Mushroom Plug Spawn – Pink Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus djamor) Approx. 100 qty plugs – Made to order

Description

Pink Oysters have a massive twist compared to the others: they hate the cold! They are a tropical variety that grows lightning-fast in the heat and will die if exposed to a hard winter freeze.

Pink Oyster Spawn Plugs Cultivation Guide

Pink Oysters (Pleurotus djamor) are stunning, vibrant tropical mushrooms that grow in spectacular, rose-colored clusters. They have a rich, savoury, almost bacon-like flavour when fried crispy.

Unlike cold-loving mushrooms, Pink Oysters are built for the heat. Because they are incredibly aggressive growers, they colonise logs much faster than other varieties—often fruiting in just 4–8 months instead of over a year!

Warning: This is a tropical variety. The mycelium will die if the log freezes. They must be inoculated in spring or early summer, and if you live in a climate with freezing winters, the logs must be moved into a garage or shed before winter hits.

(Out of stock? Please allow 2–4 weeks for shipping.)

🛠️ Quick Gear Checklist

• Fresh Hardwood / Softwood Logs: Poplar, willow, and cottonwood are their favourites because they are softer and fast to colonise, though oak and maple work great too. Logs should be 10–20 cm in diameter and ~1 meter long.

• Pink Oyster Spawn Plugs: Mycelium-covered wooden dowels.

• Drill & Bit: 8- 8.5 mm

• Waxing Kit: Food-grade wax, an old pot, and a paintbrush.

🪵 Step-by-Step Process

1. Age the Wood (2–3 Weeks)

• Let your freshly cut log rest off the ground in a shady spot for just 2–3 weeks to let the tree’s initial anti-fungal defences drop. Because Pink Oysters love the summer, don’t let the logs dry out during this period—keep them shaded and moist.

2. Inoculate & Seal (Spring / Early Summer Only)

• Drill: Drill holes in a staggered diamond pattern all over the log, spaced 5–10 cm apart, to a depth of 1.5 times the plug length.

• Insert: Hammer the plugs in until they are flush with the bark.

• Wax: Melt your wax and immediately paint over every plug hole and both cut log ends. This locks in the crucial moisture this thirsty tropical variety needs.

3. Incubation (4–8 Months)

• Place the log in a warm, deeply shaded outdoor area.

• Keep it wet: Because they incubate during the hottest months of the year, they will dry out fast. Hose them down heavily every 1–2 days if it doesn’t rain.

🌤️ Environment & Fruiting Quick-Reference

Pink Oysters fruit sideways out of the log bark in shelf-like clusters.

❄️ Winter Survival Trick: If your winter temperatures drop below 0°C, you must bring your Pink Oyster logs inside a basement, garage, or shed to protect the mycelium from freezing to death. Bring them back outside when spring warms up.

🔪 Harvesting & Ongoing Care

• When to Pick: Harvest while the vibrant pink caps are still slightly curled downward at the edges. Once they flatten out or turn up, they will drop white spores and start losing their bright colour.

• How to Pick: Grab the whole cluster at the base, twist, and pull cleanly off the bark.

• The Rest Period: Let the log rest for 4–6 weeks between flushes. Because they grow so fast, they consume log nutrients rapidly. A softer log might only last 2–3 years, but it will produce massive, heavy flushes all through the summer months!

Please note that this culture is sold with our Mushroom Spawn and Cultures sale agreement. By purchasing you agree to this agreement