Several weeks ago @plantstoplanks posted a blog about her first attempt at growing mushrooms.
Her post immediately captured my attention. After reading her post several times, https://peakd.com/hive-140635/@plantstoplanks/having-fun-experimenting-with-fungi
I thought that I'd also give it a go. After watching several videos on the subject it seemed to me that my location, Upstate, New York would provide the perfect conditions to attempt to cultivate this edible fungi.
Before doing this post I checked in with her to make sure that I was not stepping on her toes. Being the sweet young lady she is, this was her reply.
"Yay for 'shrooms! I'll definitely be interested to see how yours come out with the sawdust spawn. I would love to see your version of a garden post focused on your mushroom method. I'm sure plenty of other folks would, as well. The more the merrier in our little online gardening world."
WHAT A GAL
According to the growing manual that came with the items you see in the above picture, came a list of the preferred trees for growing Shiitake mushrooms on.
The two top trees were Oak and Hard Maple. Having an abundance of Hard Maple trees on our farm it was just a matter of choosing one that I could work with without breaking my back. After scouting out several trees of the right size I dropped one that had a diameter of around 8 inches and stood about 50 feet tall. I cut the usable part of the tree into 4 foot sections and ended up with 8 logs. According to the manual, the timing for felling this tree was perfect as the sap in the tree was still running. Sap flow will help increase the yield and longevity of your mushroom logs.
After sourcing the logs it was time to drill the holes.
The spacing of the holes should be 4 inches apart, with the rows being 2 inches apart. With the average diameter of the logs being 9 inches, the circumference is approximately 28 inches. Each 4 foot log needed to have 143 holes drilled in it to a depth of one inch. In this picture you can see that I used a piece of wood laid out with black marks placed at 4 inch intervales.
After the first row was drilled, I drilled the remainder of the holes by eye.
Staggering each row created a triangle.
The next step was to take the inoculation tool and fill each hole with the sawdust spawn.
After filling the holes, each hole was then sealed with wax.
Sealing the holes will insure that the log will not dry out or become contaminated. I used a crockpot to melt the wax.
Say goodby to that pot, now I need to buy @farm-mom a new one.
With each log requiring approximately 140 holes drilled,
stuffed with sawdust spawn, and then covered in wax,
it took a few days to complete this process.
8 logs times 140 holes equals 1,120.
The ends of the logs were also sealed with wax to help prevent them from drying out.
After all of the logs were ready it was time to pick out a good location for them to do their thing. The logs needed to be placed in a shady area and close to the ground where it is humid, without touching the dirt. .
The initial stage of colonization can take up to a year, depending on the size of the log, and the environmental conditions.
Following the colonization of the logs they are restacked. They can be stacked like you would if you were building a log cabin or then can be stood up on their end while leaning against something.
If all goes as planned I hope to get a flush of Shiitake mushrooms like you see here. 
Staggering each row created a triangle.
The next step was to take the inoculation tool and fill each hole with the sawdust spawn.
After filling the holes, each hole was then sealed with wax.
Sealing the holes will insure that the log will not dry out or become contaminated. I used a crockpot to melt the wax.
Say goodby to that pot, now I need to buy @farm-mom a new one.
With each log requiring approximately 140 holes drilled,
stuffed with sawdust spawn, and then covered in wax,
it took a few days to complete this process.
8 logs times 140 holes equals 1,120.
The ends of the logs were also sealed with wax to help prevent them from drying out.
After all of the logs were ready it was time to pick out a good location for them to do their thing. The logs needed to be placed in a shady area and close to the ground where it is humid, without touching the dirt. .
The initial stage of colonization can take up to a year, depending on the size of the log, and the environmental conditions.
Following the colonization of the logs they are restacked. They can be stacked like you would if you were building a log cabin or then can be stood up on their end while leaning against something.
If all goes as planned I hope to get a flush of Shiitake mushrooms like you see here.
Woohoo! Very neat to see the sawdust spawn in action! It will make it even more interesting to compare notes since we tried the plugs. Luckily we'll have the usual gardening season ahead of us to keep us busy while we (im)patiently wait for our first flush of mushies!
That's the reason I chose the sawdust!
As fast as time seems to pass lately, we'll be comparing notes before we know it.
Cold temps still here, we just started germinating seeds. Hopefully we'll be able to get the radishes, potatoes, and lettuce in the garden next week.
