Shiitake Growing On Logs

Short Game · Dec 5, 2011

I am posting this to show the thickness of the bark the width of the sapwood on 6 to 7 inch limbs from a 64 year old red alder tree from the coastal hills of Washington.

I ordered two more bags of spawn today. I'm getting a strain that is suited to cooler temperatures as a test to see how it compares.

cqaigy2 · Dec 7, 2011

Pretty nice project!

About 20 years ago i grew some oyster mushrooms in news paper. Shredded the news paper and packed it into boxes i made that were about two foot square and six inches thick. The boxes had chicken wire over the two foot opens on both sides of the boxes. Then poured boiling water over the news paper to sterilize it. When it cooled to 70ish degrees i sprinkled mushroom sawdust type incoculum on to the news paper. The boxes where placed on edge and after some time the mushrooms started out both sides. I think there were two to three flushes with the first being the most.

I have to think that news paper mushrooms wouldn't be near as good as a natural log, but these tasted pretty good.

Good luck with your next batch!

lstinthot · Dec 30, 2011

Tried Shitake mushrooms today for the first time. Saw it on the menu so had to give it a try. They were mixed with some scallops and pental or something like that. Kinda looked like rice. It was all very tasty. Looking forward to starting my own logs now.

Short Game · Dec 30, 2011

Still on track for over 100 logs. Did only three logs today. It's not that cold (40), but the wind came up and chilled me so I quit early. I have 75 logs done as of today. Waiting for my last ten pounds of spawn to show up. I will have used 25 pounds of all-around wide spectrum temperature spawn and 5 pounds each of two cold weather varieties when I call it quits for the year.

Short Game · Jan 5, 2012

Got my copy of The Shiitake Growers Handbook and more sawdust spawn yesterday and I'm back on the job.

Combustix · Jan 5, 2012

Okay I'm in after reading this thread I am going for it. I have lots of alder up my way as well and I have a bunch down. Have you thought of cottonwood, as I got some of those I'm looking to get rid of with big limbs, and they are already down. if not I got lots of alder on the ground.

Runner and Kahki cambell ducks love slugs. 3 or 4 would keep you slug free We let ours roam the yard. I find them out in the field the woods were ever you can find slugs, and yes we do lose one occasionally, but so far they have sustained themselves through acts of nature.

How do you like the book so far

were did you get that drill bit? thanks

Short Game · Jan 5, 2012

How long have the trees been down? When were they cut?

I have barely looked into the book, as I'm back outside drilling, filling, and waxing. One thing I did notice is, while alder rates at "medium suitability," so also does cottonwood. We have precious little of the high suitability species in our neck of the woods. The book indicates that the less than high suitability species require more effort in managing them. I've not gotten to the details on that yet.

The lady at Northwest Mycological Consultants (where I got my spawn, and their book) noted on the invoice that I should pay attention to the chapter on diseases that apply to log cultured shiitakes. I started reading it and it was a little bit technical for me at first glance. I will be going over it again.

Combustix · Jan 5, 2012

They have been down since last July I also have some large Maple, I could possibly use. The bark on the cottonwoods is thick, so I thought they might work. Were did you get that bit. Looking forward to getting home and checking for spawn in my area.

Short Game · Jan 5, 2012

I covered the time to cut logs early in the thread. It's between the leaves falling and the buds swelling. Anything left on the ground since July will most likely already be growing other fungi from wild spores. Also, the sugar content of those logs that shiitakes want would be a the low ebb at that time of year.

Short Game · Jan 5, 2012

Maple also rates in the medium range.

I get some big cottonwood limbs coming down in the storms most winters. I tried using them for firewood, but discovered I don't like it for that. Now if they come down, I'll try them for mushrooms.

Back when we got cold winters, thirty years ago, I made great syrup from our big leaf maples. It takes 35 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. I like drinking the fresh sap too. It's really yummy. Too bad about global warming. The sap hasn't run enough in decades.