How to Grow Mushrooms in Fall: Inoculation & Fruiting

Mushroom beds can be installed anytime during the year, as long as the mycelium has a couple of weeks to become established before freezing temperatures hit. You can look up your region’s first frost dates to plan out inoculations.

Most mushrooms we make beds with are perennial in temperate climates, meaning they’ll continue to grow year after year despite snowfall. This includes wine caps and most of our oyster mushrooms. As heat-loving mushrooms, pink oysters are perennial only in subtropical and tropical regions but grow well as annuals during the summer months of colder zones.

Mushroom beds can be installed throughout the growing season as long as the mushroom mycelium has a couple of weeks to a month to establish itself before freezing temperatures set in. By inoculating in the fall, you’ll get a head start on growing for next season. With any luck, spring rains will bring luscious mushroom flushes! You can look up your region’s first frost dates to help plan your schedule, and learn more about the mushroom varieties most suitable for growing in beds by taking a look at our Mushroom Beds Pamphlet. Most of the species ideal for beds are perennial in temperate climates, meaning they’ll continue to grow year after year. This includes wine caps and most of our oyster mushrooms except pink oysters which are perennial in subtropical and tropical regions only but grow well as annuals during the summer months in colder zones. If you’re planting garlic in the fall, consider mulching with straw inoculated with oyster mushrooms. Likewise, if putting your garden to bed includes creating or maintaining wood chipped pathways, wine cap works well interspersed with garden plants. If you want to step up your game, you can grow Nameko mushrooms in beds of freshly chipped hardwood. This species incubates well in fall and winter and likes to fruit in cooler temperatures. By incorporating fungi into your garden, you’ll support soil and plant health in several ways, and gain access to gourmet, protein-rich food right in your backyard.

Namekos growing in a wood chip bed

Oysters growing in buckets by @allisfarm

Similar to mushroom beds, containers can be inoculated almost anytime. Using this method is a great way to grow mushrooms at home with limited space and without specialized equipment. Growing cold-hardy mushrooms like blue oysters, snow oysters, or italian oysters is easy in the fall! Depending on how much spawn you use, how big your container is, and the temperature, it should be fully colonized in about a month. Visit our article and video for additional information on growing mushrooms in containers.

The cold snaps of fall often trigger fruitings, mimicking natural cycles. If temperatures dip below freezing consistently, the mycelium will go dormant. You can bring your container inside to keep growing through winter or give it some protection from the elements outside and wait until the spring for more flushes.

Cool, wet conditions of fall are ideal for mycelial growth. Starting logs in the fall extends incubation time so logs may start fruiting sooner!

Growers can easily take advantage of this prime time for log harvesting and inoculation, especially in areas with mild winters. Those of us who live in snowy regions can support growth throughout winter by protecting logs from freezing. Stack logs close to the ground, covered with a thick layer of dry leaves or blankets and tarps- keep moisture in and drying winds out. If you have some room, storing logs next to your house or other heated structures can also help to insulate them. Better yet, overwinter your logs in a greenhouse or basement, just make sure you keep them from drying out!

The fall season offers advantages for cutting logs, especially in warmer regions. Except for hemlock reishi, all tree species used for log inoculation are deciduous. Unlike conifers, deciduous trees go through a period of dormancy coinciding with shorter days and cooler temperatures. We may notice this when leaves change color and drop. Inside the tree, nutrients are being transferred from the foliage down into stems and trunks for storage. To prevent cracking from freezing temperatures, cells harden and replace some water content with sugars. In the spring, those nutrients and sugary sap flow back up in the tree to supply leaf and flower buds with enough energy to burst open and unfold.

While logs can be cut and inoculated nearly any time of year, strategic timing can increase yield and longevity. Planning wood harvests around sap flow maximizes available nutrients in the wood. During the fall, the optimal time for harvesting wood for bolts is after 30% of a tree’s leaves have changed color through full leaf drop. Then, sugars are highest, the bark is tight, and moisture content should be in a good range allowing the fungi to quickly myceliate the log.

Cool, wet conditions of fall are ideal for mycelial growth. Starting logs in the fall extends incubation time so logs may start fruiting sooner the following growing season!

Growers can easily take advantage of this prime time for log harvesting and inoculation, especially in areas with mild winters. Those of us who live in snowy regions can support growth throughout winter by protecting logs from freezing. Stack logs close to the ground, covered with a thick layer of dry leaves or blankets and tarps- keeping moisture in and drying winds out. If you have some room, storing logs next to your house or other heated structures can also help to insulate them. Better yet, overwinter your logs in a greenhouse or basement, just make sure you keep them from drying out!

Shiitake logs at Winslow Farm in Maine

If you’re living in the temperate rainforest of the pacific northwest, winter is mild and rainy. Many folks are still out foraging. It’s no wonder; these wet conditions are ideal for fungal growth. Here, Fall inoculations are a great choice, requiring little to no maintenance, and they give you a head start on growing for the next season. Depending on the project, you might even get spring fruits!

Further down the coast in California, year-round temperatures above freezing give mushroom growers incredible flexibility. They are a lucky bunch, able to grow outdoors through moist, cool winters. Likewise, anyone in USDA grow zones 8 and higher can take advantage of an almost endless growing season, so long as they have adequate moisture and humidity. Planning grows around rainy seasons and access to water is helpful for ensuring success. Nameko, chestnut, hemlock reishi, and some shiitake and oyster strains can fruit in temperatures as low as 45 degrees! Imagine harvesting fresh mushrooms from your yard for holiday meals. That’s definitely worth writing home about!

If you’re living in the temperate rainforest of the pacific northwest, winter is mild and rainy. Many folks are still out foraging. It’s no wonder; these wet conditions are ideal for fungal growth. Here, Fall inoculations are a great choice, requiring little to no maintenance, and they give you a head start on growing for the next season. Depending on the project, you might even get spring fruits!