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Looking good!

What are you growing on top of the oysters? Or is it just topped off with soil? Are there any benefits to using soil instead of a lid?

That’s cilantro but that was just a random choice. Any kind of micro green or grass or clover would do. It creates a good environment for shade, moisture retention, and soil structure for mushrooms to pop up through. You could use a lid if you were doing it all with clean spawn and pasteurized straw. These buckets were made with old, unpasteurized straw which even had other mycelium and mold on it. The Phoenix oysters are so vigorous they still colonized through it and are fruiting. Putting a soil layer with plants on top I think helps create more of a balanced equilibrium of microbes in this semi-outdoor environment. If it was closed with a lid on top, I think the other competing fungi in the straw would have a better environment to get nasty.

Thanks. I reckon it could work if I don't fill up the bucket to the brim, then let it colonize first and after it's fully colonized add some soil at the top and put some green in maybe. But dunno if that would add any benefits.