>>1155715"Spore plugs"? I'm guessing you're talking about the wooden dowels coated in mycelium used to inoculate logs.
Usually just called "plugs".
They are very effective, but really only work on whole, unsplit logs. Ideally, logs that are under a year old but older than 1-2 months. Split, dried firewood won't work. Thankfully Alder is the preferred substrate for many species, especially Oyster mushrooms.
Reishi, Lions Mane, Oysters, Shiitake, Laetiporus, and a bunch of others will all thrive on an alder log. Just order plugs and wax and assuming you have a drill and hammer, you'll be ready to go.
Do you need me to walk you through the steps of inoculation and incubation?
>>1155759It is very situational. If you are talking about introducing truffles to an already planted and mature orchard, your chances of success are almost nil even with the best equipment out there. If you are planting an orchard, equipment definitely increases the chances of success, but isn't necessary. Your main expense is going to be purchasing enough truffle tissue to inoculate with, and amending the soil.
I need to know more about your situation before I can give much input. How old are the trees, what region are you in, what species of truffle are you trying to grow, and what your neighboring properties are (agriculture, industrial, residential). The more I know the better.
