Organic Shiitake Mushroom Log Kit

$29.99

Our Outdoor Log Growing Kits contain everything you need to grow mushrooms on logs, totems, or stumps! Each starter kit contains a drill bit, sealing wax, a wax applicator, a 100ct bag of plug spawn, and complete instruction guide. It's a perfect way to get started and requires the least amount of upfront investment.

Get Started Right
30-Minute Private Mycology Consult

30-Minute Private Mycology Consult ($29.99)

Private 1-on-1 session with an expert mycologist to start your grow right. Session scheduled after checkout.

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In Stock. Ships in 2-5 business days.

USDA Certified Organic

USDA Certified Organic

Trusted by 350K+ Growers

Trusted by 350K+ Growers

Money Back Guarantee

Money Back Guarantee

Embark on a rewarding journey of outdoor mushroom cultivation with the Organic Shiitake Mushroom Log Kit. This kit is specifically designed to make growing Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) accessible for outdoor growers.

Shiitake are renowned as an excellent choice for beginners due to their robust nature. They colonize quickly and consistently produce, making them one of the most reliable mushroom species for home cultivation.

This kit supports sustainable practices, allowing you to cultivate your own food source directly in your garden. It promotes a hands-on connection to nature and a self-sufficient lifestyle.

Enjoy the superior quality of USDA Certified Organic Shiitake. Our commitment to organic standards ensures a pure and natural product from inoculation to harvest.

Homegrown Shiitake offer exceptional culinary value. They develop a firm, meaty texture when cooked and impart a deep, savory flavor to a wide range of dishes.

Beyond fresh consumption, these mushrooms are highly suitable for drying. This method preserves their distinctive taste and allows for enjoyment throughout the year.

Historically, Shiitake have been valued for more than just their taste; they are also recognized as medicinal mushrooms. Cultivating them provides access to these beneficial properties.

North Spore is dedicated to your success. Access our expert educational resources and grow with confidence, supported by our 100% Grow Guarantee. Learn more about optimal outdoor growing techniques on our blog.

What's Included
  • A drill bit
  • Log sealing wax
  • A wax applicator
  • 100 ct plug spawn
  • Instruction guide
How to Use

Storage

If you don't plan to use immediately, you can refrigerate your spawn for up to 6 months

That's not mold, it's mycelium!

Your kit includes plug spawn colonized with mushroom mycelium. It may appear covered with a soft, white, mold-like substance - that's the mushroom mycelium! It is completely normal. The mycelium of some species is more prominent than others.

Inoculation

All of our species work well with the log and stump methods. Colonization may start producing in 4-12 months, though fruiting is dependent on environmental triggers.

For our complete plug spawn pamphlet, click here.

Cautions & considerations

If you’re going to consume home-grown mushrooms, make sure to cook your fresh mushrooms thoroughly with heat. If it is your first time eating this species, it is best to start with a small amount to check for allergies, even if cooked.

FAQs

Plug Spawn FAQ

Log Cultivation FAQ

 

Shiitake Wood Compatibility

BEST WOOD SPECIES: Alder, Beech, Hophornbeam, Hornbeam, Hard Maple, Oak, Sweetgum

OTHER SUITABLE SPECIES: Basswood, Birch, Chestnut, Eucalyptus, Hickory, Soft Maple, Pecan, Sassafrass, Sycamore, Tuliptree, Tupelo, Willow

AVOID: Ash, Aspen, Black Walnut, Cherry, Cottonwood, Elm, Hemlock, Peach, Pear, Pine

Related Articles

Get the Right Tools
Emboss-o-tag
Emboss-o-tag (+$15.99)

Keep track of your species

Log Inoculation Drill Bit
Log Inoculation Drill Bit (+$21.99)

The perfect size for our plugs

Angle Grinder Adapter
Angle Grinder Adapter (+$54.99)

Allows 4x faster drilling

Log Sealing Wax
Log Sealing Wax (+$3.50)

1/4 lb - enough for 100 plugs

Wax Daubers
Wax Daubers (+$2.99)

4-pack

Frequently Asked Questions

Plugs are very resilient but are slower to colonize. Plugs require only a drill and hammer for tools, and are economical for smaller projects. Sawdust colonizes drilled logs about 30% faster than plugs. They're good for larger projects, but aninoculation toolis required, along withother toolsif you'd like to speed up the project. The totem method, using sawdust, is good for urban settings or other locations without access to a forested or shady area. No special tools are needed.

