Shiitakes are one of the easiest and most foolproof mushrooms you can grow on logs. It's no wonder, humans have been cultivating them for hundreds of years! The traditional log growing technique we use stems from practices used as early as the 12th century in modern-day Japan.
Description: They are a nutritious and medicinal mushroom that produces brown umbrella-shaped caps, sometimes with fluffy white tufts adorning their edges called scabers. Caps can crack as they mature, a feature that is prized in dried mushrooms. Flesh and gills are cream-colored bruising brownish, white spore print. If you look closely, their gills have serrated edges!
Ecology: Native to temperate mountains of Asia. There, it grows on the shii tree, Castanopsis cuspidata, a member of the oak/chestnut/beech family. Shiitakes are saprophytes which means they are decomposers which help to cycle nutrients from dead organic matter back into living systems.
Difficulty for Outdoor Cultivation: Beginner.
Preferred Growing Methods: Traditional log style and totems. Learn more about cultivation in our complete log inoculation guide.
Shiitake totem grown by @fryfarm in Georgia
Substrate: Prefers to grow on hard hardwoods. The best trees to use include: alder, beech, hophornbeam, hornbeam, hard maples, oaks, and sweetgum. See our species chart for more recommendations.
Temperature: Our particular strain is wide range and therefore will fruit in a variety of temperatures- both warm and cool! Often, shifts in temperature will help to trigger fruiting, so look out for mushrooms especially in the shoulder seasons after rain.
Mycelium Formation: Shiitake is a slow grower and usually takes at least 12 months of colonization before producing mushrooms. The mycelium is white and turns bumpy or “popcorned” and brown in maturity. When logs are close to being ready to fruit, you should see mycelium on the ends.
Fruiting Information: We recommend waiting until your logs fruit naturally at least once, often after heavy rain and a temperature shift, before starting a regimen of force fruiting. Their ability to be stimulated to fruit every 8 weeks, up to 3 times per year, means they’re one of the most reliable producers! So, log production can easily be scaled up for commercial operations. After they begin to fruit the logs may produce for up to a year per inch of diameter of logs. Shiitake logs usually have their largest flushes during their second and third years of producing. A good yield per log is ¼ - ½ pound each flush, with 2-3 flushes per season.
Harvesting: From pin to full mushroom takes about 3-7 days depending on ambient temperature and humidity. To harvest your mushrooms, use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the stem as close to the wood as you can, without damaging the wood. They’ll keep in a refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Medicinal Qualities: Shiitakes are a well-researched medicinal mushroom, acting as an immune system booster and liver and kidney tonic (Marley, 2009). High concentrations of eritadenine may help reduce cholesterol levels (Enman et al., 2007). Additionally, they may help regulate blood pressure and sugar, and support overall heart health. Needless to say, we sneak them into our morning coffee and bedtime tea with our Immunity Blend Tincture!
Cooking: Shiitake has a savory flavor and meaty texture when cooked. It's great for drying and reconstituting in soups. It pairs beautifully with tamari, ginger, and garlic and can bring needed umami to many different dishes. Nutritionally, it has a great protein content between 13-18% and from 6-15% fiber as well as water-soluble B vitamins and nearly all essential amino acids. When dried in the sun, they can contain high levels of Vitamin D.
6 Replies to "Species Spotlight: Shiitake Mushrooms"
Hi James Bowen, you can certainly inoculate logs in the fall if the logs are freshly cut and healthy. We don’t suggest using trees that have been fallen for awhile or that are potentially diseased. Once fresh logs are sourced, you can inoculate and bring them into a garage or basement to allow them to colonize over winter in above freezing temps. We suggest keeping the logs in an opened contractor bag to allow for moisture retention and humidity. Once the winter is over, you’ll be able to move them outdoors to where they will then stay.
I have always inoculated oak logs in the Spring. But, with the storm we experienced in Cape Cod last week there are a lot of fallen trees that I could use. Question-is it okay to inoculate in the fall?
@Ethan – you might want to check with your local highway or public works department. The municipal employees who clean up and remove downed trees after a storm might be able to help you.
What about Sumac logs?
Can Shiitake give you stomach distress? My log that I inoculated last year is fruiting and twice when I have eaten them (small quantity and cooked) I had cramps and diarrhea. Any thoughts? Thanks
Any hints on what types of businesses might have fresh logs for growing? I’ve been asking around arborists and landscapers and can’t seem to find.
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