Dried substrate in my mushroom log grow bag.

by Madison Montemurro
(Newberg, Oregon, USA)

QUESTION:

Hi there.

I inoculated an oak log with chicken of the woods in a log bag with a cover and plug. I came back a week later and it seems like the spawn substrate is drying out.

I see signs of the beginning of incubation and I was just wondering how can I tell if my bag is drying out of what could I do to go about fixing this issue.

Any help would be appreciated so very much and thank you again for this site so I can ask this question I really could use some help.

Thank you again, and hope you have a nice day.


ANSWER:

Madison, hi

It seems you’re ahead of me on this topic! I find myself more and more deeply immersed in everything mushroom and fungi… but when it comes to growing my own, I’m still buying commercial grow kits.

In other words, I don’t have personal experience with inoculating my own substrate. Although I have a suspicion I’ll be trying it soon. : )

That said, I do know it’s important that the bag be tightly sealed, for a couple of reasons. First, to keep mold spores out of the substrate, which I assume you pasteurized, and second, to keep the moisture contained.

If the chips appear to be drying out, it suggest to me that maybe the bag isn’t completely sealed. Or there wasn’t sufficient moisture in the bag when you first sealed it.

Like I say, I haven’t been down this path yet. But maybe someone with more experience than both of us will see your question and add their thoughts in the comment box bellow.

Thanks for the great question!

Nick