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Organic Italian Oyster Mushroom Sawdust Spawn












Skill level | Beginner |
Grow location | Outdoors |
Spawn shelf life | 6 months (refrigerated) |
Bag weight | 5.5 lbs |
Incubation - beds | 2-4 months |
Incubation - logs | 6-12 months |
Fruiting temps | 65-75°F |
Italian Oysters (Pleurotus pulmonarius) are thicker and meatier than blue oyster mushrooms, and their brown frilled caps can grow quite large. They have a mild flavor, earthy aroma, and are favorite among those who prefer a sturdier oyster mushroom. Oyster mushrooms are great for beginners because they colonize quickly and are reliable producers. They are also ideal for commercial cultivation, especially when grown on straw.
Recommended use:
- Italian oyster sawdust spawn can be used for log projects and/or outdoor beds, containers, and buckets.
- Sawdust spawn is ideal for larger log projects of 10 or more logs.
- This is not a mushroom grow kit. Italian oyster sawdust spawn must combined with a substrate (like straw) or used in log inoculation in order to fruit.
Upon receiving your spawn:
Remove it from the shipping box as soon as possible. Then, unfold the top of the bag, making room for air space. It's also important to check and confirm that the filter patch is not obstructed. This will help the organism breathe and continue to thrive!
Scroll down for cultivation, inoculation, and storage guides.
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To grow on logs using sawdust spawn, you will need a Log Inoculation Tool, Log Sealing Wax, and Wax Daubers.
For larger log projects you may also want to purchase an Angle Grinder Adapter and specialized 12mm drill bit.
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Click here to download our pamphlet on growing mushrooms on logs and totems.
Click here to download our pamphlet on outdoor bed cultivation using sawdust spawn. Be sure to use clean, untreated products when making outdoor beds.
Click here to learn how to grow in buckets and containers.
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Logs:
Italian oysters mushrooms work well with the log, stump, and totem methods. Colonization is fast and may start producing in 4-12 months, though fruiting is dependent on environmental triggers. They fruit best in the spring and fall and prefer softer hardwoods such as poplar and aspen. They will also work on maple.
Outdoor beds:
Click here to download our pamphlet on outdoor bed cultivation using sawdust spawn.
Containers:
Click here to learn how to grow in buckets and containers.
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If you don’t plan to use your Italian oyster sawdust spawn right away, store in the refrigerator. Use within 6 months of receipt.
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Italian Oysters can easily replace button mushrooms in most recipes and pair well with many cuisines and flavors. Like all oyster mushrooms, they retain water and may develop a viscous texture when undercooked. If you prefer a firm or dryer texture, continue to cook them until their liquid has reduced and cooked off and they begin to brown.
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All our spawn is made using organic cultures from our own culture bank. Our sawdust spawn is handmade from a blend of locally sourced, all-natural, organic, and non-GMO woods and supplements from farms and forests in New England and North America.
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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.
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- Reviews
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Love it!
Inoculation was easy and inexpensive, the spawn did fantastic. Beautiful flushes!
North Spore
Thanks for sharing, Beth! If you need help with anything, please reach out.

Worked on cedar
Surprised to see they worked on cedar and tasted pretty good. Also, made a mushroom bed of them, too.

Can’t wait to taste it!
This was super easy to use. I used it for a lasagna layer mushroom bed with fresh wood chips. Can’t wait for it to fruit!

Wow! Huge Flushes in 100+ Degree Heat!
We have several types of mushrooms in various substrates. These Italian oysters are in a straw bale under a tarp behind our greenhouse and I was shocked to find a bunch of clusters popping out of it last week. The mushrooms are very firm and delicious. My husband made a marvelous Chicken Marsala with them last night and it was so good, he’s planning to do it again tonight. I put golden oyster sawdust spawn in a happy, hot pink laundry basket filled with straw and it also is producing in our very hot conditions. Not expecting production yet, I missed the first flush until it was dry and cracked but it rehydrated nicely in a bowl of water. I’ll post pictures of it on the golden spawn page, but here it is, too. This is really fun, interesting and tasty!
North Spore
Beautiful work, Heidi! Great way to label your bale as well. Thanks for sharing!

Fast Results!
I planted these mushrooms in a bed of straw and aspen horse bedding about a month ago and we're already getting big clusters of mushrooms! Excellent spawn I will definitely be making more mushroom beds.
First harvest after only 2 months!
I posted a previous review about how positive my experience had been with North Spore. Now I can report that everything worked out great and I had my first harvest only 2 moths after starting my bed. We have had consistently hot, dry weather here in Washington State, but I kept the bed well watered, saw evidence of mycelial growth after a few weeks, and yesterday - mushrooms!

Yumyumyumyumyumyum!
North Spore has been so patient & helpful in answering my myriad questions. I set up my first mushroom beds late in the spring & our first flush came in on 07/14 - and I harvested 2 lbs! I followed the instructions on how to set up an outdoor bed (used hay + oak pellets) & watered religiously. I can't wait to see if we get another flush of these. :)

The spawn survived a West Coast heat wave
I was concerned about ordering this spawn as we were entering the hot season in North Central Washington where daytime summer temperatures top 90 degrees. I contacted North Spore and they encouraged me to order. After placing my order, the West Coast entered an extreme heat wave. The spore was in transit for more than two weeks in 100+ temperatures. Once again I reached out to North Spore who told me how to check for viability. Once the spore arrived, I broke up the sawdust and, to my amazement, it was repopulated with mycelium in one day. I spread it in a prepared bed on one of my shade boxes and also scattered some among the potato plants which I mulch with straw. It's only been a couple of weeks now, but based upon how quickly the mycelium grew, I am hopeful for a wonderful harvest.

Great spawn
The Spawn gets 5 stars the Italian Oysters have flushed 3 times using the straw in a laundry basket method it worked wonderful producing large And delicious oyster mushrooms…however the Mushroom Mites, and Pleasing Fungus Beetles get a 1/2 a star for making all but the first flush inedible. Unfortunately I think they might migrate to my wine cap beds next which will make me very sad as I’ve never had a wine cap mushroom. And when I mean inedible I mean every mushroom covered in mushroom mites. First it was the needles then the mites…it’s been a nightmare. I think I’ll still to the indoor grow kits, because Upstate NY clearly has to many bugs.

Amazing spawn!!
North Spore products are phenomenal! I couldn't be happier with my order. I inoculated 1/2 of my strawberry bed and half of another garden bed with the Italian oyster spawn I recieved. I did not expect to see anything for a while. To my delight, only 3 weeks later I had mushies in my garden! more are popping up every day! Thank you North Spore for the awesome products and wonderful videos. Will definitely be buying more products soon