone has access to an outdoor area, but if you do, the outdoors provide the best environment for your mushrooms to thrive. If you have no other option but to grow your mushrooms indoors, please scroll to the Log Care for the Indoors section below.
2FunGuys Mushroom Log Care & Fruiting Instructions
Log Care for the Outdoors:
1. Unwrap Your Log.
Remove all packaging from your 2FunGuys log, but leave the silver tags with the type of mushroom and date of inoculation. The log has wax covering on the ends and the inoculation points. Please keep the wax on the log; it will fall off over time but it is needed to retain moisture in the log.
2. Find Your Log’s Home.
Find a nice shady spot in your yard for your mushroom log that is out of direct sunlight. You can lean the log against a shady fence or a tree. The end of the log should be elevated off the ground a few inches. You can place the log on a rock or a brick to elevate it.
3. Make Sure Your Log Remains Hydrated.
Depending on your mushroom log’s inoculation date shown on the tag, it should be well hydrated when received. Since they are cut from fresh wood and we wax the ends, they still retain a lot of their original moisture. They likely won’t start drying out until 7-9 months initially but be sure to check on them every few weeks to make sure they are not drying out. If they feel heavy, they still have quite a bit of moisture, but if they feel light, they may need a little water love.
If the log feels light, it will need to be soaked. Please follow these steps:
A. Find a Container to Submerge your Log
Some examples include a bathtub, a 5-gallon bucket, cooler, a rectangular potting tray, etc. The container only has to be large enough to cover the log with water by about 6 inches.
B. Submerge Your Log.
Completely submerge the log in non-chlorinated (rain, river, filtered, creek, distilled, etc.) water for 24 hours. You can use tap water; however, you will need to let the water sit for at least 1 day before placing your log in the container to allow the chlorine to evaporate.*If the log floats, place an object on top to keep the log submerged completely for 24 hours. Be creative in your submerging, but don’t forget about the log! Soaking for more than 24 hours will make your log lose its pants too soon, and nobody likes a “pants-less” log! Yes, we are referring to the bark! ☺
C. Place your Log back in its Shady Spot.
4. The Fruiting Process.
The mycelium takes 6-12 months from the inoculation date to fully colonize the log and start fruiting. When you see fine white fibers (hyphae) running through the ends of the log, they are ready for fruiting.To initiate fruiting, shock the logs by knocking one end of the log sharply on hard ground and submerging the log in cold water for 24 hrs. The water should be non-chlorinated. Please refer to step 3 again for more information.The beginning stages of a mushroom called the pins should appear within 4 – 10 days after soaking. The timeframe depends on your unique environment – i.e. your location, amount of rainfall, time of year, etc.
5. Harvesting.
Once the pins start to pop out of the log, the mushrooms then start sprouting and will be ready to harvest within 5 – 10 days after that. You can harvest at any time by taking a sharp blade and cutting the flush with the log at the base of the mushroom; however, it is best to harvest them just after the gills are exposed and the caps are still concave.
6. The Resting Period.
Let the logs rest after each fruiting for8 – 12 weeks. This resting period is pertinent for the mycelium to extract more nutrients from the log for more mushrooms. Then repeat the above soaking and shocking steps to “force” fruit the log again. You can expect several great flushes of mushrooms over the lifetime of the log.
NOTE: If your log did not produce mushrooms on your first try, allow it to rest for 8 to 12 weeks, and repeat the above steps to try again.
Log Care for the Indoors:
1. Unwrap Your Log.
Remove all packaging from your 2FunGuys log, but leave the silver tags with the type of mushroom and date of inoculation. The log has wax covering the ends and the inoculation points. Please keep the wax on the log; it will fall off over time but it’s needed to retain moisture in the log.
2. Find Your Log’s Home.
Place the log in a dark spot in your home – out of direct sunlight and away from any vents that blow air. The log can be in the same room as vents and sunlight, just not in the direct path of either. Ideally this room will be between 65 – 80 degrees, such as an unheated garage, closet or basem*nt. Lower and higher temps will slow the fruiting process dramatically. The log should be resting on a plate or in a tray. You can stand the log on its end or lay it flat.
