Shiitake Plug Spawn: #1 Log Producer, Fast Yielding

We are now offering sawdust ( made to order) and plug spawn for you to inoculate your own Shiitake logs. This is our locally tested in the Appalachian / Blue Ridge Mountains of VA #1 heaviest yielder, most aggressive commercial producer. The fresher the logs you inoculate the better but you should let them rest for 2 weeks-ish after cutting down the trees for the log's natural anti-fungal properties to ware off. Old logs are generally not good because they can easily dry out and other native fungi can move in quickly.

I recommend checking out Youtube University if you're interested in growing your own mushrooms. I linked a tree chart with the best trees for different varieties from Field and Forest Mushrooms along with an inoculation diagram. I recommend sourcing growing supplies from Field and Forest Mushrooms!

For sawdust spawn you'll need an inoculation tool from Field and Forest or Amazon and hot or pliable wax to cover the inoculation point. You can just stab a chainsaw in the log and fill it with spawn for a quick no tool method of inoculation or make a totem (google it) without needing a tool as well! For small batches leaving the logs in a closed trash bag for a couple months at roughly room temperature seems to do the same thing as the wax without the time and mess but don't forget to take them out!

Plug spawn is great for beginners or if you don't want to invest in inoculation tools! Use a drill bit with a 8.5mm or 5/16" drill bit with a 1" stop collar (not required but nice!) on it to drill holes in your log and hammer dowel plug spawn pegs into the holes. Ideally cap it with wax to keep it from drying out. I'm still looking for a commercial supplier of food grade room temperature pliable wax but you can easily heat cheese wax or any wax in a crock pot and dab it on. Another great option from the totem method is placing your logs in a trash bag out of direct sun, for fast growth and no need for watering to keep hydrated because the bag traps the moisture already in the log.

After inoculating your logs need to rest for about a year to fully colonize in a shady but wet spot. They are alive but vulnerable during this period of colonization and need rain just like a plant so, if it's really dry/drought you want to water them. After 6 months to a year of colonization, I usually wait till I see a mushroom growing off the set I inoculated, then I know they have fully colonized the log and now reached maturity to fruit. When this has happened and the night time lows are above 60 degrees (summer crop environment), you can force fruit shiitakes by soaking / submerging your logs in a barrel, bucket or tub for 24hrs to pick a crop a week after soaking or wait for nature to do it's thing AKA hurricane season.

Your logs should produce for 3-6 years or longer; roughly 1" per year of the logs diameter = the thicker the longer but slower to colonize. I think there’s a sweet spot at 4-6” in my option.