I have mixed feelings about tossing golden oyster mushroom spawn or even the used substrate willy nilly into outdoor compost piles. Here in NW Illinois this species has escaped and become ubiquitous in the timber to the point it's everywhere. Despite the fact it's delicious and almost always available everywhere you look, we no longer see the native Elm Oyster since the Golden apparently out-competes it. It has also shown up on my inoculated Shiitake logs. I'm not saying it's a pest, but some people could rightfully claim it's an invasive species.
Good point! Golden Oysters are easy to grow and delicious, but they can certainly take off in the wild and sometimes outcompete some native fungi. They’re not officially considered invasive, but their spread is something to keep in mind. To keep things in check, recommend composting spent Golden Oyster mycelium in a closed setup instead of tossing it outside. I’ll make note to add this into our composting blog post.
Fungal ecology is complex, and local insights like yours are super helpful. Thank you for sharing.
More from the team: Some mushrooms actually grow quite well on spent mushroom substrate. Pretty sure paddy straw is one that can be grown on spent oyster substrate. It's because some mushrooms are primary decomposers and some are secondary, so it's actually easier for secondary decomposers to come in after primary decomposers have partially decomposed the matter.
Are you wondering if mushroom compost can support new mushroom growth, or if commercial compost in general is a good substrate for spawn?
Not sure if I understand completely, but mushroom compost isn’t the best substrate for mushrooms unless it’s fully composted. Otherwise, it’s likely to have competing microbes that could outcompete the mushroom you want to grow. Let me know if that answers your question!
I have mixed feelings about tossing golden oyster mushroom spawn or even the used substrate willy nilly into outdoor compost piles. Here in NW Illinois this species has escaped and become ubiquitous in the timber to the point it's everywhere. Despite the fact it's delicious and almost always available everywhere you look, we no longer see the native Elm Oyster since the Golden apparently out-competes it. It has also shown up on my inoculated Shiitake logs. I'm not saying it's a pest, but some people could rightfully claim it's an invasive species.
Good point! Golden Oysters are easy to grow and delicious, but they can certainly take off in the wild and sometimes outcompete some native fungi. They’re not officially considered invasive, but their spread is something to keep in mind. To keep things in check, recommend composting spent Golden Oyster mycelium in a closed setup instead of tossing it outside. I’ll make note to add this into our composting blog post.
Fungal ecology is complex, and local insights like yours are super helpful. Thank you for sharing.
You guys should give away free subscriptions when someone buys your product
how effective is mushroom compost as a substrate for spawn?
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one does not know the origin of commercial compost. what happens if, for example, one uses oyster or other spawn
More from the team: Some mushrooms actually grow quite well on spent mushroom substrate. Pretty sure paddy straw is one that can be grown on spent oyster substrate. It's because some mushrooms are primary decomposers and some are secondary, so it's actually easier for secondary decomposers to come in after primary decomposers have partially decomposed the matter.
Are you wondering if mushroom compost can support new mushroom growth, or if commercial compost in general is a good substrate for spawn?
Not sure if I understand completely, but mushroom compost isn’t the best substrate for mushrooms unless it’s fully composted. Otherwise, it’s likely to have competing microbes that could outcompete the mushroom you want to grow. Let me know if that answers your question!