Shitake mushrooms are quite popular and challenging to grow because the mycelium is not much aggressive. Also, it requires a longer incubation time, and you need to put in some extra effort. It produces more fresh mushrooms, which has many benefits like fighting against tumors, boosting immune levels, etc. They are delicious, and when you grow them on logs, it produces fresh mushrooms for at least five to six years. Investing some time in growing your shiitake mushroom will let you have fresh mushrooms.
Here
is a process that will help you to grow shiitake mushrooms on logs. Take a
look!
1.
Pick a substrate
A
substrate is a medium where the mushroom first establishes like mycelium. They
are pickier and can grow in cardboard, coffee grounds, etc. and needs a
wood-based medium to extract the nutrients that need. Therefore, Shiitake
Logs grow
better in fresher wood, and the logs are usually of 10cm in diameter and 40cm
in length.
2.
Preparing the substrate
Some
of the substrates where the product grows will be pasteurized and do not need
sterilization. If you are using fresh or straw sawdust, you need to maintain a
temperature between 5 to 25 degrees Celsius. If you
are looking for Shiitake logs, Agrinoon can offer good quality
ones. The humidity should be 80 to 95%, and the
CO2 requirement is between 700 to 1100ppm. Make sure the requirements are
maintained to ensure proper fruiting.
3.
Inoculation
While
inoculating logs outdoor, ensure that you do after last frost danger has passed.
With a power drill, you need to make holes and make sure you are wearing
protective gear while doing so. Drill rows on holes till you complete the
entire log circumference. After that, you need to insert spawn dowels and
inoculating tools and seal them with the help of wax.
4.
Incubation
Shiitake
mushrooms consume longer incubation time for at least six months, which can
extend to one year. You need to keep them in a shady environment and cover them
with a breathable cloth. Make sure that you are not using any plastic material,
and if you are living the log in a moist climate, you need to water them for 10
minutes once a week. In case you are keeping them in a dry environment, make
sure you water them twice a week for 10 minutes.
5.
Fruiting
Mostly,
they will fruit on their own, in case it does not grow, you need to initiate
them to produce food. Ideally, it takes around nine to twelve months to get
mycelium, which is strong and fresh. To initiate, you need to keep the product
under cold water for a day. Once you do that, you would notice that fruiting
has started after a few days.
Harvesting
For
harvesting, it’s better to cut the mushroom stem with a knife and live them
like that. Twisting them might create a negative impact, and new mushrooms
might not grow. Ensure that you keep watering the logs without fail; otherwise,
the moisture level will reduce.
