Tawaka, also known as Poplar Mushroom (Cyclocybe parasitica) is a native New Zealand mushroom species which has a delicious savoury flavour and firm meaty texture.
 
These mushrooms will fruit naturally outdoors when conditions are suitable (a couple of days or more of rain / drizzle in a row).
 
Tawaka will grow on a wide range of wood types. Their preference is for deciduous softwoods like poplar and willow, but they will also grow on many other kinds of wood including native woods.
 
This species is classified as semi-parasitic. It can live on living tree hosts and they will eventually die as a result. However, they tend to only grow on trees which are pre-weakend and lacking in health and vigor. This is a part of the natural cycle of the ecosystem - being native to New Zealand, the ecosystem has evolved along side them and is adapted to their presence.
 
Inoculating logs with dowels and placing them outdoors is the easiest way to grow these mushrooms. For a quicker turnaround, sterilised sawdust or woodchip blocks can be inoculated with grain spawn.
 
SPAWN:
 
Fully colonised, high quality grain spawn of the delicious and easy to grow Tawaka Mushroom (Cyclocybe parasitica). This grain spawn is perfect for inoculating your own pastuerised straw or sterilised wood chips / sawdust. One kilogram is enough to inoculate approximately four medium sized straw grow bags or sawdust / woodchip blocks.
 
1kg Grain Spawn $24.90
2kg Grain Spawn $46.90
3kg Grain Spawn $64.90
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DOWELS:
 
Fully colonised, high quality dowel plugs of the delicious and easy to grow Tawaka mushroom (Cyclocybe parasitica). These dowels are perfect for inoculating fresh cut logs of deciduous trees.
 
Simply drill some holes slightly deeper and slightly wider than the dowels, spaced about 15cm apart all around the log, tap them in with a hammer and seal the holes with melted wax. A log generally requires 15-50 dowels, depending on its size.
 
Logs take a year or so to begin fruiting, but after that, they will continue to produce several crops of mushrooms per year (when weather conditions are right) for up to five or six years. They are generally very low maintenance. A humid, shady corner of the garden is perfect for them.
 
Dowels are 8mm wide so a 8.5mm to 9mm drill bit is ideal for drilling the holes for them. Comes with instructions or check out our tips and advice page for more info.
 
50 Dowels $24.90
100 Dowels $34.90
500 Dowels $134.90
1000 Dowels $239.90
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