How to Grow Shiitake

Cut 2 1/2- to 10-inch-diameter logs to 3 to 5 feet long during the winter, when trees are dormant. In an area with less than 40 inches of rainfall per year, harvest logs 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Harvest logs no more than two weeks before inoculation.

Drill the first hole 2 inches from one end of the log. Drill holes 1 inch deep and 5/16 inch in diameter for dowel shiitake spawn or 7/16 inch for sawdust spawn. Space holes 5 to 10 inches apart in the row.

Drill the next row of holes 1 1/2 to 4 inches below the first row. Begin drilling 8 1/2 to 10 inches from the end of log, spacing holes 5 to 10 inches apart. Continue drilling holes around the log until it is filled with holes.

Place sawdust shiitake spawn into a container and fill the spring-loaded inoculation tool. Put the inoculation tool over a hole and fill it with spawn. If spawn spills out of the hole, wipe away the excess. Set dowel spawn into holes and gently hammer them in so they sit flush with the bark.

Melt cheese wax in a double boiler. Apply hot wax with a metal turkey baster to seal each hole. Use a stiff-bristle brush to apply melted wax to the ends of logs or dip the ends into the pot to seal the ends and retain moisture.

Label aluminum tags with permanent marker noting the date the log is inoculated, species of tree and strain of spawn used. Hammer a 1/2-inch-long nail into each end of the tag to secure it to the log.

Stack logs indoors or outside in a variety of ways. Use the crisscross, triangle, lean-to, A-frame or X pattern to stack the logs.

Provide shade for logs outdoors during the summer with plastic shade cloths or under the canopy of trees in the woods. Shiitake logs inoculated in the fall or winter are left uncovered until about April when temperatures rise.

Weigh fresh-cut logs on scale to determine the moisture content. Mark the logs weighed with a plastic flag to monitor moisture content over time. Place them in different stacks. Soak logs in water for 48 hours if the moisture content falls below 35 percent to raise moisture back up to the optimal level for shiitake growth, according to University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension.

Harvest shiitake mushrooms when the edges of the mushroom cap are rolled under and the gills are exposed. Cut the stems flush with the surface of the log with scissors or a knife. Store right away in plastic container and refrigerate.