How to Grow Shiitake Mushroom

Updated June 2026

A cool-season mushroom for the home garden.

Shiitake Mushroom is a rewarding cool-season crop for backyard growers.

🌱 Plant profile: Shiitake Mushroom, with sowing times for your region, companion plants and common pests.

When to plant

Shiitake Mushroom is a cool-season crop. In the South and Southwest, plant in fall through winter when the heat eases. See your region on the shiitake mushroom page for exact timing.

Varieties

• Shiitake, Grown on inoculated hardwood logs (mushroom spawn suppliers)

How to grow it

• Sun & soil: a shaded spot, rich well-drained soil with even moisture.
• Sowing: sow about 0.25 in deep.
• Water: roughly 1.3 gal per plant every 2 days in hot weather.

Pests & problems

Watch for Slugs (outdoor logs). In humid regions, Contamination and Trichoderma can appear, so space for airflow and water at the roots in the morning.

Harvest

Shiitake Mushroom is usually ready to harvest in about 2 months. Pick regularly to keep plants productive.

When to plant in your region

Pick your region to see exactly when to plant shiitake mushroom where you garden.

See also: Shiitake Mushroom in the plant library →

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