Organic Shiitake Mushroom Sawdust Spawn

$29.99

In Stock. Ships in 2-5 business days.

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a flavorful mushroom that produces brown, medium-to-large, umbrella-shaped caps that fruit from late summer through the fall growing season. They are a delicious edible fungus from East Asia and their flavor is often described as rich, savory, buttery, and umami.

Shiitake tends to produce generous flushes and they are a great mushroom for beginners. Once inoculated, logs can fruit in as little as 6 months from inoculation, but generally take 9-12 months. And a single log can continue to fruit for many years if kept in the right conditions.

Recommended use:

  • Shiitake sawdust spawn is only recommended for log projects.
  • One bag of sawdust spawn will reliably inoculate 20 logs.

Shiitake log chart:

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


Upon receiving your spawn:

Remove it from the shipping box as soon as possible. Then, unfold the top of the bag, making room for air space. It's also important to check and confirm that the filter patch is not obstructed. This will help the organism breathe and continue to thrive!

Alt: shitake, shittake, shitakke

Tools you'll need

To grow on logs using sawdust spawn, you will need a Log Inoculation Tool, Log Sealing Wax, and Wax Daubers. 

For larger log projects you may also want to purchase an Angle Grinder Adapter and specialized 12mm drill bit.

Cultivation

Click here to download our pamphlet on growing mushrooms on logs and totems.

Inoculation

Shiitake works best with the log method. Colonization takes at least 9-12 months, and fruiting tends to occur throughout the summer to fall growing seasons and after rainfalls. Preferred wood species are oak, maple, or beech.

Storing

If you don’t plan to use your shiitake sawdust spawn right away, store in the refrigerator. Use within 6 months of receipt.

Cooking

"5 of the Best Shiitake Mushroom Recipes"

Shiitake has a meaty texture when cooked and is good for drying and reconstituting in winter soups. It pairs beautifully with tamari, ginger, and garlic and can bring needed umami to many different dishes. These mushrooms are delicious sauteed and can be used in stir-fries, risottos, ramens, on pizzas, or simply eaten by themselves.

Ingredients

All our spawn is made using organic cultures from our own culture bank. Our sawdust spawn is handmade from a blend of locally sourced, all-natural, organic, and non-GMO woods and supplements from farms and forests in New England and North America. 

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

Sawdust & Plug Spawn FAQ

Mushroom Spawn FAQ

Log Cultivation FAQ

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Harvest precisely

Sawdust Spawn Frequently Asked Questions

Sawdust spawn is sterilized sawdust colonized with mushroom mycelium. It’s used to inoculate a growing substrate such as logs, wood chips, or outdoor garden beds to start mushroom growth.

It serves as the "seed" for your mushroom crop — transferring live, growing mycelium into your chosen growing medium.

Sawdust spawn is best for outdoor projects like logs, stumps, or garden beds and is slower to contaminate.
Grain spawn is ideal for indoor grows or bulk substrate inoculation because it colonizes faster but is more contamination-sensitive.

Sawdust spawn is mixed or packed into a substrate (like logs or wood chips) to inoculate it. Common methods include:

  • Drilling and filling holes in logs
  • Layering in outdoor wood chip or straw beds
  • Mixing with sterilized sawdust or wood pellets for bag cultivation

Most sawdust spawn performs best on hardwoods like oak, maple, or beech. Some species (like Wine Cap or certain Oysters) can tolerate small amounts of softwood in the mix.

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.

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