Shiitake Mushrooms

We love to try new things.

We once had an olive tree.  It wasn't a huge success as we didn't have an area with decent soil that got a lot of sunshine.  You can grow olives in the Gulf Islands as there is an olive grove on Denman Island.  Our little tree, however, didn't survive its second winter.

Then there are the Perigord truffles we're waiting for.  We have 2 hazelnut bushes which have their roots inoculated with truffle spores.  In a couple of years we can expect to start harvesting truffles and hazelnuts.  And apparently we won't need a pig or a truffle hound because ripening truffles kill off the  green growth above them.  We just look for brown patches in the fall!

This spring we're waiting for shiitake mushrooms.  We've grown them before - along with oyster mushrooms.  We had a real battle with slugs however, and our harvests weren't as large as we'd like.  Oyster mushrooms are grown on sections of logs which are half-buried in the ground.  These were just about impossible to keep the slugs off and we've given up on them.  We only got one really good harvest.  We think we may have spread spores through our forest however, because a dead alder tree sprouted a wonderful crop of what looked to us like oyster mushrooms.  We just weren't brave enough to try them!

Oyster mushrooms growing in the wild - we think!

Last spring we found another supplier of shiitake mushroom spawn in Aldergrove - Western Biologicals Ltd.  As our old logs were spent, it was time to give it another try.  It's really rather easy - except for the slug part.  You start with green, healthy logs about 4 to 5" in diameter and about 3 to 4' long.  Spring is the time to cut the logs just before the buds break.  The sap will be rising in the trees with maximum nourishment for the mushroom spawn. You drill holes in the logs about 6" apart and insert the spawn plugs, sealing the holes.  Part of our problem the first time was with the beeswax which was recommended for sealing.  It cracked and fell off.  Western Biologicals recommended we seal with latex and it's still in place.  Our logs were set in a shady place so the spawn could spread throughout the logs.  We placed them under our deck where they could also be splashed by rainwater from above.  Then it's just waiting as we wouldn't expect anything to develop for a year.

Mushroom logs racked and waiting

As the time approaches for mushrooms to start popping out, it's a good plan to "shock" the logs and so my husband soaked them in a barrel for a day and then set them back on their rack which has copper netting placed at all access points to keep the slugs off.  We're hoping to see some signs of life within a week or two.  You can expect to harvest half a pound of mushrooms from one log each year. Can't wait!

Shiitake mushrooms sprouting from our first alder logs