My daughter has recently delved into growing mushrooms. It's rather ironic, seeing as she doesn't particularly like to eat them. Hubby and I love them, though, so she's got an outlet for them. She recently tried cloning some mushrooms from the shop and the shitake were the first one to take. We don't really have access to suitable trees for logs here in Australia, so she is experimenting with a jar of hardwood mulch and a jar of vine cuttings. The mycellium seems to be spreading well in both so far.
Lions mane is one we really all want to try at some point.
Edit: You'll have to tag me when you do an update in a year, as I guarantee I won't remember to check in.
Your daughter grows them and you guys eat them, sounds like a good deal to me.
No suitable trees, but your daughter seems to have come up with a solution, and it seems to be working if you can already see the mycelium spreading.
Lions mane, about 5 years ago I found it growing on the side of a tree. I had no idea what I was looking at, just admired its beauty.
I know what it is now!!!!!
I'll keep you updated for sure.
That looks amazing! I don't know if we get them growing wild around here. Fingers crossed we'll get them farmed in the near future, though. 😉
We've owned this property for 47 years now and lived here full-time for the past seven years and that's the first and only time I've run across one.😂
Could you imagine growing them?
Probably not, but I think my daughter can. 😆
Fingers crossed is right. I am already looking up recipes, so excited.
I'll grow them, and you use them for cooking, a great combo.
Wow, this is amazing, if the Shiitake mushrooms grow all this work will pay off! I also cross my fingers for the success of this project of yours. 😃 🍄
Time will tell. With the size of the logs I used, it may be a year before I get any mushrooms, but if I do the wait will be worth it.
This is interesting. I wish you good luck in this. I will surely tune in so I don't miss out on anything.
If this does work I plan on growing a few other kinds of mushrooms in the future.
I hope it does. It'd be nice seeing posts of their growth.
Wow! This is amazing, a different way of planting edible mushrooms. A lot of work indeed imagine drilling 1,120 holes. I wonder how long did it take you to finish all these logs all ready and waiting for the mushrooms to grow? Good thing all the boxes checked so you can grow your own. Soon you will have lots of entry for the Fungi Friday community big brother!👍🥰
Now we will wait for the inoculation process which will take around six months to two years... Woa! Hope it won't take a year or two.
I just read now you can speed up the process by shocking your logs. Here is the link, good to have added info about your new found hobby.
https://urban-farm-it.com/blogs/mushroom-cultivation/how-to-grow-shiitake-mushrooms#:~:text=%E2%80%9CShocking%E2%80%9D%20(also%20known%20as,for%20up%20to%2024%20hours.
Shiitake mushrooms are very expensive so you can probably make this into a business as well in the future. But nah! Knowing you a kind hearted Man you will just probably give some of your harvest to friends just like your abundant supply of maple syrup last time. I bet you still have loads of them in your storage.😍🥰
It took 2 days to do most of the logs.
The literature I received said that if things are done correctly I should get some mushrooms in a year, if it goes past that then I've done something wrong.
Thanks for the link about soaking the logs to force fruiting.
According to the literature I received, forcing the logs to fruit by submerging them in water for up to 24 hours should not be done until after they have fruited for the first time. After the initial fruiting you need to wait at least 6 weeks before forcing them to fruit by soaking them.
If things go well I'll have plenty to pass around to family and friends. Getting involved with selling them, now that sounds like w--k not hobbitizing.
Have a splendid day.
I hope you update us on the next things
I can’t wait!
I'll be doing an update, but it may be a while as they take a year to fruit.
All of us should do this kind of new work in life, it will keep us interested in it and we will spend our life much more busy. It doesn't happen.
there's nothing like trying something for the first time, very exciting.
That's hard work but well worth the effort. I wish you much success with your mushrooms @thebigsweed 👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks, if I do all that is required I should end up with a good crop even if I have to wait a year for the first fruiting.
Incredible! I know for sure you would be the happiest when the mushrooms would rapidly increase in there. I am looking forward to seeing more harvest. Have a nice time and happy growing, friend!
With the first fruiting taking up to a year, I'll have to contain my excitement for a while, but when the first mushrooms come in I'll be jumping for joy.
thanks for stopping by, your comment is greatly appreciated!
awesome! you seem about one year ahead of me, lol.
read in sepp holzer's permaculture book that he buries his 1/3 into the ground standing up after being saturated. so that the mycelium can access additional water from the ground and spread even beyond the tree.
good luck
Thanks, From the literature I got with the sawdust spawn for growing Shiitake mushrooms, they are one of the kinds that should not be partially buried. They recommend burying Hen of the Woods,Chicken of the Woods, Chestnut, Nameko, and Reishi logs, only after the first colonization.
thanks for stopping by!