3. Make sure your log remains hydrated.
Depending on your mushroom logs inoculation date shown on the tag it should be well hydrated when received. Since they are cut from fresh wood they still retain a lot of their original moisture and since we wax the ends and inoculation sites that too should keep their moisture in. They probably won’t start drying out until 7-9 months in initially but it’s always good to keep checking on them every few weeks to make sure they are not drying out. If they feel heavy they still have quite a bit of moisture, but if they feel light they may need a little water love.
If the log feels light, and needs to be soaked do the following:
A. Find a Container to Submerge your Log
Some examples include a bathtub, a 5-gallon bucket, cooler, a rectangular potting tray, etc. The container only has to be large enough to cover the log with water by about 6 inches.
B. Submerge Your Log.
Completely submerge the log in non-chlorinated (rain, river, filtered, creek, distilled, etc.) water for 24 hours. You can use tap water; however, you will need to let the water sit for at least 1 day before placing your log in the container to allow the chlorine to evaporate.
*If the log floats, place an object on top to keep the log submerged completely for 24 hours. Be creative in your submerging, but don’t forget about the log! Soaking for more than 24 hours will make your log lose its pants too soon, and nobody likes a “pants-less” log! Yes, we are referring to the bark! ☺
C. Pat the Log Dry & Place in Your Fridge Overnight.
Once the log has been hydrated (submerged for 24 hrs), pat the log dry with paper towels or a clean rag. We recommend placing the log in your refrigerator overnight. By placing the log in the fridge, you are creating a temperature difference simulating a cool fall/spring night.
Most houses have conditioned air, which translates to relatively constant temperatures and humidity. Mushrooms need temperature fluctuations and moisture/humidity to grow and produce fruit. You must provide these ingredients to the log. By soaking the log, you are giving it moisture and by placing the log in the fridge, you are creating the temperature change of nightfall. These changes will kick the fruiting process into gear! You only need to place the log in the fridge for one night after each soak. Just one night. Another way to create the temperature change is to add several cups of ice to the soaking process. The ice or the refrigerator will not hurt the log.
D. Place your Log back in its’ Home.
E. Keep the Environment Humid
Once you have soaked it and removed from the fridge overnight, place it in a tray or on a plate. Now you will need to make sure moisture will not escape too quickly. This step will take some trial and error on your end to determine what works best for your situation.
The trick is to keep the environment moist, but without keeping the log dripping wet with water. To create a microclimate that is humid, we have used plastic bags tented over the log, leaving space at the bottom for air flow. Remember to “tent” the bag over the log and not wrap the log in the bag.
The least amount of the bag should be touching the log as possible. Use a spray bottle to spray the plate or tray on a consistent basis to keep humidity levels high. You will need to take the bag off once the log starts to pin with little mushrooms. These pins (primordial stage) should start to appear between 4 – 10 days after soaking depending on your specific conditions. Continue to spray the plate and tray while the mushrooms are growing, and it’s best to avoid getting the mushrooms wet.
4. Harvesting.
Once the pins start to pop out of the log, the mushrooms then start sprouting and will be ready to harvest within 5 – 10 days. You can harvest at any time by taking a sharp blade and cutting the flush with the log at the base of the mushroom; however, it is best to harvest them just after the gills are exposed and the caps are still concave.
5. The Resting Period.
Let the logs rest after each fruiting for8 – 12 weeks. This resting period is pertinent for the mycelium to extract more nutrients from the log for more mushrooms. Then repeat the above soaking, drying and fridge steps to “force” fruit the log again. You can expect several great flushes of mushrooms over the lifetime of the log.
NOTE: If your log did not produce mushrooms on your first try, allow it to rest for 8 to 12 weeks, and repeat the above steps to try again.
If you have any additional questions, pleaseread our FAQ’s or contact us.
Happy Shroomin’ and thanks for your business!
