Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Grow Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms on Live Trees
How to Grow Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms on Live Trees. Chicken of the woods, not to be confused with hen of the woods, is a polypore fungus that grows in a shelf formation on living trees. While the wood must still be alive both to have adequate moisture content and to eliminate the possibility that it is already infected by other mushroom...
Chicken of the woods, not to be confused with hen of the woods, is a polypore fungus that grows in a shelf formation on living trees. While the wood must still be alive both to have adequate moisture content and to eliminate the possibility that it is already infected by other mushroom spore, it is still recommended that cut logs be inoculated rather than standing timber. Chicken of the woods eventually kills its host tree, and this can be a hazard if a tree is inoculated too close to a dwelling or traveled area.
Things You'll Need
Axe or chainsaw
Drill with 5/16-inch drill bit
Ruler
Chicken of the woods mycelia plugs or inoculate
Skillet
Cheese-wax
Sponge brush
Shovel or post-hole diggers
Choose your wood. Hardwood is preferred, such as oak or maple. It is not advised to grow this mushroom on conifers or eucalyptus, since this may cause it to become toxic.
Cut a log 3 to 4 feet in length.
Drill holes that are 1 1/4 inches deep for plugs, or just 1 inch deep for inoculation. Leave a bit of sawdust in the holes, and for inoculations, pack the hole full of sawdust. Have the holes in the end of the log in the softer, darker sapwood, spaced roughly 2 inches apart in a hexagonal pattern. Do both ends of the log. You may also do rows through the bark, along the sides of the log, keeping to the 2 inch spacing. When drilling rows, off-set them to form the hexagonal pattern.
Inoculate the log by hammering in purchased plugs that contain the mycelia, or injecting a purchased liquid mycelia into the sawdust-packed holes.
Melt cheese-wax in a skillet at about 300 degrees Fahrenheit until it is smoking slightly.
Paint the cheese-wax over the holes with a sponge brush to seal them.
Bury the log in the ground to half its length. Choose a spot that is shaded and well protected from wind.
Keep the log moist with occasional waterings if you experience a dry season.
Wait 6 months to see chicken of the woods growth. Inoculation should take place after the last hard freeze in your area.
Tips & Warnings
It is not advised to inoculate standing timber since the fungus kills the host tree.
