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- Organic Hen of the Woods (Maitake) Outdoor Log Growing Kit
Organic Hen of the Woods (Maitake) Outdoor Log Growing Kit
Skill level | Advanced |
Grow location | Outdoors |
Spawn shelf life | 6 months (refrigerated) |
Incubation | 12-24 months |
Fruiting temps | 50-60°F |
Best log type | See wood chart below |
Hen of the woods, aka Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is a succulent polypore with a delicate feathery texture and earthy rich flavor. Its lacy sides make it a great option for frying, roasting, sautéing, and adding a visual flair to many dishes.
Hen of the woods mushrooms are great for enthusiast growers who have had some success with other more advanced species.
Because hen of the woods is not a strong competitor, it requires a different cultivation strategy. Inoculation works best when logs are steam sterilized, incubated and colonized in filter patch bags, then removed from bags and partially buried in a shaded spot.
Each outdoor log kit contains:
- A drill bit
- Log sealing wax
- A wax applicator
- 100 ct plug spawn or voucher
- Instruction guide
Note: Dowel may be fluted or spiral. Aside from being kiln dried, our wooden dowels are not treated in any other way.
Hen of the Woods (Maitake) wood chart:
BEST WOOD SPECIES* | White Oak, Red Oak, Bur Oak |
OTHER SUITABLE SPECIES | None recommended |
AVOID | All other woods |
That's not mold, it's mycelium!
Your kit includes plug spawn colonized with mushroom mycelium. It may appear covered with a soft, white, mold-like substance - that's the mushroom mycelium! It is completely normal. The mycelium of some species is more prominent than others.
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Ordering a log kit with a voucher allows you to redeem your plug spawn at a later date. Vouchers make a great gift and are good for projects beyond a 3 month start date.
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Ordering a kit with live spawn is best for projects that will be done within 3 months of ordering.
Plug spawn is living and perishable. It can live unrefrigerated for up to three months or refrigerated for up to 6 months.
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Hen of the woods will only fruit in oak logs. However, it should be noted that hen of the woods is prone to being out-competed by other fungi. For this reason, we recommend the following:
To limit competition and increase the chances of success, we strongly recommend sterilizing 8" by 8" segments of oak log in a pressure cooker or steam sterilizer before inoculation. Incubate your sterilized log segments for a few months in XL sealed filter patch bags until they are completely colonized. After colonization period, logs should be removed from bags and partially buried under 2 inches of top soil. The mushrooms will fruit from logs and emerge out of the soil.
(You can sterilize your log segments in a 22 qt or larger pressure cooker such as an All-American.)
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If you don't plan to use immediately, you can refrigerate your spawn for up to 6 months.
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Hen of the woods has a semi-firm texture and earthy flavor. It can be ripped into small pieces and added to a dish or left large to be the centerpiece of a meal. We love to confit hen of the woods by slow cooking it at a low temperature in an oven submerged in extra virgin olive oil. After 4-5 hours the Hen of the Woods will be crispy and delicious and you'll have mushroom infused olive oil!
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If you’re going to consume home-grown mushrooms, make sure to cook your fresh mushrooms thoroughly with heat. If it is your first time eating this species, it is best to start with a small amount to check for allergies, even if cooked.
*Recommendations are based on our own testing. You may have different results experimenting with other wood species.
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Love these kits!
North Spore makes it so easy to embark on the seemingly daunting endeavor of growing your own mushrooms outdoors on logs. They offer clear instructions and even the drill bit you need to make the plug holes. Aside from getting the logs, which have to be green and the right type for the spores you have, the rest is so easy. I’m looking forward to getting more varieties.
Awesome kits
We just inoculated our first log and stump with Hen and purchased some lions mane for round 2 nice smooth process, kit provides everything u need for your first time. Pro tip, we brought our jetboil and a candle wax pot into the woods with us and did it all on the spot. Cut the tree, drilled it, inoculated and sealed with wax all in the middle of our property, no lugging logs back with you if you don't have oak nearby.
North Spore
Great tip! We're happy that you're having fun inoculating and hope you have huge flushes.