How to grow Shiitake Mushroom

Where to plant

Stack logs in a heavily shaded, sheltered spot, such as under evergreen trees or on the north side of a building, with about 75 to 80 percent shade, out of drying wind and close to a water source. Keep logs off bare soil on a pallet or gravel to reduce contamination by other fungi.

Shiitake can be grown in most of the US. Hot, dry climates such as the low desert need extra shade and water, and very cold areas have a shorter fruiting season.

• Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest and the Mountain West: cut logs in mid to late winter and inoculate in early spring once days are above freezing.
• Florida, the Gulf South, Texas and California: logs can be inoculated through the cooler months. Keep them shaded and moist through the summer heat.
• Northern Plains and Alaska: inoculate in late spring once the weather is above freezing; fruiting is limited to the warmer months.

Choosing a variety

Buy plug or sawdust spawn from a mushroom spawn supplier. Strains are sold for warm, cold or wide-range fruiting temperatures; a wide-range strain is the easiest for home growers. Use logs cut from healthy, living trees while dormant, with intact bark, and inoculate them within a few weeks of cutting.

How to plant

1. Cut logs 3 to 8 inches in diameter and 3 to 4 feet long from healthy hardwoods while the trees are dormant, and handle them gently to keep the bark intact.
2. Drill holes in a diamond pattern along the log, following the spawn supplier's spacing and drill size.
3. Tap plug spawn or pack sawdust spawn into each hole.
4. Seal each hole, and the cut ends if the supplier recommends it, with melted wax to keep the spawn moist and keep out other fungi.
5. Label the logs with the date and strain and stack them in the shade.

Watering and feeding

During the spawn run, the logs must not dry out. Water them, or soak them for a few hours, during dry spells, but avoid keeping them constantly wet.

Once the mycelium has colonized the log, often visible as white mottling on the cut ends, you can force fruiting by soaking the log in cold water for about a day. Forcing too often can shorten the log's productive life.

Harvesting

Mushrooms appear about a week after a soak or a good rain in mild weather. Pick them when the caps have opened but the edges are still slightly curled under, twisting or cutting them off at the base.

Logs fruit for about three to four years, most heavily in the second and third years, usually in spring and fall. Let a log rest for several weeks between forced flushes.

Using it

Shiitake are used in stir-fries, soups, ramen and risottos. The stems are tough, so use them for stock. Store fresh mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge for about a week, or dry them, which deepens their flavor.