With this pack of 8 logs you will be able to produce shiitake mushrooms in your garden on a regular basis, easily and naturally.
I just received them! What should I do?
Unpack the logs from the box they come in and find a damp, shady spot for them (north of a hedge or wall, under a large tree, next to a stream…). Place them on some bricks or wood so that they are not in contact with the ground and water them abundantly to hydrate them a little, as they may have dried out a little during transport.
However, if it rains a lot, it is a good idea to cover them up a little so that they do not become active all at once.
Step 1: Activate your first journal
If the aim is to try and get a small regular production for private use, we will activate one log per week (note that we are giving you them numbered so as not to confuse you). So we start by immersing log number 1. Immerse the log completely for 24 hours (maximum 48 hours) in a basin or similar. It is best if the water is non-chlorinated. If it is tap water, it can be left for 12 hours, so that the chlorine can evaporate.
Step 2: Production
After 24 hours, remove the trunk from the water and place it vertically on a saucer with about 2 cm of water, and cover it with a plastic bag (any plastic bag will do and it is not necessary to cover the whole trunk), which will help keep the trunk moist. After 3 days, remove the bag.
During the production phase, keep the trunk in a cool, shady place with natural light. Also watch out for slugs, they love shiitake! So place it on a table or keep a container of water at the base of the trunk so that they cannot reach it.
Step 3: Harvesting
After a few days (3-4 days in summer and up to 2 weeks in autumn), the mushrooms start to appear and break through the bark. They take several days to reach the optimal size for harvesting, when they open up and take on the shape of a “lens”, one should not wait until they open up completely and take on a flat shape with slight undulations. At this point they should be harvested by cutting the stems flush with the trunk and they are ready to be cooked (there is no need to wash them before cooking).
Step 4: Resting
Once all the mushrooms have been cut, the stem should be left to rest for two months. During the resting period, the log should be watered from time to time (without pressure), especially if the wood starts to crack at the end. In drier climates, water more regularly.
Let’s start again!
The following week after dipping log 1, we will dip log number 2. At this point, log 1 will be ready or starting to produce mushrooms. In this way, we will dip one log each week until after 8 weeks we have finished the pack. As two months have passed since we dipped log 1, we can activate it again! We will dip log 1 again and the process starts all over again!
During the winter months we will not submerge the trunk, so it will recover its strength to give good blooms in spring. In this way you can get 4-5 blooms of mushrooms per year per log.
How long can I activate my mushroom-producing trunks?
These trunks can produce mushrooms every two months for 2-3 years if you take good care of them and do not stop dipping them regularly.
A few tips:
– History of your trunk: We introduced the mycelium of the shiitake mushroom into this native oak trunk a year ago through holes in its perimeter (which we subsequently sealed with natural wax). These are whitish filaments or rootlets that have been feeding on the wood of the trunk until they have matured sufficiently to start producing mushrooms. We must take care of this mycelium, which will remain inside the trunk, as it is a living thing that needs permanent humidity and favourable conditions for its survival.
– If the first time we submerge a trunk it does not give us mushrooms, there is no need to worry, it is possible that it is a little short of completing the maturation period, we keep it in the resting conditions and we will submerge it again after a month. In the first year the trunk will give us fewer mushrooms, the quantity will increase in the second and third years.
– Sometimes, if the trunk is too wet, the cut surface of the trunk may turn greenish. In this case, the trunk should be ventilated, the watering should be stopped and the water dish should be removed for a while. Once the greenish hue disappears, replace the water dish and reduce watering.
– On our website you will find some recipes that you may find very useful.
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Good luck and good harvest!
If you still have any doubts, check the FAQ page.
This product cannot be shipped to the Canary Islands.