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Organic Snow Oyster Mushroom Plug Spawn
Skill level | Beginner |
Grow location | Outdoors |
Spawn shelf life | 6 months (refrigerated) |
Incubation | 6-12 months |
Fruiting temps | 45-65°F |
Best log type | See wood chart below |
Snow Oysters (Pleurotus ostreatus) are a popular, fleshy, firm oyster variety. In the wild, they can often be found growing on dying maple trees. They have sweeter flavor and aroma than other oysters and hold their shape and texture when cooked.
Snow oyster mushroom plugs are ideal for first time mushroom log growers as they colonize quickly and are reliable producers. They are also a cold weather loving strain that tend to fruit in the cooler months.
Note: Dowel may be fluted or spiral. Aside from being kiln dried, our wooden dowels are not treated in any other way.
Snow Oyster wood chart:
BEST WOOD SPECIES* | Aspen, Cottonwood, Tuliptree, Willow |
OTHER SUITABLE SPECIES | Ailanthus, Alder, Basswood, Beech, Birch, Box Elder, Buckeye, Chinese Tallow, Elm Hackberry, Hophornbeam, Hard Maple, Soft Maple, Mulberry, Palm, Pear, Sassafrass, Sweetgum, Sycamore |
AVOID | Ash, Hemlock, Oak |
Ideal project size:
Plug spawn is ideal for smaller projects of 1-10 logs, though some log cultivators will use them for larger projects.
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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To grow on logs using plug spawn, you will need a Drill Bit, Log Sealing Wax, and Wax Daubers.
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Click here to download our pamphlet on growing mushrooms on logs, stumps, and totems.
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Snow Oysters work well with the log, stump, and totem methods. Colonization is fast and should start producing in 4-12 months. They fruit best in the spring and fall and prefer softer hardwoods such as poplar and aspen, though they will also work on maple.
For our complete plug spawn pamphlet, click here.
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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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Snow 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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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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wow!
I was given a box of snow oyster plugs 3 years ago for a gift. I 'planted' them in a big stump that was in our back yard, possibly a maple. I pretty much ignored them after the first few months and eventually forgot about them. But they popped up last year, and are back again this year! I'm so impressed with how the plugs worked I'm purchasing Lions Mane to try on cherry logs.
North Spore
Great work, Nicole! Thanks for sharing the photo.
Snow oyster plugs
All is good so far with the snow oyster plugs. Logs are inoculated, waxed and piled in shade.
North Spore
Thanks for sharing, Sandra! Our team is here to help if you ever need anything.
Snow oyster is beautiful.
Fun if you are a fun guy. Very pretty. I keep my logs in a humid greenhouse and even get flushes on warm snaps in December in South Dakota.
North Spore
Awesome, Jesse! Our team is here if you need anything!
Snow Oysters
I can't say much about the snow oyster mushrooms plugs that I recently received, because they've only been in the logs for less than a month. But the ones that I bought a few years ago have produced several good-sized crops. That's why I bought more.
So easy!
These plugs are so easy to plant, which is great. I like that all I have to do is drill holes and stick the plugs in--it's so simple!! I gifted a kit for the oyster mushrooms to my dad for Father's day and bought extra spawn and I'm excited to see how they perform. The resources are really helpful as well--we inoculated a mulberry log that fell in the backyard. I never knew that you could grow mushrooms like this! He is an avid mushroom hunter and loved the gift.