The edible, wood-decaying mushroom Kuehneromyces mutabilis was studied in 3 years’
culture experiments in a climate-controlled greenhouse. Pre-incubated wood blocks and
sawdust cylinders were buried in soil in test buckets. Tested variables included interstrain
variation, inoculation methods, wood disinfection, dimensions of wood blocks
and mixtures of soil. K. mutabilis readily colonized various kinds of wood blocks and
produced fruiting bodies regularly in unsterile culture conditions. It was found to be a
promising species for low-tech culturing assuming further collection of efficient strains
and refinement of methods. Sterilized sawdust bricks submerged in soil were most effective
for strain testing. Blocks of young trees, including thin branches yielded well, suggesting
that the species can be cultured on fractions of wood which have been considered
less valuable in traditional forestry. Pasteurization of the wood blocks shortly in boiling
water and adding the spawn as potato jelly were found to be useful, low-cost methods of
inoculation. Too much acidic peat in the soil mixture was unfavorable for the production
but its effects were compensated by adding CaCO3 in the soil.