Lentinula edodes, (=Lentinus edodes)
Shiitake Mushroom

Cultivation Difficulty: Moderate
Type: Edible/Medicinal
Substrate: hardwood chips and sawdust, hardwood logs
Colonization/Fruiting Temperatures 70-80F/50-70F

Culture Syringe

Shiitake is a very popular edible mushroom that has been cultivated in Asia for centuries. It is a dense, chewy and meaty flavored mushroom that is good fried or grilled.

Shiitake reportedly has wide-ranging health promoting and immunity stimulating properties against cancer, viral infection and high cholesterol.

This particular strain (see picture) has spontaneously formed fruit bodies in 4 months on malt agar under refrigeration.

Fruiting formula by volume:

100 parts hard wood sawdust/small woodchips
10 parts bran
1 part gypsum (calcium sulfate)

Water until moist and well soaked through. Drain or squeeze out excess water. The substrate should be damp but not wet. Pack into autoclavable bags and sterilized from 1-4 hours at 15 psi depending on the volume of the substrate. Larger volumes need a longer sterilization time to heat the core enough for complete sterilization. Depending on the type of bag and method of inoculation, the bags can be sealed before or after sterilization. Colonization is slow and may take as long as 1-2 months.

Fruiting requires removing or puncturing the bag and providing a cool, well ventilated and humidified environment with indirect light. Hand misting daily and covering the bagless sawdust block loosely with a light plastic grocery bag (to maintain humidity) gives acceptable results on the kitchen counter.

Shiitake mushroom kits are now available feature the Wood Based MycoBag(TM) from MycoBag.com. These kits provide a very basic and hassle free method of growing your own Shiitake mushrooms right in your kitchen.