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ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES Shiitake Mushroom Gardening Introduction Home production of shiitake (she-TAH- kee) mushrooms can be a rewarding and delectable hobby. These mushrooms can be grown casually or with a concerted effort year-around, indoors, outdoors, on hardwood, or in blocks of sawdust. You will never get mushrooms this fresh from the supermarket. Shiitake mushrooms are good to eat; an excellent source of protein, trace minerals, B and D vitamins; and low in both fat and calories. Shiitake mushrooms have also been proven to reduce cholesterol. Shiitake mushrooms do not bruise easily and can be stored for up to a month if harvested at the right time and refrigerated in vegetable or "green" bags. They can also be dried and stored in sealed plastic bags for up to 2 years. Growing shiitake mushrooms on logs does require patience. You can establish a shiitake garden by purchasing or cutting your own logs in the dormant season and inoculating them yourself. It will take 6 to 12 months for these logs to produce mushrooms. For those with less patience, you can buy sawdust blocks or pre- inoculated logs. You should be able to fruit these right away. Preparing for Inoculation What is inoculum or spawn? Mushrooms grow differently than tomatoes or carrots. They do not have seeds, but they do have spores. However, they are www.aces.edu www.aces.edu www.aces.edu www.aces.edu www.aces.edu typically not grown from spores. Most cultivated mushrooms are propagated from mycelium. Mycelium is the vegetative part of the mushroom that consists of a network of fine white filaments or hyphae. The mycelium is what grows in and runs through the log or sawdust. Specially cultivated mycelium is placed in a rich sawdust mixture, and is allowed to run through the sawdust. When it turns white and the sawdust is a solid mass of mycelium, it is then ready for you to use as spawn or inoculum. Shiitake mushrooms have strains where plants have cultivars or varieties. But, like plant varieties or cultivars, mushroom strains are named and have specific characteristics such as the temperature in which they fruit best or the appearance of the cap, the fruiting body or mushroom. Be sure to read the descriptions before making your strain selection. Picking the right shiitake strain If you plan to inoculate the logs yourself, order your spawn from a reputable dealer 1 to 2 months before you plan to cut your trees. Spawn producers may not have the most desirable strains available if you wait too late to order. It takes several months to grow spawn from frozen mycelium. Be sure to read the strain descriptions. The characteristics that are most important are: fruiting temperature requirements, cap appearance, spawn run time (time it takes to fruit), and productivity on logs or in sawdust. It is best to provide the spawn dealer with your desired shipping date so your spawn will be as fresh as possible. If you are purchasing inoculated sawdust blocks, be sure you choose the most UNP-0027 UNP-0027 UNP-0027 UNP-0027 UNP-0027

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Page 1: ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES Shiitake Mushroom ... · ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES Shiitake Mushroom Gardening Introduction Home production of shiitake (she-TAH-kee)

ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

Shiitake MushroomGardening

Introduction

Home production of shiitake (she-TAH-kee) mushrooms can be a rewarding anddelectable hobby. These mushrooms canbe grown casually or with a concertedeffort year-around, indoors, outdoors, onhardwood, or in blocks of sawdust. Youwill never get mushrooms this fresh fromthe supermarket.

Shiitake mushrooms are good to eat; anexcellent source of protein, trace minerals,B and D vitamins; and low in both fat andcalories. Shiitake mushrooms have alsobeen proven to reduce cholesterol.

Shiitake mushrooms do not bruise easilyand can be stored for up to a month ifharvested at the right time andrefrigerated in vegetable or "green" bags.They can also be dried and stored in sealedplastic bags for up to 2 years.

Growing shiitake mushrooms on logs doesrequire patience. You can establish ashiitake garden by purchasing or cuttingyour own logs in the dormant season andinoculating them yourself. It will take 6 to12 months for these logs to producemushrooms. For those with less patience,you can buy sawdust blocks or pre-inoculated logs. You should be able to fruitthese right away.

Preparing for Inoculation

What is inoculum or spawn?

Mushrooms grow differently than tomatoesor carrots. They do not have seeds, butthey do have spores. However, they are

www.aces.eduwww.aces.eduwww.aces.eduwww.aces.eduwww.aces.edu

typically not grown from spores. Mostcultivated mushrooms are propagated frommycelium. Mycelium is the vegetative partof the mushroom that consists of a networkof fine white filaments or hyphae. Themycelium is what grows in and runs throughthe log or sawdust. Specially cultivatedmycelium is placed in a rich sawdustmixture, and is allowed to run through thesawdust. When it turns white and thesawdust is a solid mass of mycelium, it isthen ready for you to use as spawn orinoculum. Shiitake mushrooms have strainswhere plants have cultivars or varieties.But, like plant varieties or cultivars,mushroom strains are named and havespecific characteristics such as thetemperature in which they fruit best or theappearance of the cap, the fruiting body ormushroom. Be sure to read the descriptionsbefore making your strain selection.

Picking the right shiitake strain

If you plan to inoculate the logs yourself,order your spawn from a reputable dealer1 to 2 months before you plan to cut yourtrees. Spawn producers may not have themost desirable strains available if you waittoo late to order. It takes several months togrow spawn from frozen mycelium.

Be sure to read the strain descriptions. Thecharacteristics that are most importantare: fruiting temperature requirements,cap appearance, spawn run time (time ittakes to fruit), and productivity on logs orin sawdust. It is best to provide the spawndealer with your desired shipping date soyour spawn will be as fresh as possible.

If you are purchasing inoculated sawdustblocks, be sure you choose the most

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2 Alabama Cooperative Extension System

mature block. When fruiting shiitakemushrooms on blocks, you want the blocksto be brown not white when you remove thebag to fruit them. You can buy the whiteblocks for less, but you will have to keepthem in a warm humid environment for amonth or longer before you can fruit them.

Fruiting temperature requirements

There are several shiitake strains available.They are usually categorized by fruitingtemperature requirements. Shiitake willgenerally fruit, forming the ediblemushrooms at log temperatures between41 to 86 degrees F.

• Cool season strains fruit at 41to 68 degrees F.

• Wide range strains fruit at 50 to80 degrees F.

• Warm season strains fruitbetween 50 to 86 degrees F.

It is generally recommended to selectseveral different strains so that you canfruit your logs or blocks at different timesof the year. Strains may also vary inproductivity, appearance, mushroom size,and the length of time it takes to fruit.

Environment

Select strains that will fruit in theenvironment where you plan to developyour shiitake garden. Inoculate logs with awarm season strain for summer fruiting ifyou plan to use the shade of a maple tree.

Also, inoculate logs with a cool seasonstrain if you want to harvest mushrooms inwinter. A wide range strain can be used forspring and fall production. Logs grownindoors should be inoculated with a strainthat grows at the temperature of thegrowing room you plan to use.

Condition and appearance of spawn

Most strains can be purchased as sawdust,dowel, or as thimble spawn (see Figure 1).Your spawn should be white and fluffywhen you receive it with little or no liquidin the bottom of the bag. If there are greenpatches such as the weed fungiTrichoderma sp., contact the vendor andask for new spawn.

If the spawn is brown and loose, themycelium is not well knitted and it wassent to you before it was ready for you touse. You can store unknitted spawn atabout 65 to 70 degrees F in a humidenvironment for a few weeks to see if it willturn white. Or you can return the unknittedspawn, ask for your money back, orreplace it with a white bag of spawn. If youreceive your spawn more than a few daysbefore you plan to inoculate, you shouldplace it in the refrigerator or a very coolbasement. Move spawn to roomtemperature about 24 hours before youplan to inoculate. When ordering a pre-inoculated log or sawdust block, make sureyou tell the supplier the fruitingtemperature conditions to get the rightinoculated strain.

Figure 1. Shiitake strains can be purchased as thimble (left), dowel (center), or sawdustspawn (right). Photo permission from Field and Forest.

