Shiitake Mushroom Spawn Plugs

Cultivating shiitake mushrooms

 Of the many types of mushrooms, the shiitake mushrooms rank as one of the best. Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) have been cultivated in Japan for more than 2,000 years and today are common in many Asian and European cuisines. These mushrooms have a delicate taste and are rich in many vitamins and minerals. The shiitake mushroom when mature has an irregular cap that measures 2-5 inches in diameter. The mushroom may range in color from grey to light brown and has white “gills'' underneath. The stems may vary in length from 2-5 inches. Over the past 3 decades, the popularity of shiitake mushrooms has been growing in the US. To meet the demand, many people have now started to cultivate these mushrooms.

The term shiitake means,’ mushroom of the oak’ because unlike other mushrooms, these plants grow on the bark of oak trees. However, shiitake mushrooms can also be grown on many other tree barks including yellow birch, ironwoods, sugar maple, hophornbeam, poplars, and alder. However, for those who want a bunch of delicious shiitake mushrooms, the favorite food remains the red or white oak. Unfortunately growing shiitake mushrooms is not meant for everyone. These mushrooms grow outdoors and one needs to have some knowledge about the different types of hardwood and be good with the hands. So if you are a novice and have ample outdoor space and want to grow shiitake mushrooms, here are some tips:

1. The basic cultivation for shiitake mushrooms applies to all other mushrooms. You first need to have the right media and for shiitake mushrooms, you need the right log. The log has to be 3-4 feet long and about 6 inches wide. If you make the logs longer, it will require a lot more lifting because of the weight. If available, one should select oak or sugar maple logs; One should avoid logs from fruit trees and evergreens (spruce or pine).

2. Preparing the logs: the logs should be between 2 weeks to 6 months old. The best time to cut the logs is early spring or winter. However, one can also cut the logs in winter and store them for use in spring. When storing, the logs should be kept off the ground to prevent rot and entry of other organisms. Finally, store the logs undercover or shade.

3. How much shiitake mushrooms are produced per log? If the growth conditions are right, then each log will produce about a pound of mushrooms/year, and the reharvesting can be done for 5-6 years. The amount of mushroom also depends on the size of the log

4. Start small: The technique of cultivating shiitake mushrooms is labor-intensive and minor mistakes can be made at many steps. Thus, it is vital that one start small until one gets the hang of the technique and starts to get reproducible results

5. Caution: Once you have your log, it is important not to inoculate them right away. The reason is that most tree sapwood contains a number of compounds that play a vital role in natural defenses. These compounds called coumarins accumulate at the site of any injury or cut and prevent foreign organisms like fungi from entering the log. It is best to wait about 2 weeks and allow the dispersion of these compounds inside the log before starting inoculation. However, one should not wait for more than 6 months, otherwise other fungi will start to grow.

6. How long is the fruiting process: From the time of inoculation to fruit-bearing, the duration may be as short as 20 weeks but in most cases it may take 9-12 months, depending on the environment, the strain of mycelium and amount of moisture in the log.

Inoculation

For inoculation, there are two basic methods; Sawdust and plugs.

For the plug technique, one first needs to drill a hole one inch deep and 5/16 of an inch wide, then the plug is installed inside. The drilled holes can be separated by 10 inches along the length of the log. Another row can be created 2 inches apart but the holes have to be staggered.

Other things to consider

1. Sealing: It is recommended that the drilled holes should be sealed with bees, cheese or paraffin wax as this allows the log to retain moisture and also prevent the fungus from entering.

2. Moisture meter: In order to monitor the moisture of the log, there are now wood moisture meters. For optimal growth, one should maintain the log humidity between 35-45%

3. Log storage after inoculation: Once the logs have been inoculated and sealed they need to be placed in shaded areas away from the wind. It is not recommended that one use an impermeable cover as this will keep the air out. The key is to prevent the logs from drying. To preserve the moisture content in the logs, they should be stacked close together and about 6 inches above the ground, which allows for air circulation underneath. Whatever way the logs are stacked, it should not make it difficult for picking.

4. The maintenance: Once the logs are stacked, they also need to be watered at regular intervals. Watering may be done from a tank, sprinkler or a water barrel. The logs need to be moistened with water every so often to keep them moist. If there is a prolonged drought, one may have to employ the use of a sprinkler. Regular cold water soaking of the logs can force the fruiting once the mycelium dots or pins become visible. At this point, one may also have some indirect sunlight aimed at the logs because it helps with fruiting.

5. If the watering is done regularly, then within a few weeks or months one may see small white dots or pin size marks. This will be followed by the growth of the mature shiitake mushroom. If cold weather is predicted after this time, the logs should be covered with a canopy to prevent waterlogging the mushrooms.

6. Slugs: Because of the humidity and wetness, the bedding underneath the logs can attract slugs and many other insects, which come to eat the fruit. To control slugs one may have to drown the slugs in beer, have gravel ground cover the entire design area or apply a circle of iron oxide-which forms a barricade. One may have to use all these three methods to prevent slugs. In addition, one may have to use rodent deterrents

7. The harvest: Cultivating shiitake mushrooms requires patience. After the pinning, the mushrooms may appear within 7-21 days. But the yield tends to improve in the following second or third year. The full-grown shiitake mushroom usually has a cap that is marron-brown and may be speckled with dots along the edges. The stem should be gently detached from the log and placed in a paper bag. Once the mushrooms have been picked they will only remain fresh for a few days during warm weather. Refrigeration may keep them fresh for a few more weeks. If you are not able to get your product to the local stores, then you should dry them. Dry shiitake mushrooms can be reconstituted and maintain the delicate flavor.

Final point

Growing shiitake mushrooms does require time, patience and effort. But if you put in the effort, the rewards are immense. These mushrooms have numerous health benefits and also taste great.