Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a nutritious mushroom that produces medium-to-large, brown, umbrella-shaped caps that tend to fruit throughout the summer to 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. They colonize quickly and are the most reliable producers of any species.

Note: Aside from being kiln dried, our wooden dowels are not treated in any other way. 

Ideal project size: Plug spawn is ideal for smaller projects of 1-10 logs, though some log cultivators will use them for larger projects. 

Inoculation: Growing shiitake mushrooms works best with the log method. It will take at least 12 months of colonization before mushroom production, and shiitake tends to fruit throughout the summer to fall growing seasons and after rainfalls. Preferred wood species are oak, maple, or beech.

Cultivation: To grow shiitake mushrooms at home, you must have an oak-tree log using the log method. An oak tree is the ideal wood log for shiitake mushroom plugs. However, you may use maple, birch, poplar, or aspen as alternatives. These logs can also accommodate the growth of shiitake mushrooms.

How to grow is more challenging than finding the perfect log. Growing mushrooms—whether it’s shiitake or any other type—using the log method requires dedication and patience. If you use plugs, you must drill two-inch-deep holes on the log. Then, you insert the plug spawn in the holes. 

Plug spawn is a piece of hardwood inoculated with spawn. After inoculating the plugs, keep the wood hydrated, and don’t put it in windy areas. More importantly, don’t stack spawn logs like you would firewood. The spawn needs air, space, and sunlight to grow.

Cooking: This mushroom 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 flavor to various dishes.

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