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Shiitake Mushroom Gardening 3

Selecting the best trees

Type

There are several types of trees used forproduction of shiitake mushrooms. Whiteoaks are the most productive and arebothered the least by invasions of foreign orweed fungi. But, white oaks require the mostpatience since it usually takes 8 to 12 monthsfrom inoculation before the mushrooms firstbegin to fruit.

Red oak and sweetgum have softer wood andwill produce mushrooms in 6 to 8 months.They also require more careful managementsince they are more susceptible to weedfungi, bark peeling, and rapid water loss.

Shiitake mushrooms also grow on Americanhophornbeam, northern maple, ironwood,laurel oak, cherry, sassafras, sycamore, tulippoplar, and hickory. How well shiitakemushrooms grow on logs from these treeswill depend on how much care you give thelogs and how well you control moisture,temperature, and exposure to other fungi.Other types of trees can be used for growingshiitake mushrooms, but even under the bestof conditions you will only harvest a fewmushrooms per log.

The actual location of the growing tree is alsoimportant. The more fertile soils will producetrees with more nutrients and sugars. Treeslocated on rocky hillsides or under droughtconditions will be less nutrient rich.

Sapwood Area

Since shiitake mushrooms feed primarilyon sapwood, trees selected for inoculationshould have a large sapwood area. You candetermine the ratio of sapwood toheartwood by looking at the end of a logafter the tree has been cut. Most trees in aparticular region will have similar sapwoodto heartwood ratios. The lighter oroutermost wood is the sapwood and thedarker or inner wood is the heartwood (seeFigure 2). A small amount of sapwoodmeans the log will probably producemushrooms for less than 2 years. Thecambium area, just under the bark, is

Figure 2. The lighter, outermost wood isthe sapwood and the darker, inner wood isthe heartwood.

green and probably provides the mostnutrients. The bark covering the cambiummust remain intact to avoid competing fungiinvasion and loss of moisture.

Cutting and buying shiitake logs

Cutting

Logs should be harvested during the dormantseason from live, healthy trees. Cutting yourown logs is an option only if you have a chainsaw and easy access to hardwood trees. Besure you take a buddy along if you cut yourown logs. If you can, cut the tree down 7days before you plan to inoculate. Logs canthen be cut to size and moved to theinoculation site immediately. Another optionis to cut the logs and immediately soak themfor 3 days and inoculate them within 24hours of removal from the soak water. Thiswould be the preferred method if conditionshave been dry.

If you cannot fell the trees and cut them upin the same day, you can leave the wholetrees in the woods uncut and untrimmed forup to 7 to 10 days. Then, cut them to sizeand inoculate within a few days. You can also

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soak these logs prior to inoculation to insuregood log moisture. The diameter and lengthof the log will depend on how heavy you wantyour logs. A 40-inch log, 8 inches in diameterwill weigh about 60 lbs. A 40-inch log, 4inches in diameter will weigh about 25 lbs.Logs 4-5-inches in diameter produce themost mushrooms. The length of the log is upto you, but should be consistent for easierhandling and stacking.

Buying

Buying logs to inoculate can be difficultbecause the logs must not be split or thebark damaged. They must also be of thetype, length, and diameter you specify. Mostlog cutters will charge from $0.50 to $1.00for a log 40-inches long and 4 to 6 inches indiameter. Agree to accept and pay for onlythose logs meeting your specifications.

Equipment and supplies

There are several tools necessary forinoculation and there are some that justmake inoculation easier. Where possible,several options for equipment or supplieshave been given (see Figure 3):

• Use a high-speed drill or anglegrinder (not shown) with an adaptorand depth stop; they are faster andmore efficient for drilling.

• Use a 5/16-inch bit for dowel spawnor a 7/16-inch bit for sawdust spawn.

• Use a spawn gun or moculation toolfor sawdust spawn or a hammer fordowel spawn.

• Use cheese, paraffin, bee or candlewax; an option is foam plugs.

• Use a pot or kettle for wax.• Consider a propane stove or an

electric burner if using wax.• Use a metal turkey baster for wax

since a plastic baster will melt. Glassbasters are okay, but are easilybroken. You can also opt to use anatural fiber brush.

