Transform a Log into a Mushroom-Producing Unit using This Easy Technique
Ready to Become a Shiitake King? Grow Your Own at Home
Turn your backyard into a fungi farm and elevate your cooking game with these simple steps to grow shiitake mushrooms. Get ready to enjoy an umami-packed life with the traditional Japanese method, inspired by the expertise of @LifeByMikeG on Instagram.
1. Gather Your Hardwood Log
Bring on your inner lumberjack! Hardwood logs are the perfect place for shiitake mushrooms to call home. Although oak is great, don't stress if you only have birch, beech, maple, or other dense, non-aromatic hardwoods. The fungus feasts on the sapwood, so find a log with a diameter of 3 to 8 inches and a length of 3 to 4 feet. If it's freshly chopped, let it rest for a few weeks; otherwise, pick one that feels alive but not bone-dry.
2. Drill into it
Grab your power tools! Besides the satisfaction of drilling holes, this step will help the spawn grow. Drill holes about one inch deep, spaced 6 inches apart in a loose diamond pattern around the log. Carpenters, now gardeners!
3. Inoculate with Spawn
Get your hands on some shiitake spawn, found easily online. The spawn consists of wood material, either sawdust or plugs, already filled with mushroom mycelium. If you have plug spawn, simply hammer them into the holes. But if you opt for sawdust spawn, use a thumb-style plunger to stuff the sawdust into the holes, just like a stubborn pillow.
4. Wax It Up
Once the spawn is in place, it needs a protective cover. Melt food-grade wax (like cheese wax or beeswax) and use a brush to paint it over every hole. Now your log has a fungal feast ready to grow.
5. Find It a Shady Spotted Nook
Place your inoculated log in a shady spot with good moisture, either a damp corner or appropriate shelter that still allows rain. Lean it against a fence or stack it like a log cabin.
With time, your inoculated log will take root and grow shiitake mushrooms for years to come, transforming into a source of umami goodness straight from nature.
When the Jackpot Arrives
Harvest the shiitake mushrooms by twisting gently or cutting with a sharp knife. These logs are known to continue producing for several years, breaking down ultimately. You can make dish after dish with delectable shiitake flavors, but if you want to preserve them, dehydrate the mushrooms and keep them in a jar for a year.
Author's Bio
- Bonnie Ferrero Bonnie is an adventurer at heart, balancing her passions for hiking, cooking, gardening, and home decorating. Her holistic lifestyle approach to life includes professional achievements, community involvement, and personal pursuit of growth, service, and well-being.
Turn your home-and-garden into a mini mushroom farm by growing shiitake mushrooms in your garden, adding a unique touch to your landscaping and home-decor. Once you've harvested a bountiful crop of shiitake mushrooms, use them in your lifestyle to enhance your meals and savor their rich, earthy flavor. Embrace gardening and elevate your living space, just like Bonnie, who combines her passions for hiking, cooking, and home-decorating to cultivate a holistic lifestyle approach to life.
