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| Skill level | Beginner |
| Grow location | Outdoors |
| Spawn shelf life | 6 months (refrigerated) |
| Incubation | 9-12 months |
| Fruiting temps | 55-70°F |
| Best log type | See wood chart below |
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a nutritious mushroom that produces medium-to-large, brown, umbrella-shaped caps that tend to fruit throughout the summer to fall growing season. They are a delicious edible fungus from East Asia and their flavor is often described as rich, savory, buttery, and umami.
Shiitake tends to produce generous flushes and they are a great mushroom for beginners. They colonize quickly and are the most reliable producers of any species.
Note: Dowel may be fluted or spiral. Aside from being kiln dried, our wooden dowels are not treated in any other way.
Shiitake wood chart:
| BEST WOOD SPECIES* | Alder, Beech, Hophornbeam, Hornbeam, Hard Maple, Oak, Sweetgum |
| OTHER SUITABLE SPECIES | Basswood, Birch, Chestnut, Eucalyptus, Hickory, Soft Maple, Pecan, Sassafrass, Sycamore, Tuliptree, Tupelo, Willow |
| AVOID | Ash, Aspen, Black Walnut, Cottonwood, Elm, Hemlock, Peach, Pear, Pine |
Ideal project size:
Plug spawn is ideal for smaller projects of 1-10 logs, though some log cultivators will use them for larger projects.
That's not mold, it's mycelium!
Your kit includes plug spawn colonized with mushroom mycelium. It may appear covered with a soft, white, mold-like substance - that's the mushroom mycelium! It is completely normal. The mycelium of some species is more prominent than others.
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To grow on logs using plug spawn, you will need a Drill Bit, Log Sealing Wax, and Wax Daubers.
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Click here to download our pamphlet on using plug spawn.
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Shiitake works best with the log method. Colonization takes at least 9-12 months, and fruiting tends to occur throughout the summer to fall growing seasons and after rainfalls. Preferred wood species are oak, maple, or beech.
For our complete plug spawn pamphlet, click here.
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If you don't plan to use immediately, you can refrigerate your spawn for up to 6 months.
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"5 of the Best Shiitake Mushroom Recipes"
Shiitake has a meaty texture when cooked and is good for drying and reconstituting in winter soups. It pairs beautifully with tamari, ginger, and garlic and can bring needed umami to many different dishes. These mushrooms are delicious sauteed and can be used in stir-fries, risottos, ramens, on pizzas, or simply eaten by themselves.
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If you’re going to consume home-grown mushrooms, make sure to cook your fresh mushrooms thoroughly with heat. If it is your first time eating this species, it is best to start with a small amount to check for allergies, even if cooked.
*Recommendations are based on our own testing. You may have different results experimenting with other wood species.
Making the world of mushrooms accessible to all
North Spore was launched in 2014 by a mycologist, an organic farmer, and a photojournalist -- three college friends brought together through their shared love of the mycological world.
What began as a simple love for mushroom foraging and cultivation quickly developed into an obsession with all things fungi. From there, an urban mushroom farm was born, as was the desire to spread the spore to the masses.
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Customer Reviews
5.0 Based on 104 Reviews
5 ★
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TR
01/15/2025
Terrence R.
United StatesGift items
We haven’t used the shiitake gift packs yet. These were Christmas gifts and the weather is very cold now. But soon.
100 plugs / with plug spawn instructions
LM
11/30/2024
Lisa M.
United StatesI recommend this product
Great expectations
We are thrilled to try these mushrooms! They were so easy to place in our oak logs that we ordered 3 more packets! One for our daughter and 2 more for our farm! Check in to Dark Wolf Farm next year for results!!!
100 plugs / with plug spawn instructions
12/01/2024
North Spore
Awesome, Lisa! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
CK
11/25/2024
Carl K.
United StatesI recommend this product
“A watched pot never boils”
Ordered 200 shitaki plugs and arrived ahead of time and well packaged. It was a great project collecting logs, drilling and putting in the plugs. I used a glue gun instead of hot wax and hope it will work. The logs are now stacked outside and the glue gun spots over the plugs are holding up well. Now I have to patiently wait the 6-12 months to hopefully get results. I learned that checking every other day is excessive and not productive. I have ordered and grown in bins your oyster mushrooms earlier this year and got a lot of mushrooms. I am trying to move up in my mushroom growing. It has all been a great experience. I would give the current experience 5 stars thus far but I am waiting to see what I can grow. Thanks, Carl
100 plugs / with plug spawn instructions
11/26/2024
North Spore
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Carl! The team is here to help in case anything comes up.
SA
11/04/2024
Stuart A.
United StatesI recommend this product
Fast and simple log kit
This was my 2nd kit. The drill bit and wax applicator made my shiitake inoculation very simple and fast. I’m excited to see what we get next spring. I’m already thinking about what to get next!
100 plugs / with plug spawn instructions
11/08/2024
North Spore
Awesome, Stuart! If you need help with anything, please reach out.
HM
10/12/2024
Hiroshi M.
United StatesI recommend this product
Successful Shiitake Mushroom Plig Inoculation
It was straightforward to inoculate the plugs in oak logs. I cannot wait to have shiitake growing in the logs next spring (I tried the shiitake sawdust last year and successfully had shiitake on oak logs in May of this year).
500 plugs / with plug spawn instructions
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