• Use bathroom scales to weigh someof the logs.

Inoculating the Logs

Drill 1-inch deep holes into the log in adiamond pattern: 7/16 inch diameter forsawdust spawn, 5/16 inch for dowel. Thefirst row of holes is drilled down the lengthof the log; each hole should be 4 to 6inches apart (see Figure 4). The secondrow of holes should be staggered two-inches below or above the first row.Continue this pattern around the log (seeFigures 4 and 5).

Figure 3. Equipment and suppliesused for inoculation of logs.

Figure 4. [above] Drill down the length ofthe log with a 4- to 6- inch spacing, thenstagger the next row of holes about 2-inchesbelow or above the first row. Continuearound the log.

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Shiitake Mushroom Gardening 5

Figure 5.Drilling,inoculation oflog withinoculation tooland sawdustspawn andwaxing with abaster.

Inoculate thelogsimmediatelyafter the holesare drilled. Theinoculation toolwill fill theholes to thebark level withsawdust spawn(see Figure 5).For dowelspawn, use ahammer tosecurely insertdowels into thedrilled holes.Sawdustspawn can beplaced in theholes by handif you do nothave aninoculationtool. Thismethod is timeconsuming andexposes thespawn to morecontaminants.Be surethe dowel orsawdust does

not extend above the bark. Once a log hasbeen inoculated, it should fruit for 2 to 3years. Re-inoculation is not necessarybecause the mycelium grows throughoutthe log like roots in soil. The mushroomdevelops when the mycelium hasaccumulated sufficient nutrients and thetemperature and moisture requirementsare met.

Waxing the logs

The inoculation sites and the ends of thelogs are generally coated with wax. Thisreduces moisture loss and keeps the spawnor dowels securely in the hole. Seal siteswith wax or place foam plugs in the holesimmediately after inoculation.

• Heat wax until it begins to smokeslightly about 260 degrees F.

• Squeeze a light coat of wax using abaster over the inoculation sites tocover the inoculation sites (seeFigure 5). You can also use a naturalfiber brush to wax the inoculationsites. The wax should sizzle as it hitsthe log.

• Dip the ends of the logs into the waxor brush with wax to seal them. Thiswill also slow down the invasion offoreign fungi through the ends.

You can also poke foam plugs into theinoculation sites. This usually requires ablunt object, smaller in diameter than theplug, to push it in the top of the hole.

Logs kept in an indoor, humid (90 percenthumidity) environment, will not need theirends waxed. If you use foam plugs tosecure the spawn or dowels in the holesand do not want to use wax to seal the logends, keep the logs in a humidenvironment or mist the logs daily duringwarm and hot weather. A home orbasement, even though they may seemwarm, cool or humid do not providesufficient humidity for logs.

Log Moisture

Monitoring moisture

To determine if your logs are losing toomuch water, weigh at least one averagesize log immediately after inoculation:

1. Mark that log with paint or a tag.2. Weigh the log, then record the

weight.

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3. Weigh the marked log(s) every fewweeks. To determine weight loss,use this formula:

(Original log weight - Current log weight)/(Original log weight) x 100 = % moisture lost

If "% moisture loss" is greater than 10percent, you will need to mist or wateryour logs more often. As the myceliumgrows and uses up the nutrients, the logwill naturally lose weight.

To re-establish a new base weight replacethe “original log weight” in the equationswith a new weight every 6 months. Toobtain a new “original log weight”:

1. Soak the log for 48 hours.2. Remove it from the water and allow

it to drain for 24 hours.3. Weigh the log. This weight will be

your new base weight.

Many shiitake gardeners learn to "feel" themoisture in their logs just by picking themup. If they seem light, then they know theyhave not applied enough water.

Unless you are going to fruit your logs, it isbest not to soak the logs to restoremoisture. Soaking the logs at the wrongtime can cause a break in the myceliumgrowth cycle and prolong the time frominoculation to fruiting or between fruitings.