You can use this log inoculation calculator to help you figure out exactly how much spawn you'd need, depending on the size of the log and hole spacing.For the totem method, one 5 lb. bag of sawdust spawn should be enough to inoculate three or four 10-12" stacks.

The general rule of thumb is one year of production per inch of log diameter. However, yields will vary greatly depending on the mushroom strain, tree species used, and environmental conditions each season.

Shiitake logs usually have their largest flushes during their second and third years producing. A good yield per log is ¼ - ½ pound each flush, with 2-3 flushes per season.

For plug spawn, you’ll need a drill with a 5/16” (8mm) bit to make holes in the log, a hammer to drive the plugs into the holes and wax to seal the holes. If you are inoculating several logs, you may find that an angle grinder adapter with an 8.5mm drill bit will help the work to go more quickly.

For sawdust spawn, we recommend a drill with a 7/16” (12mm) drill bit and an inoculation tool to pack the sawdust into the holes. If you are inoculating several logs, you may find that an angle grinder adapter with an 12mm drill bit will help the work to go more quickly. You can insert sawdust into the holes by hand but an inoculation tool greatly speeds up the process and allows the sawdust to be packed more densely increasing the success of log inoculations.

All of the holes need to be sealed with hot wax (cheese wax, food grade paraffin wax, beeswax etc…) to prevent them from drying out and to seal them off from contamination.

That will depend on what species you’re growing, the size of your logs, and environmental conditions. Most mushrooms on standard size logs in temperate climates will take about a year to fully colonize before they fruit. This can vary between 6 months to two years. Smaller diameter logs and soft hardwoods will typically fruit sooner, though they’ll have less longevity.

Often, mushrooms need cool weather and moisture to fruit. Growth slows in the heat of the summer. If you inoculate in the spring, you might get your first flush of mushrooms in the fall but most likely it will take a full year until you see your first fruiting. If you inoculate in the fall and are able to keep the mycelium from going dormant, you may get mushrooms as soon as the next spring, though more likely the following fall.

Cluster of brown-capped mushrooms with long, light-colored stems against a white background.

Your Trusted Source for Premium Mushroom Growing Supplies

Whether you’re growing mushrooms at home, in your garden, or at a commercial scale, we offer everything you need to cultivate success. We start with the highest-quality OMRI-listed ingredients, mix them in our state-of-the-art facility, and inoculate them in our custom-built lab, so you can rest easy knowing your product will yield the best results.

Reviews

  • 5 stars: 60 (92%)
  • 4 stars: 5 (8%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
C
Christopher Clavenna

Was very simple and the enclosed instructions were very easy to follow.

Christopher Clavenna review photo

Great photo, Christopher! Our team is here to help if you ever need anything.

S
Stacey Wise
New to growing

Last year a storm rolled through the neighborhood and knocked down an oak so I decided it was time to give mushroom growing a try. The Kit was easy to use and I harvested my first mushrooms this week! We have had no rain here in Virginia until recently and that's what they needed. Thank you. Just order more after another oak just fell.

Stacey Wise review photo

Congrats on your successful inoculation, Stacey! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

M
Mark Ehrenreich
Worth the Wait

I waited a year to do this review so I could get my first flush of shiitake mushrooms. I finally harvested today and can put to rest my fears that nothing would grow. I used a fresh red oak log. The kit made it easy.

J
Jason Keene
Great

Log kits are great

J
Jason Keene
Logs are great

Growing and logs are great and it’s very easy. These plugs are awesome.

C
CAROLYN YOUNG

Sorry for the reply delay. I'm so please with your spores. They were packaged well, and everything was just as it was advertised. I can't wait to get started.

Thanks for sharing, Carolyn! If you need help with anything, please reach out.

J
Jason Keene
Great mushrooms

Blue oyster mushrooms are awesome

B
Ben
Great Product

I inoculated 6 logs last fall and I am already starting to see mycelium colonising the logs! Super excited to get some mushrooms this fall!

Super exciting, Ben! Thank you for sharing and wishing you the best of luck with your grow.

J
Jason Keene
Great stuff

Love this stuff must try

Happy to hear you enjoyed the shiitake mushroom log kit, Jason! The teamis here if you ever need anything.

C
Caleb

Arrived quickly. Item as described. If using plugs as recommended, will only innoculate one, 4’ log.

