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What kind of logs do shiitake mushrooms grow on?
Oak logs, especially those in the white oak group, are preferred species. They decompose slowly, providing several years of food for the shiitakes–thus offering a longer harvest period.
Can you grow shiitake mushrooms on logs?
Shiitake logs will fruit naturally after a soaking rain when they are ready, but it’s better to induce fruiting by soaking two or three logs in cold water for 24 hours, and then giving each soaked log a solid knock with a hammer, which seems to excite the fungi. Nov 21, 2019.
Can you grow shiitake mushrooms on ash logs?
About logs: Growing shiitake mushrooms is typically done on oak logs (the word “shiitake,” in fact, means mushroom of the oak (1)). If you cannot source fresh oak logs, other hardwoods like alder, ash, aspen, birch, beech, hickory, hop hornbeam, maple, and poplar can also be used.
How long do mushrooms take to grow on logs?
How Long Do Mushrooms Take To Grow On Logs? Most mushrooms will take 1 to 2 years after the logs are inoculated before they start producing their first harvest. However, you should be able to harvest mushrooms off the same log for 6 or 7 years once they start producing.
Where do you put shiitake mushroom logs?
General Care and Maintenance: place the logs in a shady area to avoid having the log dry out completely and to avoid overheating. stand the log on its end, leaning against another object for support. from Spring through Fall, shock the logs every 8 weeks for harvest of shiitake mushrooms.
Where do you put shiitake logs?
Once inoculated, place your logs in a shaded area, protected from the sun and wind, low to the ground (we lay them on pallets or poles), and where they can receive natural rainfall. Maintaining moisture during this phase is the most critical step to Shiitake production success.
Do mushroom logs keep growing?
Some mushroom logs will bloom multiple times a year, depending. Your mushroom will likely first bloom the year after you acquired it, in the appropriate season, and can bloom each year thereafter, and several times a year, for approx one year for each inch of log diameter.
What temperature do shiitake mushrooms grow?
Fruiting temperature requirements Shiitake will generally fruit, forming the edible mushrooms at log temperatures between 41 to 86 degrees F. Cool season strains fruit at 41 to 68 degrees F. Wide range strains fruit at 50 to 80 degrees F. Warm season strains fruit between 50 to 86 degrees F.
How do you take care of a shiitake log?
Once the log has hydrated for 24 hours, choose a nice shady spot in your yard for your mushroom log. You can lean the log against a shady fence or tree. The end of the log should be elevated off the ground a few inches. Check the log for moisture content every few weeks to make sure it is not drying out.
How often do you water mushroom logs?
It’s advisable to mist or water the logs 1–2 times daily until you start to see mushroom primordia (baby mushrooms) emerge from the logs. This will usually take 7–10 days depending on the temperature and humidity.
How long do shiitake logs take to fruit?
After around 6-9 months, or longer for larger logs, your spawn run should be complete and your log will be ready to fruit.
How long do shiitake logs produce?
Basics of Shiitake Production The log will continue to fruit biannually for three to four years, generating upwards of 8 ounces of mushrooms at each flush.
How long does shiitake take to grow?
Shiitake mushrooms may be ready for harvest in 7 to 10 days from shocking, longer if cool weather. Most yield is in the second and third years, with one quarter to one half pound per log typical.
Is shiitake easy to grow?
Shiitake mushrooms are a bit more difficult to grow since their mycelium is not as aggressive, and requires a longer incubation time. But the extra work can be well worth it. Shiitake produces more flushes of fresh mushrooms for you to harvest.
Can you grow shiitake mushrooms in a 5 gallon bucket?
Spray down your 5 gallon bucket with isopropyl alcohol, then add the hardwood pellets, wheat bran, and boiling water. For each 2 gallon bucket you wish to make, add 8 cups of pellets, 2 cups of bran, and 9.5 cups of water. Mix the bran and pellets evenly before adding the water.
Do shiitake mushrooms need light to grow?
The shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes) prefers cool temperatures (45-70 degrees Fahrenheit, 7-21 degrees Celsius), and a high humidity (75-85% relative humidity). It requires light – direct sunlight is too strong, but “skylight”, or light from a fluorescent lamp up to about 15 ft. away, is fine.
What time of year do you inoculate mushroom logs?
The best time to inoculate logs is in spring, within one to two weeks after the logs have been cut. This allows the cells in the tree to die but is not long enough for the log to dry out or for other competitor fungi to become established. Logs can be inoculated with either the drilling method or the totem method.
How do you look after mushroom logs?
The log should be cared for like a shade-loving plant. It can be kept indoors (like a shed, garage or out-house) or outdoors in a shaded and sheltered location which is easily accessible to allow for watering. The basic idea is to keep the log moist and prevent it from drying out. This is covered in the instructions.