Keeping the logs moist

You can use lawn sprinklers, misters, or agreenhouse mist system to keep the logsmoist. Logs should be given a fine mist forabout 30 minutes in the morning. If youare using a lawn sprinkler, water for aboutan hour. A good rule of thumb is, if yourgarden needs water, your logs probably dotoo. There is no need to water or mist yourlogs if they are outdoors and it is raining.During spring and fall, when thetemperatures are below 80 degrees F, youcan water less often. If you plan to fruitlogs in the winter, and rainfall is sufficient,you will not need to water.

Mycelia Run

The waiting period

Once a log is inoculated, the root-likestructures called mycelia must becomeorganized and grow to take up nutrientsand carbohydrates or sugars. Like roots,mycelia need plenty of moisture and acompatible temperature. Logs andmyceluum will tolerate cold temperaturesand can remain outside in the winter.

Weigh your control log every few weeks. Ifit loses more than 10 percent of its weight,sprinkle or mist all of the logs for shortintervals of 30 to 60 minutes, for severaldays until the original weight is restored.

Beginning in March, outdoor logs will needto be moved to a shady location and keptmoist. Many gardeners cover their logs withburlap, landscape fabric, or some otherporous material to keep in the moisture.

Stacking logs

Logs can be stacked several ways duringmycelia run. The most important factorsare good aeration, moisture, andtemperature. If logs are leaned against atree or "A-frame" stacked, they will tend tolose moisture rapidly (see Figure 6).

"Lean-to" and "criss-cross" are the bestmethods of stacking for mycelium run (seeFigures 7 and 8). If logs are stacked likefirewood, they receive little aeration and themycelium in the bark knits the logs together.When you unstack them at a later time, itcauses the bark to pull off of the logs. Thiscauses bare spots on the log where moisture

Figure 6. Typical A-frame stack, often usedduring harvesting.

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Shiitake Mushroom Gardening 7

loss can occur. Weed fungi contamination atthese sites is also a problem. One of theworst contaminants is Trichoderma sp. In itsfruiting stage you will see a green furrypatch on the log or sawdust block.Trichoderma sp. competes with shiitake fornutrients and reduces productivity.

Logs will begin to show signs of mycelia runor mushroom activity in about 3 months.The inoculation sites will turn whitish first,and then the logs will have white "V- or U-shaped" markings on the ends of the log(see Figure 9). Fruiting will generally notbegin for 6 to 9 months after inoculation,depending on the type of wood and thestrain of shiitake mushroom you used.

Fruiting the Logs

When the mycelium is established in thelogs and the temperature and moistureconditions are appropriate, logs will fruit ontheir own. First, small "pins" or primordeawill appear. These will rapidly develop intocapped mushrooms.

Wide range strains

If you keep your logs outside, the naturalfruiting seasons are spring and fall. Whenthe weather changes during these seasonsthere is typically plenty of moisture.However, to insure that the log hassufficient moisture to support qualitymushroom growth, soak the logs with widerange strains in March and September for24 to 48 hours. I have used the bathtub, alarge trashcan and animal watering tanksfor soaking. If the log does not completelyfit in the trash can, soak it for 24 hours andthen turn it end-for-end and soak another24 hours. After removing the logs from thesoak water you can lean them against atree or fence in a well-shaded area. Youmay want to drape clear plastic over thelogs to prevent moisture loss, allow light toenter and to keep fruiting mushrooms dryif it rains.

Warm season strains

Outdoor logs inoculated with warm seasonstrains can be fruited in the spring and fallusing the aforementioned technique andagain in mid-summer by soaking them invery cold water and keeping the log moistor misted until pins appear.

Cool season strains

Logs with cool season strains should bebrought indoors during cooler months to awarm location for 1 to 2 weeks and thensoaked for 48 hours. After soaking, locate

Figure 7. The lean-tostack is one of the bestmethods of stacking logsduring mycelium run.

Figure 8. The criss-crossstack can also be used to

conserve space duringmycelium run.

