Propagating Shiitake Mushrooms: A Step-By-Step Guide

Shiitake mushrooms are a delicious and nutritious edible fungus, native to East Asia and widely used in Japanese and Chinese cooking. They are now cultivated all around the world and can be grown at home, either indoors or outdoors. Shiitake mushrooms are a little more challenging to grow than other mushrooms, but the extra work is worth it as they produce more flushes of fresh mushrooms for you to harvest. They are also a good option for beginners as they are not as prone to insects as other varieties. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to propagate your own shiitake mushrooms.

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Choose a growing medium: logs or sawdust substrate

Shiitake mushrooms can be grown on logs or sawdust substrates. Logs are the traditional method and are the easiest method for beginners to learn the cycles of mushroom production. Sawdust substrates are more compact and convenient, especially for those without access to a forest or hardwood trees.

If you're using logs to grow shiitake mushrooms, it's best to use freshly cut logs. The logs should be cut from living, healthy trees and be less than a month old. Ideally, the logs should be about 3 to 6 inches (7.6-15.2 cm) in diameter and about 3 to 4 feet (91-122 cm) long. White oak trees are ideal, but elm, alder, sweetgum, and maple trees also make good logs. Avoid coniferous and dogwood trees for growing shiitake mushrooms.

Once you've cut your logs, you'll need to drill holes in the logs and fill them with either plug spawn or sawdust spawn. The holes should be spaced about 4 to 5 inches apart and be about 1 to 1.5 inches deep. After inserting the spawn, seal the holes with wax to keep the log moist and to prevent moss and mould from growing.

If you're using a sawdust substrate, you'll need to purchase or make a container or growing bag to hold the substrate. The sawdust spawn can be inoculated into the substrate, which will then provide the necessary nutrients for the mushrooms to grow.

Both methods will require an incubation period of several months before the mushrooms begin to fruit. During this time, it's important to keep the logs or substrate moist and to provide adequate shade and ventilation.

Prepare the substrate: drilling holes and inserting spawn

Shiitake mushrooms are usually grown on logs or blocks of sawdust. If you're using logs, they should be freshly cut, ideally on the same day, to prevent other fungi from growing inside them. Avoid logs that have been sitting around for more than a few weeks, and make sure they don't show any signs of moss, lichen, or other fungi. Logs should be around 3 to 6 inches in diameter and 3 to 4 feet long.

Once you've prepared your logs, it's time to start drilling holes for the spawn. Use a drill with an 8.5-millimetre drill bit to create the first line of holes. Space these holes about 4 to 5 inches apart and drill them to a depth of about 1.5 inches. For the next line of holes, drill diagonally, about 5 inches away from the first line. Repeat this process for the remaining two sides, forming a diamond shape.

Now you're ready to insert the spawn. Shiitake spawn comes in several forms, but hobbyist growers often use inoculated wooden dowels (also called plug spawn). Tap the dowels into the holes with a hammer, ensuring they are flush with the log's surface. You can then seal the dowels with wax to keep the log moist and prevent unwanted growth. Paraffin or cheese wax is recommended, although beeswax can also be used, but it may attract bees.

After spawning, your shiitake mushrooms will need time to colonize before fruiting. This can take around 8 to 10 months, and during this period, you should water the logs weekly if there is no rain. Once colonization is complete, the mushrooms will fruit when the temperature is right. Each strain fruits twice a year, and you can optimize your harvest by soaking 10% of each strain weekly and repeating after the first cycle.

Seal with wax: to prevent moss and mould

Shiitake mushrooms are typically grown on logs or sawdust blocks. If you're using logs, it's important to ensure they are fresh, as other fungi may start to grow inside them if they're left too long. Avoid logs covered in moss or lichen, or that show any signs of mould or fungi.

Once you've prepared your logs, you'll need to drill holes into them. These holes will be filled with either plug spawn or sawdust spawn, which will allow the shiitake mushrooms to grow. After inserting the spawn, the next step is to seal the holes with wax. This process helps to prevent the growth of moss and mould on your logs, ensuring that your shiitake mushrooms can grow freely.

To seal the holes, you can use paraffin or cheese wax, although beeswax can also be used. However, beeswax may attract unwanted bees to your shiitake log. The wax should be melted in a jar sitting in hot water, and then brushed onto the log using a small brush. Make sure to cover each hole completely with wax to effectively seal them.

By following these steps and sealing your log with wax, you can help create an ideal environment for your shiitake mushrooms to grow, while preventing the unwanted growth of moss and mould.

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Soak the logs: in non-chlorinated water for 24 hours

Shiitake mushrooms are typically grown on logs or sawdust substrates. If you're using logs, it's best to use freshly cut wood, as this will reduce the risk of other fungi growing on your log. Logs should ideally be around 3 to 6 inches in diameter and 3 to 4 feet long.

Before you begin the inoculation process, you'll need to soak your logs in non-chlorinated water for 24 hours. Chlorine can kill mushroom spores, so it's important to use either filtered water or water that has been sitting out for a day to allow the chlorine gas to dissipate. Soaking the logs ensures they have enough moisture for the mushrooms to grow.

After soaking, remove the logs from the water and drill holes in the wood. These holes should be spaced 4 to 5 inches apart and should be around 1 to 2 inches deep. The holes should be arranged in a diamond pattern, with each new line of holes drilled diagonally 5 inches away from the previous line.

Once you've drilled the holes, it's time to insert the mushroom spawn. Shiitake spawn comes in several forms, but hobbyist growers often use wooden dowels, also known as plug spawn. Hammer the dowels into the holes and then seal them with wax to keep the moisture in and prevent mould or moss from growing.

Fruiting and harvesting: shiitake mushrooms fruit for 3-5 years

Shiitake mushrooms are prized for their fruitful yields and seemingly endless harvest cycles. When grown on sawdust or grain, they produce an average of three to five flushes of fresh mushrooms. If you grow them on logs, you can expect fresh mushrooms every five weeks for four to six years!

The fruiting process can be broken down into three phases: preparation, fruiting, and harvesting. Firstly, you must prepare your substrate, which is the growing medium where your mushrooms will establish themselves as mycelium and use it as a food source to produce their fruiting bodies. Shiitake mushrooms require a wood-based growing medium, so your options are usually limited to growing them on logs or blocks of sawdust.

Once you have prepared your substrate, it is time to initiate fruiting. Shiitake mushrooms take longer to fruit than most other types of mushrooms, typically taking two to three months to produce mushrooms after the substrate has been inoculated with mycelium. Temperature and moisture changes trigger the shiitake fungus to produce mushrooms, so log shocking (or soaking) is often used for "forced fruiting". After shocking, the logs are stacked for fruiting, normally using the high A-frame or lean-to configuration. The stacking arrangement should make it easy to access all sides of each log for harvest.

The final phase is harvesting. The fruiting period usually lasts from one to two weeks, depending on the temperature and shiitake strain. Growers can extend the natural outdoor fruiting season by using different combinations of strains (cold weather, warm weather, and wide-range). Harvesting shiitake mushrooms is fairly easy, and you can generally harvest all the mushrooms in a single session, unless there are clearly two pin sets at different stages of growth. It is recommended to harvest the mushrooms while the mushroom caps are still slightly curled inwards to ensure they are delicious and tender.

Frequently asked questions