Shiitake's are still going after 7 years

 I checked my logs the other day and didn't expect to see anything but came up with a big mixing bowl full of shiitake's. I plugged them about 7 or 8 years ago. I will probably throw the logs on the garden when they are done but that may be next year. IF you plan to grow shiitake's, I would suggest cutting the logs when the sap just starts to flow good, about 45 deg. F by day and 30 deg. F at night. lots of sugar to feed fungi, (little fun guys) and let set 2 to 3 weeks before plugging and be sure to seal with wax. This helps keep unwanted fungi out (not so fun-guys).

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Thanks and God bless.

William,

That’s rather amazing.  Is the log still a visible log or is it almost completely decayed yet?  I hope my wine caps produce even just a fraction that length of time.

Eric

I also found some fresh shiitake on my oak logs this evening for dinner.  

Your post made me look back in my records and I have been picking from these logs since at least 2010!  They were actually much larger diameter than recommended (in fact, they are left where the tree company dropped them because we didn't want heavy equipment compacting the soils but have done well for me.  They started to slow down a bit two years ago but keep on going as the logs slowly start to fall apart.  So you probably will get a few more years from them.  

I did large diameter logs that were cleared by the utilities.  I plugged them in the spring of 2017.  I found that the warm season varieties always get buggy.  The cool and cold season varieties of shiitake are the ones I get a lot of and they have no bugs.  It took 18 months to produce but now I have to dehydrate since I get so many over the late fall to early spring.

Eric Hanson wrote:William,

That’s rather amazing.  Is the log still a visible log or is it almost completely decayed yet?  I hope my wine caps produce even just a fraction that length of time.

Eric

Most of my logs are quite soft but most of the ones with bark on them are still producing. One little short 2 ft. log still has the bark but is so lite it feels like just the bark and no log, it no longer produces. I figure the rotted ones will be great for the garden.

Dennis Bangham wrote:I did large diameter logs that were cleared by the utilities.  I plugged them in the spring of 2017.  I found that the warm season varieties always get buggy.  The cool and cold season varieties of shiitake are the ones I get a lot of and they have no bugs.  It took 18 months to produce but now I have to dehydrate since I get so many over the late fall to early spring.

No bugs is great, I also grow spinach in the winter, no bugs. Once my logs were so cover with mushrooms I had bowls and bowls full. I tried to sell then to the local Chinese restaurants but no one wanted them so I dehydrated them. Shiitake are not my favorite mushroom but I do like them on pizza.