Mushroom Plugs

Log cultivation is usually done with logs 4 - 6 inches in diameter with a length of 3 to 4 feet. Oak is particularly good for the cultivation of most mushrooms though many other species work well also: poplar, aspen, sugar maple, willow, alder and birch, among others.

Tree species to avoid include many of the conifers, eucalyptus, hackberry, beech and dogwood. For certain mushroom species, such as chicken of the woods, the hemlock reishi and the conifer oyster, hemlock, fir, and spruce can be used also.
The best times for cutting the logs are either in the winter months for spring inoculation or after July 15 for mid-summer or fall inoculation. When inoculating logs in the summer, it is best to do the inoculation in the morning in a shady place. When selecting logs for mushroom cultivation, choose living trees without signs of decay. If the tree is dead, it will certainly already have other fungi growing in the wood.

Using logs from a dead or unhealthy tree will either lower your yields or prevent production altogether. It is best to inoculate logs in early spring if they have been cut during the winter. You can usually begin to inoculate logs one month before the average last frost date as long as day-time temperatures are above 40o F.

If you cut logs during summer, it is best to inoculate them within 3 weeks after they have been cut so that the logs will still have an adequate moisture content. After inocualtion, the logs are just placed in a shady place out of the wind.
Logs generally begin producing 6 months to 1 year after inoculation; after which, they usually continue to fruit for 4 years producing 1-2 lbs. per year. Each log usually produces 2.5 lb - 4 lb over its lifetime. For inoculation, you will need a drill with a 5/16 inch drill bit, a hammer and cheesewax. Spawn can stay viable for up to 6 months in a refrigerator.

Step 1
Drill 1 ¼ in. deep holes into the log spacing the holes about 6 - 8 in. apart within a row. Leave approximately 2 in. between the rows and offset the holes so that they form a hexagonal pattern. A 4 in. diameter log will need 6 rows; a 5 in. diameter log will need 7, and a 6 in. diameter log will need 9 rows. A 4 in. log usually is given about 40 - 50 plugs.

A large stump usually requires 100 holes arranged in a similar hexagonal fashion around the trunk and with holes on the top of the stump as well. All mushrooms are inoculated into logs in the same way.

Step 3
Cover the plugs with the cheeswax. To do this, melt the wax in a pan which can be maintained at 300oF. An electric frying pan with a thermostat control works well for this.
If inoculating away from electricity, using a camp stove, make sure that the wax is hot when you apply it; otherwise, the wax will not create a tight seal and can easily fall off. The wax can be applied with a foam paint brush or cotton dauber.

Mushrooms can also easily be grown on a small scale for home consumption in a highly productive backyard mushroom garden with just a few logs.
By inoculating just 10 logs each year, one can harvest 25 pounds of fresh mushrooms each year. Approximately 100 plugs are needed to inoculate 3 logs.

2ND INSTRUCTIONS
Shiitake PLUGS

The Shiitake growing kit includes 300 Shiitake plugs inoculated on hardwood dowels and complete instructions. All you need are 10 to 15 fresh-cut four-foot oak logs, 4 to 8 inches in diameter, an electric drill with a APROXIMATELY 5/16 inch wood bit, one lb. box of canning wax and something to melt it in. Shii-take translates as 'Oak-mushroom’, which it's optimum wood to grow on, but any hardwood will work.

Shiitake is a delicious and healthful mushroom. Shiitake grows wild throughout the Far East where it is found on decaying trees. Cultivation of Shitake on oak logs has been practiced for centuries in Japan.

The Japanese believe in eating 'Shiitake each day' much like Americans who believe in 'eating an apple a day'. Studies have shown that eating Shiitake lowers blood serum cholesterol in people. Other studies have credited Shiitake with tumor regression, and helping the body produce interferon, a natural substance, which fights cancer, cells and stimulates the immune system. Dried Shiitake contains 20% protein by weight, and are high in trace minerals and B vitamins. All in all, Shiitake is an excellent mushroom to add to your diet, and now you can grow your own in your back yard.

Where to grow
This mushroom prospers in a shady outdoor location, 60-80% shade is ideal, not darkness. A water source close by is needed, when rain is not adequate. Ventilation is important also, to dry the bark between watering. A pine forest is good, as it will provide shade summer and winter. Your Shiitake growing yard should be close by, so you can check on your mushrooms often. Oak logs are best to use, Shii (OAK)- take (MUSHROOM). Many other hardwood species will do'. Select healthy, young living trees in stands that need to be thinned. Avoid damaging the bark. Logs with diameters. between 4" to 8" cut to 4 foot length. Do not use deadfalls or logs of unknown age.

When
The ideal time of year to fell your logs is winter, however any time of year is okay except for-the heat of summer. Trees felled in summer tend to be too dry, and will dry out too fast for a good spawn run. Trees felled in winter can be held for a few weeks before inoculation but trees cut any other time of year should be, inoculated immediately.

Cleaning
Clean the surface of your cut logs with a wire brush, this will remove dirt and mosses, lichen, etc. that might become competition for the Shiitake. Do not brush so hard as to damage the bark.

Inoculation
This kit contains spawn in dowel form, the mushroom spawn is alive and growing in the hardwood dowel. With a 5/16" drill bit, drill holes in your cleaned logs in the pattern shown below all around the log. The holes should be deep enough that the dowel will be flush with the bark when you tap them in, but not so deep as to have a large air pocket at the bottom of the hole. Using a hammer lightly tap a dowel into each hole. Wax over each site with hot paraffin that has been heated in a double boiler. A small paintbrush works well for this. Illustration: Evenly spaced all around the log

Spawn run
This will take from 5 to 12 months, depending on temperature and moister. Stack you inoculated logs in your growing area off the, ground on pallets or supported on cinder blocks at the ends. Stacks can be several layers tall, in log cabin fashion. This is where you need to be patient. Remember, you are growing a living I plant inside that log. The log needs to stay moist inside, while the bark dries out between watering, or rains. If it doesn't rain for a few weeks, you should water the stack of logs. Misting overnight is good. Illustration: leaning stack, cinder blocks, square rack or log cabin

Fruiting
Your logs should fruit naturally twice a year, spring and fall. You can force the log to fruit more often by soaking the log in cold water overnight, then stand it up in a shady area out of any drying winds. Within a few days, you should notice small white, bumps on the bark, these are the beginnings of mushrooms. Shiitake can be picked and eaten at any stage, but should be harvested before the cap opens completely.

Resting
After the logs have fruited, lay them back down to rest for 6 to 8 weeks, then repeat the fruiting instructions. In Maine we can fruit our logs 4 to 5 times before the weather gets too cold. Temperatures between 45 and 75 degrees are best, Shiitake like it cooler rather than warmer.

Wintering over
Logs should be left out in the laying yard over the winter. A good snow cover is ideal, but if it is an open winter, or your logs are exposed to drying winds, you might cover the stacks with an old blanket. Spring will come, and another season of Shiitake will too. Your logs will fruit for several years if you manage them well.

Mushroom Plug Inoculation