How do you use shiitake mushroom logs?
Stand the log on its end and place it directly on the ground or in a tub of moist soil. Keep the soil moist, but not soaking wet to allow the log to draw up some moisture into its centre for the shiitake to feed off of.
How much do shiitake logs make?
with proper management, each log should average 2 pounds of mushrooms a year (three fruiting cycles) for a total of 6 pounds over the life of the log.
How often do shiitake mushrooms produce fresh mushrooms?
Shiitake mushrooms produce 3 to 5 flushes of fresh mushrooms on average when grown on sawdust or grain. If you grow them on logs, they can provide you with fresh mushrooms every 5 weeks for 4 to 6 years! The upfront time and monetary investment of growing your own shiitake mushrooms will more than pay for itself.
What kind of logs do you use to grow shiitake?
Choose which strain will suit your climate best. Use hardwood logs like Alder, Ash, Birch, Bitternut, Cherry, Chestnut, Hophornbeam, Ironwood, Maple, Oak, Pecan, Sweet gum, Sycamore, Tulip poplar, Walnut, Willow and others. They do not grow on conifers. Shiitake sawdust spawn.
What kind of tree is best for growing shiitake mushrooms?
Shiitakes do best on oak, but maple, beech, and ironwood will all work as well. If you’re using logs to grow your shiitake mushrooms, then the fresher they are, the better. If you could cut logs off a tree and then inoculate them the same day, that would be optimal.
What kind of Dowel do I need to grow shiitake mushrooms?
But if you do have a choice of different strains, WR46 is a good beginner-friendly strain to pick. Shiitake spawn comes in several different forms depending on how you’re planning on growing your shiitake mushrooms. Hobbyist growers tend to use inoculated wooden dowels, which are also called plug spawn.