PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SAWDUST PLUG SPAWN
Spawn is living mycelium. It can dry out and die. When you receive it check the condition of the spawn by popping out one plug; it should hold together and be just a bit spongy. Some mycelium may have grown out around the Styrofoam cap; this is ok and indicates robust mycelium. But exposed mycelium can invite mould growth and can be wiped off with a clean cloth if you are not going to use immediately.
If there is any green mold on the outside of the sheet (on the Styrofoam caps and/or on exposed mycelium) wipe it off with a clean cloth moistened with clean water with some hydrogen peroxide at a 3% dilution. Let the sheet dry a bit by leaving it out of the bag for several hours.
Use immediately or as promptly as possible. We cannot guarantee spawn that is stored for longer than 1 week (although the plugs may stay fine for up to 1 month; you must check them regularly and use before they dry out or get contaminated). If you must store for longer replace it into the plastic bag it came in (if there has been a show of green mould then put the cleaned sheet into a clean bag).
You can examine the colour of the spawn through the clear plastic well sheet. They should look white or white-ish. The brown colour of the sawdust will be apparent but there should be a network of fine white mycelium. Do not use plugs that look green on the inside – just leave them in the sheet and discard after you have pushed out & used the good plugs. Let us know if a significant number were damaged.
The plug should hold together when pushed carefully out. If it crumbles it is too dry and will not work.
Let us know immediately if this is the case and we will try to replace it immediately. We stand behind our product and will replace in most situations unless the spawn was stored for too long or handled or stored improperly.
Log Preparation: examination and assessment of moisture content is important prior to inoculation. Well before the spawn arrives you should make a visual examination of the logs to determine moisture content. Knowing the rainfall and snowfall pattern over the winter and early spring should allow you to make a fairly accurate assessment of the moisture content of your logs as you examine them. If you think they are drying out or are quite dry they should be soaked – immersed or sprinkled for 24 hours and then allowed to sit in a well ventilated area for several days before inoculation. Drilling soaked wood is more difficult. Logs can be covered with a breathable tarp such as burlap to keep sun off and to help retain moisture. Don’t use plastic for this purpose as you will get mould growth.