BROWN OYSTER MUSHROOM (DOWELS ONLY)
 
The Brown Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus australis, is indigenous / native to both Australia and New Zealand. It is the largest of the native oyster species, with wild specimens commonly reaching the size of a tea saucer and on occasion... nearly dinner plate size! They have a robust and meaty texture when cooked, and a classic, fairly neutral oyster mushroom type flavour which can be utilised in a wide range of cuisine styles and will take on any flavours you cook it with.
 
These mushrooms are most commonly found in the wild on old man gorse and kanuka trees, making them a fantastic organism to utilise in turning big old gorse trunks into delicious and nutritious food! They can also grow on other kinds of wood including pine. This mushroom loves warm weather and does not require super high humidity. It will commonly fruit any time from late spring through to early autumn.
 
While the common name for these mushrooms is 'Brown Oyster', their true cap colour is closer to purple when young and turning brown upon maturity. They have a tendency to fruit either singularly or in small clusters by comparison to other oyster mushrooms.
 
DOWELS:
Fully colonised, high quality dowel spawn plugs. Inoculated with our selected vigorous and widely adapted strain of Brown Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus australis). These dowels are perfect for inoculating fresh cut logs of gorse (large size gorse trunks), kanuka or other trees, this strain can also fruit on pine.
 
Simply drill some holes slightly deeper and slightly wider than the dowels, spaced about 15cm apart all around the log, tap them in with a hammer and seal the holes with melted wax. A log generally requires 15-50 dowels, depending on its size.
 
Logs take a year or so to begin fruiting, but after that, they will continue to produce several crops of mushrooms per year (when weather conditions are right) for up to five or six years. They are generally very low maintenance. A humid, shady corner of the garden is perfect for them.
 
Dowels are 8mm wide so a 8.5mm to 9mm drill bit is ideal for drilling the holes for them. Comes with instructions or check out our tips and advice page for more info.
 
50 Dowels $24.90
100 Dowels $34.90
500 Dowels $134.90 (up to 3 weeks lead time)
1000 Dowels $239.90 (up to 3 weeks lead time)
Select quantity when adding to cart