Mushroom substrates

There are various types of substrates which are used in mushroom growing, including:

  • Mushroom compost, which is sterilised (unused and pasteurised)
  • Horse manure, which is straw-rich
  • Saturated straw
  • Spent mushroom compost and old straw
  • Logs and stumps
  • Sawdust, especially poplar sawdust; this is ideal for Agrocybe cylindracea
  • Bundles of twigs 20 to 30 cm thick which are well moistened
  • Chopped straw and sawdust; this is particularly good for Lepista nuda
  • Wood chips (70%) and rice bran (30%); suitable for Flammulina velutipes
  • Pasteurised straw, sawdust and barley chaff to a pH of 5.5
  • Straw (30%), wood chips (60%) and soybean meal (10%); this is ideal for Lentinus edodes
  • Burnt ground during the late winter/early spring stimulates morels to fruit

Thanks to Clifford Davy of Forest Foragers.