Chicken of the Woods
Laetiporus sulphureus
Chicken of the Woods is a wild edible mushroom that grows primarily on both living and dead oak trees. Bright orange and yellow bands catch the eye when young and the mushroom itself is tender- soft with an "al dente" bite. Older specimens fade to apricot yellow and have a chicken breast taste and texture.
Our success in growing this mushroom on logs has been limited to "pre-treating" the logs just as we recommend for Maitake. Logs are spawned after pressure cooking, steaming, or boiling, and then inoculated and incubated at room temperature for several months, then partially buried outdoors. Fruiting occurs the first or second summer after planting, and for several seasons thereafter. Clusters are smaller than what is collected in the wild. Inoculation time is best done in March-April, and moved outdoors in June, though fall inoculation can be done with outdoor burial commencing as soon as the ground thaws in the spring. Fruiting may first occur as early as August of the planting year or as late as several years post inoculation. Chicken of the Woods sawdust spawn is available in 2.5 lb. or 5 lb. bags and will inoculate 6 or 12 logs respectively. Spawn can be purchased separately or as a kit (kits include sawdust spawn, autoclavable bags, collars, and foam plugs.
More Information and Tips for Growing Chicken of the Woods
Chicken of the Woods is a wild edible mushroom that grows primarily on both living and dead oak trees. Bright orange and yellow bands catch the eye when young and the mushroom itself is tender- soft with an "al dente" bite. Older specimens fade to apricot yellow and have a chicken breast taste and texture.
Our success in growing this mushroom on logs has been limited to "pre-treating" the logs just as we recommend for Maitake. Logs are spawned after pressure cooking, steaming, or boiling, and then inoculated and incubated at room temperature for several months, then partially buried outdoors. Fruiting occurs the first or second summer after planting, and for several seasons thereafter. Clusters are smaller than what is collected in the wild. Inoculation time is best done in March-April, and moved outdoors in June, though fall inoculation can be done with outdoor burial commencing as soon as the ground thaws in the spring. Fruiting may first occur as early as August of the planting year or as late as several years post inoculation. Chicken of the Woods sawdust spawn is available in 2.5 lb. or 5 lb. bags and will inoculate 6 or 12 logs respectively. Spawn can be purchased separately or as a kit (kits include sawdust spawn, autoclavable bags, collars, and foam plugs.
More Information and Tips for Growing Chicken of the Woods
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Chicken of the Woods - (Laetiporus sulphureus) Sawdust Spawn
Chicken of the Woods is a wild edible mushroom that grows primarily on oak. Success in growing this mushroom has been...$20.00–$26.00 -
Chicken of the Woods Sawdust Spawn Starter Kit
Chicken of the Woods is a wild edible mushroom that grows primarily on oak. Success in growing this mushroom has been...$40.00–$69.00