Figure 9. Logs will begin to show signs ofmycelia run or mushroom activity in aboutthree months. Notice the white shapes onthe end of the log.

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these logs where air temperatures willremain above 40 degrees F at all times.Fruiting will be slower in winter, butmushroom quality is excellent. Thesestrains will also fruit naturally in earlyspring and late fall.

Pinning & Fruiting

When the logs begin to fruit, you will firstsee a small whitish knob emerging fromthe inoculation sites (see Figure 10). Theselittle knobs or "pins" will develop intomushrooms if the log moisture and airtemperature and humidity are right.

Provide heavy shade at this time or newlyformed mushrooms will dry out. Do notspray or wet mushrooms while they aredeveloping. This will cause soft mushroomsthat will not store well. Dry or eatmushrooms right away if they get wet fromrain. If your logs are indoors and you cancontrol the temperature, you will be able tofruit your logs more frequently by soakingthem every 10 to 12 weeks.

Pre-inoculated Logs

Pre-inoculated logs are available fromsome commercial producers and a few mailorder companies. Prices range from $29.00to $39.00 for a log 3 to 6 inches indiameter and 13 to 24-inches long. Thelogs are ready to fruit and even come withdirections and a soaking container. You willbe able to fruit these logs every 10 to 12weeks for about 2 to 3 years.

Sawdust Blocks

For the less patient gardener, sawdustblock kits cost $18.00 to $31.00 each andcan be ordered from a shiitake spawnvendor or from numerous online sites.They are made from hardwood sawdustgrains and other additives necessary formycelia growth.

The ingredients are placed in a heatresistant bag and are then autoclaved,which is similar to pressure cooking. Afterthe ingredients cool, shiitake spawn isadded to the bag mixture and the bag issealed. Each bag has a small breathingpatch for air exchange. As mycelia growthe sawdust mixture turns white. When theentire mixture is coated white, this is calleda "white block." A white block is not readyto fruit.

During the next 2 months, the white blockwill gradually turn into a "brown block."The brown coating is a hardened shell thathelps prevent moisture loss andcontamination. When the block iscompletely brown, you can remove it fromthe bag and it will usually fruit withoutsoaking. In most cases, you can buy theblocks at either stage. Be sure the browncolor is not the sawdust, but rather slickmycelium growth.

After the block is removed from the plasticbag keep it in a humid location where it isexposed to outdoor or fluorescent light.Fruiting should begin within a few days.The block will enter a resting state after allthe mushrooms are harvested. Sawdustblocks will need daily misting or a humidenvironment. You will be able to fruit themagain in 3 to 4 weeks by soaking for 12 to24 hours. You will need a way to hold theblocks under water since they float.

Blocks often become contaminated and canonly be fruited a few times. You canharvest up to 1 to 2 pounds of shiitakemushrooms from each block. The first twoharvests will produce more mushroomsthan later harvests (see Figure 11).

Figure 10. Pinning orprimordium formationoccurs two to four daysafter soaking. Once pinsstart to form, logs andpins should be kept dryand temperaturesshould be at least 60 to65 degrees F.

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Shiitake Mushroom Gardening 9

• Remove dried individualmushrooms as they becomejust barely flexible, but beforethey are crisp.

• Store dried mushrooms in asealed plastic bag.

• Place them in the freezer for 72hours.

• Keep them frozen or removethem from the freezer and storethem in a dry location.

Rehydration

To rehydrate shiitake mushrooms, soakthem in water or a seasoned liquid or brothfor at least 30 minutes. Shiitakemushrooms absorb flavors of seasonings.They taste best when cooked with onion,leek, or garlic, and are excellent in sauces,stews, or rice, and with steak or eggs.

Figure 11. You can harvest several pounds ofshiitake mushrooms from a sawdust block.

Figure 12. Shiitake mushrooms storebetter if harvested shortly after the veilbreaks and the gills are exposed. Gills arefully exposed on the left and the veil hasnot broken on the right.

