Love to eat mushrooms?
You are probably very familiar with the white button mushroom and the portabella mushroom, since these varieties are quite common in grocery stores. But did you know that there are many edible varieties that you can use for culinary purposes other than these two common types?
One of the tastiest mushrooms you will ever eat is the chicken of the woods mushroom. These mushrooms taste a lot like chicken, and you can grow them on your own when you buy quality plugs like the ones we discuss in this handy guide.
Your Chicken of the Woods Mushroom Options
Chicken of the woods takes quite a while to establish and to produce their first fruits. These fungi, like many others, also require quite a bit of care. If you are going to spend lots of time and effort caring for fungi, then it is probably wise to invest in a quality product that will give you the best yields.
Here is a quick look at the best chicken of the woods plugs and kits to buy now. Keep in mind that a good mushroom dehydrator is priceless to preserve your harvest.
1. BetterFungi 100 Chicken of the Woods Mushroom Spawn Plugs
BetterFungi is known for its quality products and this bulk pack of 100 plugs is a great starter kit.
The pack includes lots of plugs that can be colonized in 2 – 3 weeks. Once your plugs are colonized, you will be able to harvest mushrooms in 6 – 12 months. Established fungi will continue to produce tasty mushrooms for many years to come as long as you take good care of your fungi and offer them a suitable climate.
The fungi can be grown on straw, logs, sawdust blocks, wood chips and other growing mediums. It is relatively easy to maintain once established.
Specifications:
- Weight – 7.2 Ounces
- Size – 7.9 x 3.6 x 2.4 Inches
- Plug qty – 100
- Colonize duration – 2 to 3 weeks
- First fruit – 6 – 12 months after colonization
- Fruit bearing duration – Many years
- Growing mediums – Straw, logs, sawdust blocks, wood chips, and more
- Included – Mushroom plugs only
Pros
- Pack includes 100 plugs
- Colonization is quick at just 2 – 3 weeks
- Start harvesting mushrooms after 6 – 12 months
- Harvest mushrooms for many years
- Grow your mushrooms on various wood hosts like straw, logs, sawdust blocks, and wood chips
- The product is easy to grow
Cons
- The spawn plugs are not colonised yet
- You need to create the right growing conditions
2. Gallboys Mushroom Kits Mushroom Man Chicken of the Woods Plug Spawn
This bulk pack of 100 plugs by Gallboys is also a great pack to consider if you need a quality product.
The plugs are nice and large at 1 x 5/16 Inches so you can easily handle them and add them to stumps.
The plugs will produce fruits in 6 – 12 months and will offer fruit for many years. You can establish the plugs in various growing mediums such as dead oak, spruce, fir, hemlock, and hardwood.
The set also includes instructions to help you get started.
Specifications:
- Weight – 8 Ounces
- Size – 9 x 6 x 3 Inches
- Plug qty – 100
- Plug size – 1 x 5/16 Inches
- First fruit – 6 – 12 Months
- Fruit bearing duration – Several years
- Growing mediums – Living and dead oaks, spruce, fir, hemlock and other hardwood
- Included – Plugs and instruction booklet
- Best time to establish – Spring time
Pros
- Large pack includes 100 plugs
- The plugs are healthy and large
- You can harvest your first fruits after 6 – 12 months
- With the right care, your fungi will produce food for several years
- Use the fungi on various wood types like oak, spruce, fir, and hemlock
- The set includes an instruction booklet
Cons
- Don’t grow your plugs on cedar, redwood or cypress
- Must establish in spring time for optimal results
3. BetterFungi 5 Pound Chickens of the Mushroom Sawdust Spawn
If you are looking for a starter mushroom kit, then you should consider this 5-pound pack by BetterFunti.
We are not sure just how many plugs the kit includes but it is a very easy kit that even kids can use.
The plugs come in a bag that includes suitable sawdust so the mushrooms can be grown with ease.
These sawdust-covered mushrooms need to be used on a prepared hardwood chip bed. Once established, you should get fruits within 6 – 12 months, and if you take good care of your fungi, you will be able to harvest mushrooms for many years to come.
