Chaga - Mycelium on organic wooden dowels

Inonotus obliquus

Description of Chaga

Chaga, a mushroom that grows naturally in cold climates, develops by parasitizing birch trees, often following an injury to the tree. It can take several years for the mushroom to become visible on the outside of the tree. Chaga typically appears as a black, irregular mass on the bark of birch trees.

Choosing Trees

It is crucial to choose mature trees for chaga growth, as this mushroom feeds on the tree’s nutrients. A young or small birch tree could be severely weakened by the presence of chaga. Older, larger trees often have more developed immune defenses, which can promote a healthier balance between the fungus and the tree, allowing chaga to grow without killing the host tree too quickly. Look for birch trees that are 15 to 20 years old, with a minimum diameter of 20 cm.

Cultivation and harvest

The intentional cultivation of chaga remains experimental and is not guaranteed. Sustainable forest management and harvest practices must always be prioritized to maintain the health of forest ecosystems.

For more information, see our guide: Growing on logs.

How do you inoculate substrates with chaga mycelium?

The best times to inoculate the substrates are in the fall, winter, and early spring, before the sap begins to flow.

Required equipment

• Mycelium on dowels: For a length of 1 m, multiply the diameter of a log by 2.5. Example: A log that is 1 m long and 20 cm wide requires 20 × 2.5 = 50 dowels.
• Drill and drill bit 8–9 mm
• Hammer
• Optional: vegetable wax, beeswax, paraffin, or green clay to cover the holes.

Instructions

• Wash your hands before touching the mycelium to maximize your chances of success.
• Drill holes in your birch log. The holes should be slightly deeper than the height of the dowels and spaced about 10 cm apart. A 1-meter-long log requires about 50 dowels.
• Insert the dowels into the holes using a hammer. The dowels should not protrude from the holes.
• Cover the logs with wax to protect the mycelium from insects, disease, and drying out. If you don’t have wax, you can also use paraffin, cheese wax, or green clay.

Notes

The best times to inoculate logs are in the fall, winter, and early spring, before the sap begins to flow.

The main threat to this crop is drought: cover the wood with a tarp or a cover if necessary to keep the logs moist, especially during incubation.

We fill our bags by weight, so there may be slight variations from the stated amount.

We inoculate the logs with a mixture of spores and sawdust. It is therefore normal to find some sawdust mixed in with the logs. This remaining sawdust can also serve as inoculum.

Our commitment to quality:

We produce our mycelium in laboratory conditions, which ensures the purity of the strains and optimal quality.

We produce our mycelium using 100% organic methods, and all our products are certified "BE-BIO-01, Agriculture Belgique" by CERTISYS.