Turkey Tail
(Coriolus Versicolor)

Found throughout the world, this strain of mushroom cap displays rust-brown or darker brown, sometimes with blackish zones and grow between 2 and 4 inches (5 and 10 cm). Turkey Tail provide a distinctive earthy, nutty, and bitter taste. Turkey Tails are best brewed in Teas or used in extractions.

Patience & Waiting Stage - Spawn Run/Colonization

1. Spawn Run (Colonization) – allow inoculated mushroom grow kit to incubate at room temperature. This will take 2 to 3 weeks. Move onto next stage once grow kit is dense and uniformly covered with white mycelium. This mycelium is very aggressive and beginner friendly providing bountiful harvests.

Observation Stage - Primordial/Pinhead Formation

2. Pinning (Initiate Mushroom Formation) – Drop Temperature, increase Relative Humidity. Watch for mycelium to form Pin like growths and small mushrooms. Move onto the next stage once mushrooms are visible.

Action Stage - Fruiting

3. Cut small x or poke 1/8” 3 to 5 holes into the side of the bag and mushroom substrate, this will allow mushrooms to grow through. Alternatively, with the gusseted plastic bags simply cut off the top of the bag and gentle roll/fold the bag down to the top of the mushroom block. You can top fruit the bag if you’re using a Fruiting Chamber.

 4. Fruiting (Mushroom Formation) – Adjust Temperature and Relative Humidity. Provide plenty of Fresh Air (Oxygen). First harvest of Mushrooms will occur within 1 week. Make sure to always keep humidity above 80% RH

Renew/Flushing Stage - Crop Cycle

5. With clean water submerge the wooden block for 3 to 5 hours, weight it down if necessary. This will re-hydrate the wooden substrate material and provide the mycelium with much needed moisture. Place the mycelium block back into a clean bag and close off to simulate underground conditions, this will allow the mycelium time to regenerate. Watch for pin formation and carefully monitor for signs of contamination.

Refer to Grow Guide for more details.

Health Benefits:

Turkey Tail Mushrooms contain polysaccharides, terpenoids, sterols, and lipids, some of which have immune-boosting, cholesterol-lowering, and anticancer effects. Further clinical trials are underway.

Summary:

Texture/Flavor: Tough, Leathery, bitter.
Difficulty: Moderate
Growing Conditions: 10 - 30°C, 85 - 90% humidity Nutrients: Anti-Oxidants, β-glucan/Fiber, Vitamin B, Copper, Potassium.
Common Uses: Brewed as a Tea or used in Extractions