J
Jason Keene
Great mushrooms

Growing in logs is great everyone should try

Love to hear it Jason! Thanks for the feedback!

C
Connie Starbuck
Shitake plugs

We are very pleased with our plugs, they came in a good time frame and we got them in our logs the day after. I am excited to see when they appear. We did 3 sweet gum and 2 oak to see which one did better

Thanks so much for sharing your process with us Connie! We can't wait to hear about how delicious they taste once some mushrooms pop up!

J
Jason Keene
Good mushroom

Great mushrooms very good. Must try.

Thanks, Jason! We are so glad the shiitake pluts worked out! Our team is here if you need anything!

D
Dennis Pilarczyk
They have been inoculated and I'm waiting to eat the fruit!

It seems fun and I can't wait for the outcome thank you

C
Ceci Gratz
Hopeful it produces

Pretty straight forward and manageable. Hardest part was drilling 400 holes, in one day. Come spring/summer hopefully we will have a harvest....

J
Jason Keene
Great stuff

Works great love it

Q
Quinten Knox

Most of the issues i had werent with the kit itself rather the lack of equipment, my drill has only 30 minutes worth of battery and i couldnt get a crock pot that heats up enough to melt the wax so i was taking a pot on boiling water in and out of the house. I got it to work though and i only just inoculated the logs so we’ll see how good i did but definantly worth trying once just dont be like me if you want to do more than what the kit provides.

R
Rodney Hogen
Growing Shiitake Mushrooms

This is my first try at growing any type of mushrooms after spending 21 years growing cold hardy grapes in North Dakota. I recently sold the vineyard and I was looking for something else to keep me busy. I also ordered Blue Oyster and Wine Cap spawn and have them all planted in 7 different beds and the Shiitake in oak logs. Now we wait and see how they respond. All your products came in good condition and I look forward to do more business with you in the future. Thank You, Rodney Hogen

Wishing you luck with your projects, Rodney! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

T
Thomas Graham
And now we wait

The kit was perfect. Now just waiting for the mushrooms

Thanks so much for sharing, Thomas! Looks like you are off to a great start!

S
Sarah James
Family Fun!

We bought an additional variety and this kit of spore plugs to make mushroom logs, and had such a fun afternoon as a family! The whole process was easy and fun: selecting logs, labeling them, drilling, hammering in the spore pegs, sealing them with wax. Every step was easy and we were proud of our efforts! Obviously, no mushrooms at this time, but we are hopeful for a wonderful “watch it grow” kind of experience.

We're so happy you enjoyed the experience, Sarah! Our team is here to help if you need anything.

J
Jason Keene
Great stuff

Works great must try

Thanks for sharing, Jason! We're so glad everything is working out for you.

J
Joseph Fisher
First log innoculation

The shitake, blue oyster and lionsmane sawdust spawn I purchased seemed to be very healthy. This was my first time innoculating totems and plugging logs. Just did it a few weeks ago. I have them covered with hay and leaves to retain moisture and insulate and i also surrounded them with scrap steel roofing panels to block winds. We will see how they endure through the cold winter. I will be innoculating more logs in spring and so on each year.

We're so happy you're enjoying the experience, Joseph. Thank you for your review.

J
Jason Keene
Great stuff

Everything works great mushrooms are everywhere

Amazing to hear, Jason! Keep it up!

J
Joshua Gray
Already inoculated them

The plugs have been inoculated into the logs. It was a fun process and can't wait to see some fruits next year. Wonderful product, recommended and I will purchase again.

Good luck with your grow, Joshua! Reach out to the team anytime.

C
Charlene

Fantastic. They think of everything including the right size drill bit and wax to seal. My mycelium arrived in excellent condition. I’m so excited to see how they grow

R
Rebecca Pace
Very pleased

It took about 6 months for the first Shiitake to appear, now they fruit in spring and fall when it rains. I'm ordered more, been very pleased. Oh and they're delicious!!

Your review made our day, Rebecca! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!

K
Kristin

I think this is a great product, it just don’t work for me.

We appreciate the honest review, Kristin! We'll have someone from customer service reach out to you.

J
Justin
Just received my kit!

Arrived and everything looked great. Super excited to see what happens next year. Thank you!

Thanks, Justin! Our team is here if you need anything.

P
Phillippe

Awesome shroomies!

We're so glad you're enjoying the experience, Phillipe!

S
Sheila

Great product 👍👍👍

Thanks for your review, Sheila!