Skill level Beginner
Grow location Outdoors
Spawn shelf life 6 months (refrigerated)
Incubation 6-12 months
Fruiting temps 55-70°F
Best log type See wood chart below
Shiitake
(Lentinula edodes) is a flavorful mushroom that produces brown,
medium-to-large, umbrella-shaped caps that fruit from late summer
through the fall growing season. They are a delicious edible fungus from
East Asia and their flavor is often described as rich, savory, buttery,
and umami.
Shiitake tends to
produce generous flushes and they are a great mushroom for beginners.
They colonize quickly and are the most reliable producers of any
species.
Each outdoor log kit contains:
A drill bit
Log sealing wax
A wax applicator
100 ct plug spawn or voucher
Instruction guide
Shiitake wood chart:
BEST WOOD SPECIES* Alder, Beech, Hophornbeam, Hornbeam, Hard Maple, Oak, Sweetgum
OTHER SUITABLE SPECIES Basswood, Birch, Chestnut, Eucalyptus, Hickory, Soft Maple, Pecan, Sassafrass, Sycamore, Tuliptree, Tupelo, Willow
AVOID Ash, Aspen, Black Walnut, Cherry, Cottonwood, Elm, Hemlock, Peach, Pear, Pine
That's not mold, it's mycelium!
Your kit includes plug spawn colonized with mushroom mycelium. It may appear covered with a soft, white, mold-like substance - that's the mushroom mycelium! It is completely normal. The mycelium of some species is more prominent than others.
Inoculation
Shiitake works best with the log method. It will take at least 9-12 months of colonization before producing mushrooms and tends to fruit throughout the summer to fall growing season and after rainfalls. Preferred wood species are oak, maple, or beech.