Harvest

The mushrooms can be harvested at anytime by cutting or twisting the stem off thelog. Be sure not to leave pieces of the stemsticking out past the bark. Mushrooms arebest if harvested shortly after the gills areexposed (see Figure 12).

Storage

If you store your fresh mushrooms in therefrigerator in vegetable bags, they will lastup to a month. If you refrigerate them inpaper bags they will dry out quickly.

To dry mushrooms using a food dehydrator:

• Cut off the mushroom stemsbefore dehydration.

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Note:

We have made reasonable efforts to assurethe accuracy of all information in thispublication. However, we are not responsiblefor links outside of the Alabama CooperativeExtension System domain, their availabilityor content. Any brand names listed orspecific references to vendors are used asexamples only. No statement of quality isinferred by their use.

Glossary

Dormant: Season when hardwood treeslose their leaves. This is generally frommid-October to mid-March.

Inoculation: The introduction of spawninto a medium: logs, sawdust, etc.

Mycelia: The plural of mycelium.

Mycelium: The vegetative part of a fungusmade of a mass or network of threadliketubes.

Spawn: The vegetative growth or pureculture mushroom mycelia on a suitablesterilized substrate such as various agars,grains, or wood chips.

Substrate: The material in which theshiitake mycelia grows. This includes logs,sawdust, grain, etc.

Weed fungi: Fungi other than shiitakethat invade a log inoculated with shiitakespawn

Supply and MaterialSources

Some sources of the supplies and materialsmentioned are listed below with thefollowing designations: Sawdust blocks (S);Inoculated logs (L); and Tools and Supplies(T). There are also various Internet sitesthat list suppliers.

Field and Forest Products (S), (T)N3296 Kozuzek RoadPeshtigo, WI 54157Phone: 715-582-4997Toll-free: 1-800-792-6220URL: http://www.fieldforest.netE-mail: [email protected]

Fungi Perfecti (S), (T)P. O. Box 7634Olympia, WA 98507Phone: 360-426-9292Toll-free: 1-800-780-9126URL: http://www.fungi.com/E-mail: [email protected]

Lost Creek Mushroom Farm (L)P.O. Box 5209319 South Brush Creek RoadPerkins, OK 74059-0520Phone: 1-800-792-0053http://shiitakemushroomlog.com/E-mail: [email protected]

Mushroompeople (T)560 Farm RoadP.O. Box 220Summertown, TN 38483Phone: 931-964-4400Toll-free: 1-800-692-6329http://www.mushroompeople.com/

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References and Relevant Publications

Chang, S. T., & Miles, P. G. (2004). Mushrooms: Cultivation, nutritional value, medicinaleffect, and environmental impact (2nd ed.). Florida: CRC Press.

Chang, S. T., & Miles, P. G. (1989). Edible mushrooms and their cultivation. Florida: CRCPress.

Hobbs, C. (1985). Medicinal mushrooms. Oregon: Botanica Press.

Jones, K. (1995). Shiitake: The healing mushroom. Vermont: Healing Arts Press.

Przybylowicz, P., Donoghue, J. (1990). Shiitake grower's handbook: The art and science ofmushroom cultivation. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Sabota, C. (1996, October-December). Strain of shiitake mushroom [Lentinula edodes(Berk.) Pegler] and wood species affect the yield of shiitake mushrooms.HortTechnology, 6(4), 388-393.

San Antonio, J. P. (1981). Cultivation of the shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes (Berk.)Sing.). HortScience, 16(2), 151-156.

Schmidt, E. L. (1989). Evaluation of 7 North-Central Minnesota hardwood species forshiitake production. In: The Proceedings of a National Symposium and Trade Show,May 3-5, 1989 (p. 198). St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Wright, P. K. (1990). Try one of these shiitake mushroom recipe favorites. Shiitake News,7(2), 11.

Page 12: ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES Shiitake Mushroom ... · ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES Shiitake Mushroom Gardening Introduction Home production of shiitake (she-TAH-kee)

Catherine Sabota, PhD, Extension Horticulturist, Alabama Cooperative ExtensionSystem

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