How to Grow Caesar's Mushrooms

Obtain hardwood logs approximately 3 to 4 feet in length and 6 inches in diameter from a local nursery or your own backyard. Avoid obtaining logs from dead or diseased trees, as this will affect the mushroom’s ability to fruit.

Create approximately 20 to 40 holes in the log, using a drill. Ensure the holes are 1 inch deep, and space them approximately 4 to 6 inches apart in rows. Leave at least 2 inches between each row to allow for mushroom growth.

Insert the spawn dowels -- small, cylindrical pieces of substrate covered with growing mushroom mycelium -- into each hole. Melt 1 pound of cheese wax, which is often supplied in a kit with the mushroom dowels or otherwise available at culinary supply stores, over medium heat. Carefully fill the log’s holes with the melted cheese wax to prevent bacterial growth on the growing spawn dowels.

Place the inoculated logs into a shady, moist area. If no such place is available, dig a hole large enough to accommodate the logs and cover them loosely with black plastic. Begin the fruiting process in the early spring, or whenever the daytime temperatures hold steady at above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Watch the logs over the next six to 18 months, which is generally how long the Caesar’s mushrooms require to fruit. If the edges of the bark begin to dry out and crack, moisten the log with water from a bucket or hose.

Continue to monitor the logs and pluck the Caesar’s mushrooms when they reach heights of between 3 to 4 inches.