Growing Mushrooms with the Totem Method

How to grow mushrooms using the Totem Inoculation Method. This is a great alternative to drilling and filling logs, and works well for multiple different types of mushrooms.

For this video we're using the Totem method to grow oyster mushrooms, but you can use it for anything if you have the proper wood species!

00:00 Intro
00:14 When to use the Totem Method
00:35 Materials needed
02:19 Assembling your Mushroom Totem

[Pipsqwak]

This is great, thank you! I use alder, birch, and maple logs here in the Pacific Northwest, and since it's wet and dark here most of the time, I just set them outside in a place sheltered from wind and direct frosts, but where they can get rain and mist. I grow oyster and shiitake mushrooms and this totem method is the best, as far as I've seen. Drilling and filling is tedious and the holes seem to encourage woodpeckers, who dig out the spawn in search of insects.

[momh]

Thank you for answering the questions in the comments! A wind storm knocked down a bunch of large trees a couple of weeks ago. In addition to a bunch of bolts, we inoculated 8 totems today. Your answers cleared up a few questions we were nervous about. Praying they'll do well under our high back deck.

[thinkingmushrooms]

Just ordered some Lion's Mane spawn from you. Looking forward to it!

[fishmut]

Fantastic video, great information and demonstration, looking forward to trying mushrooms again after some failures in the past, winter is almost on us here in Australia so I might have to wait a bit till then, cheers.

[rachelbaker]

Is it okay for totems in paper bags to get rained on? Should I water them while inside paper bags? If I do end up with a late frost do I need to cover totems with frost cloth if they have not started fruiting

[nicholasmetivier]

Would you recommend epoxy coated deck screws to help keep them intact?

[EmmanouilD]

I have a huge walnut tree 30m high in my property that has to be pruned to half cause is dangerous if brake to damage the house and thinking of inoculate lions mane to it . Wich method do you suggest ? totem or classic ? or both will work fine ? thanks

[corymarinan]

My yellow oyster box elder totems are doing great. Should we be laying the totems on their sides in the winter, or just leave them standing? Thanks.

[joeangeloni]

Does doing this indoors speed up the process to produce mushrooms earlier?

[marvinone]

Hello! what do you think about eucalyptus for mushroom growing? thanks!

[numbchomskull]

When you remove the bag, can the totem be removed piece-by-piece, or do the pieces need to remain in place?

[timothylongmore]

It's reishi season here now in NY. It looks like a medioker year due to weather. I found a few and I'm trying to take some spore prints. My question is, could I cut some hemlock logs and just add some sawdust and spores. I am going to try making some sawdust spawn also and may buy some but thought maybe natural inoculation might work just as well?

[katiesteele]

So, there is no need to add moisture?

[Zayskibop]

Please no more Goldens outdoors!! P. citrinopileatus has become a massively invasive species here in North America!!

[gigigreer]

I only have oak trees and one on my property..would whit oak work..?