Specifications:
- Weight – 5 Pounds
- First fruit – 6 – 12 Months
- Fruit bearing duration – Several years
- Growing mediums – Sawdust included, or on logs and hardwood chips
- Included – Mushroom kit with sawdust and instructions
Pros
- The mushrooms are relatively easy to grow
- It comes as a kit that you can easily grow yourself
- The product is good for home use
- You can also use it commercially
- Grow your mushrooms on logs or hardwood chip beds
- The pack is nice and large
- When established, you will be able to harvest mushrooms for years
- The pack comes with detailed instructions
Cons
- You still need to use the sawdust plugs on a prepared hardwood chip bed
- The quantity of plugs included is unclear
4. Mushroom Mojo Chicken of the Woods Mycelium Plug Spawn
This bulk pack of mushroom plugs by Mushroom Mojo is our top pick because it offers clear instructions and the overall presentation is very professional.
The pack includes 100 large 1 x 5/16 mushroom plugs that are already colonized. These plugs are easy to handle and can easily be installed in hardwood stumps, logs, and dead trees. Once established, you should be able to harvest tasty mushrooms for many years to come.
The instructions provided with the plugs also look great, it is very detailed, and instructions are easy to follow.
Specifications:
- Weight – 1 Pound
- Plug qty – 100
- Plug size – 1 x 5/16 Inches
- Colonize duration – Already colonised
- First fruit – 6 – 12 Months
- Fruit bearing duration – Several years
- Growing mediums – Logs, stumps and dead trees
- Included – Detailed instructions and plugs
Pros
- Quality product
- The pack includes 100 plugs
- The plugs are affordable
- You can harvest the first fruits in 6 – 12 months
- You can harvest fruits for several years
- The plugs are nice and large for easy handling
- Detailed instructions are included
- Establish your plugs in aspen, poplar, cottonwood, balsam poplar, and various other woods
- The plugs are already colonised
Cons
- Avoid growing these plugs in walnut, elm, black locust, ash and larch wood
- Use within two weeks or store in fridge for up to 6 months
5. Always Forever Chicken of the Woods Mushroom Spawn
Vegetarians can consider this bulk pack of mushroom spawns by Always Forever because it will enable you to produce yummy chicken flavor mushrooms with ease.
The pack includes 100 plugs that can bear fruits in 6 – 12 months. Once established, you should be able to harvest fruits for many years. The spawn is perfectly compatible with various woods but is best grown on oak stumps.
Specifications:
- Weight – About 1 pound
- Plug qty – 100
- Plug size – Average
- First fruit – 6 – 12 Months
- Fruit bearing duration – Several years
- Growing mediums – Wood stumps like oak
Pros
- Product includes 100 plugs
- Start harvesting fruits in 6 – 12 months
- Harvest your own mushrooms for several years
- Mushrooms can grow on various wood types such as oak
- Mushrooms are easy to grow
Cons
- You need to create the right growing conditions
- We are not sure about the size of the plugs
Buying Guide
We are quite sure that these products will enable you to grow quality mushrooms at home. If you are not sure about which pack to get, then perhaps this handy guide can help you decide.
The Overall Best
The mushroom plugs supplied by Mushroom Mojo are our top pick because they excel in terms of presentation and quality. The pack they supply is a nice and large bulk pack of 100 plugs. These plugs are nice and large so you can add them to your stumps with ease. You also get detailed instructions on the best way to install and grow your mushrooms.
The Best Bulk Pack
Most of the packs are perfect for growing lots of mushrooms. The packs by BetterFunti, Gallboys, Mushroom Kits, Mushroom Mojo, and Always Foreverall include 100 plugs that you can use on your stumps. Out of all these packs, we love the packs supplied by Mushroom Mojo the most because of their presentation and quality product.
The Best Starter Kit
If you are looking for a starter pack that is so easy to use (that even kids can try), then you should consider the 5-pound kit by Better Fungi. This pack comes as a sawdust and plug kit.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this guide has helped you find a great-quality chicken of the woods mushroom spawn so you can grow your own products at home.
And if you are also on the market for other quality products, like mushroom knives or mushroom popcorn, then we welcome you to hop over to some of our other guides where we discuss other great quality products.