# Best outdoor mushroom growing kits and spawn for garden beds Source: https://spawnrun.com/best/best-outdoor-mushroom-growing-kit Publisher: Spawn Run. Picks are chosen from what each Amazon listing states, not from hands-on tests. Method: https://spawnrun.com/how-we-pick An outdoor mushroom growing kit is not a box that fruits on a counter. It is spawn, the living mycelium you mix into a mulched bed or tap into a log, and the wait is measured in months and depends on the weather. For garden beds the usual species is wine cap: sawdust spawn is layered into 3 to 5 inches of hardwood chips or 6 to 8 inches of straw, a 5 lb bag covers about 16 to 25 square feet, and beds fruit in 2 to 10 months. Grain spawn exists too, but grain used outdoors attracts animals, which is why beds are normally planted with sawdust spawn. The other outdoor route is plug spawn: wooden dowels tapped into holes drilled in fresh hardwood logs, with a spawn run (the colonization period) of about a year. This guide compares five listings by species, spawn form, what the seller says to grow it on and the stated time to first harvest. Nothing here was grown by us: the details come from the listings. Golden oyster is left out because it is an indoor species. ## Picks ### 1. North Spore Organic Wine Cap Mushroom Sawdust Spawn Species: Wine cap; Form: Sawdust spawn; Grown on: Outdoor bed, hardwood chips; First harvest: As little as 2 months Organic sawdust spawn of wine cap, also called the garden giant, sold for outdoor beds only. The listing says it can fruit in as little as two months and keeps producing in the same bed for several years. What the listing offers: - Listing states wine cap can fruit in as little as two months and will produce in the same bed for several years. - Seller says fresh woody material such as hardwood chips can be added each year to maintain the bed. - Listed as organic sawdust spawn made for wine cap beds, with storage steps for the filter patch bag in the listing. Limits to know: - The listing text does not state the bag weight or the bed area it covers, so check the product page before planning a bed. - Outdoor beds only: the seller says wine cap does not grow on logs and the spawn is recommended only for outdoor use. ### 2. North Spore Organic Lion's Mane Outdoor Mushroom Grow Kit, 100ct Log Plugs Species: Lion's mane; Form: Plug spawn kit, 100 plugs; Grown on: Hardwood logs; First harvest: About 12 months to colonize An outdoor log kit for lion's mane (lions mane): 100 plugs of plug spawn with a drill bit, log sealing wax, a wax applicator and an instruction guide. You supply the fresh hardwood logs. What the listing offers: - Kit contains a drill bit, log sealing wax, a wax applicator, 100 ct plug spawn and an instruction guide. - Listing names the wood to use, including beech, hard maple, birch, oak and sweetgum. - Seller states the plug spawn can be refrigerated for up to 6 months if it is not used right away. Limits to know: - Slow: the listing says a log takes approximately 12 months to colonize fully before it fruits. - Logs are not included: you need freshly cut hardwood, and this is a log project, not a mulched garden bed. ### 3. Grey Dove Oyster Mushroom Mycelium Plug Spawn - 100 Count - Cold Weather Fruiter Species: Grey dove oyster; Form: Plug spawn, 100 count; Grown on: Hardwood logs or stumps; First harvest: 6-15 months 100 or more plugs of grey dove oyster plug spawn, sold as a cold weather fruiter for hardwood logs, stumps or bolts. Dowels are 5/16 inch and the listing gives 6 to 15 months to first fruiting. What the listing offers: - Listing states you receive 100+ mycelium infused plugs and a detailed instruction pamphlet. - Dowels are 5/16 inch in diameter, the standard hole size drilled for plug spawn. - First fruiting is stated as 6 to 15 months depending on wood type, and the strain is sold as a cold weather fruiter. Limits to know: - No drill bit or sealing wax is listed, so those are separate purchases before you can inoculate a log. - One bullet mentions shiitake mycelium although the product is sold as grey dove oyster, so the listing text is not fully consistent. ### 4. Wine Cap Sawdust Spawn Species: Wine cap; Form: Sawdust spawn; Grown on: not stated; First harvest: not stated Wine cap sawdust spawn from Root Mushroom Farm, described as second generation spawn. A second brand to compare for a chip or straw bed, with a very short listing. What the listing offers: - Title states wine cap sawdust spawn, the form that is layered into outdoor beds of hardwood chips or straw. - The listing describes the product as second generation mushroom spawn. - The seller describes the spawn as clean and full of mycelium, which is the only other detail given. Limits to know: - The listing does not state the bag weight, the bed area it covers or the time to first harvest. - No growing instructions, mulch type or planting season appear in the listing, so the bed has to be planned from a separate guide. ### 5. Wine Cap Mushroom Grain Spawn - 1 lb. Ready to Use - Grow Your Own Gourmet or Medicinal Mushrooms at Home or Commercially - for G2G Transfer or Pasteurized Straw Inoculation Species: Wine cap; Form: Grain spawn, 1 lb; Grown on: Pasteurized straw; First harvest: not stated A 1 lb bag of wine cap grain spawn that arrives fully colonized. The listing names pasteurized straw inoculation as a use, so it suits a small straw bed rather than a large chip bed. What the listing offers: - Listing states the 1 lb bag arrives fully colonized and ready to use. - Pasteurized straw inoculation is named in the title as an intended use. - Seller states fridge storage of up to 6 months; storage times differ by seller, so follow the label. Limits to know: - It is grain spawn, not the sawdust spawn usually sold for beds, and grain used outdoors attracts animals. - The listing gives no bed area, planting season or time to harvest, and 1 lb is a small amount for an outdoor bed. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.