Shiitake on alder logs?

Hey Fellow 'Shroomies...

My northside neighbor came over y'day to ask if I wanted the logs from a couple of alder trees that they just cut down.
Boy, howdy, I sure do!  Some will be firewood or shred for chicken house bedding... and I will be very happy to have some of these that are just the right size for shiitake log inoculation. Nothing quite like turning chopped wood into food!

I am planning to use WR46 spawn plugs, and also some Bellwether sawdust spawn.
Anybody else growing shiitakes on alder logs in the PNW with some wisdom to share?  Other recommendations of spawn variety or log stacking / management?

Although I've been growing shiitake on logs for many years, I've never tried alder. I usually use oak or chinquapin for shiitake. I always use alder for oyster mushrooms, since in the wild I often see oysters on alder.

However, Field & Forest says that shiitake does great on alder. Check out the chart:

https://fieldforest.net/on-logs/grow-outdoors/tree-species-suitability-chart/

As you can see, red alder is now listed as "superior" for shiitake. They also state that because alder has thin bark- "handle the logs gently".

Judging by the photo, it looks like some of your logs have already had some bark damage. So I would only use the logs that have all the bark intact and are completely free of fungi or ground contact/dirt. Also, logs cut in summer are often not that great for mushroom production, especially if the tree was weakened by a fungal disease or the logs have dried out.  I've had contamination problems from donated logs when the logs were dragged on the ground or had pre-existing fungi on them. So my advice is to check carefully for fungi on the logs and only use clean, fresh  ones with intact bark. The others can be used for firewood or other projects.

The good news is that shiitake, especially WR46, has a fast spawn run on alder. (It's also my favorite variety and the most reliable one.) Good luck Kara and let us know how it goes!

The thin bark thing is real, alder dries out faster than oak logs for the same reason. Mine colonized much quicker than I expected though, which matches what Field and Forest say about it. Worth wetting the logs down more often in that first year.

Thanks MK and Joao - good considerations!  I like the resources available from the Field and Forest website - that is where I purchase my spawn supplies.

So, MK - if I have enough logs, sounds like it is worth inoculating with some oyster mushroom spawn! Do you have one that you have had good success with and recommend?

Any opinions about letting the logs (the ones that are in good condition) sit versus inoculate promptly? There is a lot of conflicting guidance on this.

Regarding keeping them wet, we are heading in to PNW rainy season, so the clouds will do plenty of wetting through the winter. I will keep an eye on it.

Kara, I've had excellent luck with Summer White Oyster plug spawn on alder logs.

https://fieldforest.net/summer-white-oyster-pleurotus-ostreatus-plug-spawn/

The Summer White  strain is great for me because it fruits in summer when most other mushrooms are scarce.

I would try to inoculate as soon as possible to take advantage of the mild temperatures and fall rains. You don't want your logs to dry out at all or get contaminated from spores floating around. But normally I do spawn runs for mushroom logs in the late winter inside large plastic bags to keep moisture levels stable and temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees. But it's more important to have clean logs. Also- I always avoid grain spawn because it is like candy for rodents and they will stop at nothing to eat it!

Oh golly - I am not familiar with grain spawn, MK - I have worked with plugs or sawdust. Can you say more about this?

I think grain spawn is for starting spawn from cultures or spores. I would just stick with the plugs and sawdust spawn. Plugs are great for the hole-drilling method and sawdust works well for the totem method where you stack the logs up and wedge the sawdust in between.

Ahhhh, right, for indoor production, used for psilocybes. Got it. Thanks

Kara Ann wrote:Ahhhh, right, for indoor production, used for psilocybes. Got it. Thanks

Grain spawn is used for all mushrooms.  After a sterile is obtained in petri dish, that culture inoculates a jar of sterile grain.

You use that jar of grain to inoculate your sawdust which is probably only pasteurized and not sterile.  One jar of grain might do 50-100 jars of sawdust

I like the drill and plunge sawdust - with wax if your extra, and sawtooth oak is my favorite for shiitake.  Japanese oak makes best Japanese mushrooms

M.K. Dorje Sr. wrote:Kara, I've had excellent luck with Summer White Oyster plug spawn on alder logs.

https://fieldforest.net/summer-white-oyster-pleurotus-ostreatus-plug-spawn/

The Summer White  strain is great for me because it fruits in summer when most other mushrooms are scarce.

I would try to inoculate as soon as possible to take advantage of the mild temperatures and fall rains. You don't want your logs to dry out at all or get contaminated from spores floating around. But normally I do spawn runs for mushroom logs in the late winter inside large plastic bags to keep moisture levels stable and temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees. But it's more important to have clean logs. Also- I always avoid grain spawn because it is like candy for rodents and they will stop at nothing to eat it!

Here's what Summer White Oyster looks like: