Growing
Mushrooms
on Logs
If you asked, we would say our favorite mushroom that we grow on logs has to be the Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) for a ton of reasons. First, they’re absolutely delicious and boast a variety of culinary uses being earthy, smoky, meaty, dense and buttery with bold flavor, packed with umami thanks to the amino acid glutamate. Medicinally they are known for stabilizing blood pressure and increasing your immune response. Of course, we aren’t the only ones to appreciate the famous Shiitake- it’s the second most widely cultivated mushroom in the world for a reason! If you’re interested in learning about growing Shiitakes on logs, check out our blog on this specifically HERE!
Shiitake mushrooms are absolutely delicious and boast a variety of culinary uses being earthy, smoky, meaty, dense and buttery with bold flavor, packed with umami thanks to the amino acid glutamate.
Shiitake Nutritional Benefits
Nutritional content of 1 cup (86 g)
- Calories: 81
- Fat: 0.3g
- Sodium: 5.8mg
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 5.6g
- Protein: 2.3g
- Vitamin D: 1mcg
- Zinc: 2mg
Shiitake Medicinal
Benefits
High in:
- Lentinan (Reduces Inflammation that prevents T-cell maturation. Active against lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer & gastric cancers)
- Eritadenine (lowers cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipid levels, decreases blood pressure & active against influenza)
- Eritadenine (lowers cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipid levels, decreases blood pressure & active against influenza)
- Vitamin D (important for calcium absorption, bone protection and heart health)
Log
Growing
Visual
Guide
Log Arrangement
Resources
As in life, one of the best things to have while growing mushrooms is plenty of information. When all that helpful stuff is scattered across the internet, though, it’s really not that helpful…
So, we at Mushroom Mountain have set out to make guides that put the information all in one place, the knowledge in your hands, and some fungi in your face (or at least on your back patio)!
Plug spawn can be stored for up to at least 6 months in cold storage and still be viable.
TIP: Be sure to remove the plugs out of cold storage 1 day before inoculating your logs.
TIP: Be sure to remove the plugs out of cold storage 1 day before inoculating your logs.
The access to extra ground moisture combined with the reduced fruiting surface area, along with a microclimate provided by the covering of the leaves or straw, triggers and supports prolific fruiting.
When you inoculate a log, you are putting the mycelium you chose into the tree that you want the mushrooms to grow from. It’s much like planting a seed!
Troubleshooting can often feel like a shot in the dark, but no longer; we have a whole page dedicated to answering our most frequently asked questions and tackling the common concerns that tend to occur during growing mushrooms of your own out of logs.
The parent guide for growing mushrooms as a whole whether by logs, sawdust, or a variety of other materials.
There is so much buzz going on about the Lion’s mane mushroom and I thought that I would share my knowledge with you about this amazing mushroom.
Who doesn’t love chicken of the woods? We adore this mushroom. It fruits very prolifically from spring to fall in the wild, a gorgeous bright orange mushroom that has the texture of, you guessed it, chicken.
One of the most popular mushrooms that we sell here at Mushroom Mountain is the Shiitake mushroom. This is an amazing mushroom- and extremely easy to grow!
Our Zone Fruiting Map is a great tool that shows which mushrooms prefer which type(s) of wood or other substrate, and when you should plant mushrooms in your area.
Check it out!
2 thoughts on “Ultimate Guides: Growing Mushrooms on Logs”
Hi
We just cut down a small Maple tree to grow Shitaki. We cut the logs less than 3 feet. Probably 2 ft logs. What is the minimum length for growing.
Thanks
3 feet or slightly less is a great size. They will be super easy to move, and even soak, if you are wanting to soak them for force fruiting. 🙂