How to Grow Shiitake Mushrooms on Logs in 2019

by Delun Kang Agriculture

Shiitakes are very dear to any mushroom eater. This is one of the reasons as to why cultivating shiitakes is profitable. These fruits are considered to be the most expensive and would be best if they thrive in a commercial periphery. For growing this particular variety, you must get logs on which you will choose them to sprout. The tasty fungus offers significant benefits of health and can also bring in substantial cash benefits. With two acres of land or space and an excellent guide for growth, you can grow about five hundred pounds of them on just one wood cord. Once produced, you are on your way to increasing your homestead income.

Materials you must use

You are going to need billets that range from hundred millimeters in diameter. All you need is sawdust or spawn on which your mycelium is going to grow. Other than that you need types of equipment like a saucepan, paintbrush, mallet, organic beeswax and of course, a hand drill. Another sure-shot way of quick production is purchasing the Shiitake Logs that have been pre-inoculated.

Preparing the log

Use a log that has been cut at least seventy two hours before. Any billet older than that is not a suitable one. It thus means that the Shiitake Mushroom Logs have to be fresh without any bacteria on them. When they are devoid of germs or bacteria, they are going to present an excellent base for the sprouting of the mushrooms. Try using hardwoods for this purpose. A bark has to be thick enough and with the help of your hand drill, drill holes on the stump. Make sure that you are spacing the holes evenly all across the billet. The hole’s width must be close to 8.5 mm. You can inject small spawn chunks into the made holes.

Spawn for growth

In the holes you made on your logs, you have to insert the spawn or mycelium into it. You can either colonize it with sawdust or grow it with mycelium and then place the mycelium inside the holes. The most fun part is taking the plug of the spawn and then tapping it within the holes you made. The last step involves sealing the billets with beeswax. Finish this step after you fill the gaps with spawn. Make sure; you are sealing all sides where the log has been cut and also at both ends. Try your best to not miss a single hole from plugging.

Soaking the stumps

Mycelia or spawns keep growing inside a colony, and soon they turn out to be the exotic shiitakes. For maintaining the log’s internal moisture, you must regularly soak them. Billets will keep using the water for producing fruits. With pre-inoculated stumps, you can get the first flush within the first day of submerging them in cold water. However, if you do not douse them regularly, you may not get the desired results.

Fruiting

Shocking is an essential step in cultivation. You can do that by knocking the ends on the ground besides immersing them in cold water. Try using rainwater or tap water as chlorinated water can play havoc with the fruiting process. Lastly, keep the logs in a sheltered place wrapped in plastic so that humidity increases. And, within three to two weeks, you have the best tasting shiitakes.

Resource: https://www.sooperarticles.com/food-drinks-articles/