OUTDOOR GROWING GUIDE
How to cultivate mushrooms on logs
OUTDOOR GROWING GUIDE
How to cultivate mushrooms on logs
Watch our how-to video
Growing mushrooms on logs is as close as you can get to replicating how mushrooms grow in nature. This low-tech, relatively low maintenance method works for a variety of species but is used most famously for Shiitake log cultivation. Once established, you can be harvesting from your mushroom logs for several years! Watch here.
Grow Shiitake on logs in 3 steps
Now, team, this is just a summary to give you an idea of what’s involved. We highly recommend watching the video tutorial start to finish and playing along step-by-step. The video contains extra tips and helpful hints to get your fungi flourishing.
1. DRILL
Drill holes every 10-15cm around the log. Drill straight and fast!
2. HAMMER
Using a mallet, hammer the mushroom plugs all the way into the holes.
3. SEAL
Using melted wax, seal over each plug.
TO GET STARTED
Plug spawn
Mushroom plug spawn is a special form of mushroom inoculum used in the traditional log cultivation method of mushroom growing.
The plugs are made of hardwood and have a spiral groove cut into them which allows the mycelium to nestle into the groove and coat the hardwood plug.
Shiitake mushrooms are the most suited to this method of this cultivation. Log-grown Shiitake are the most premium in texture and flavour so if you have the patience they are very much worth the wait!
TOOLS REQUIRED
You'll need a few extra bits and pieces
You will need a few special tools to make mushroom logs as well as some more common houshold items. To make things easy and convenient we have created a DIY Mushroom Log Kit which comes with the special mushroom bits and bobs. This kit includes enough materials (excluding the logs!) to inoculate 6-8 mushroom logs.
To make mushroom logs you will need:
- Plug spawn inoculated with mushroom mycelium
- An 8mm drill bit
- Beeswax or soy wax
- A wax applicator (dauber)
- Freshly cut logs, approximately 1m in length and 10-15 cm in diameter (check out our wood species guide for the best types of wood for log cultivation)
- A rubber mallet or hammer
- A drill
SOURCING YOUR LOGS
Suitable tree species
Most tree-loving mushroom species prefer hardwood tree species with a few exceptions. For mushroom log cultivation, stick to hardwood species and avoid Pines, Camphor laurel, and Ironbark. For a full list of suitable tree species for mushroom log cultivation click here to download our guide.
You need to cut your logs from healthy, living trees. Some good sources of logs may be your local arborist, a plantation or orchard doing some maintenance or pruning of their trees, or your own backyard if you’re needing to do some tree removal.
Never cut dead, dying, or diseased trees for mushroom growing - these will already have some fungi inhabitants who won’t like sharing their log with your gourmet mushrooms, rude!
MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Looking after your logs
It does take some time to establish the logs (12-18 months depending on mushroom species and log size) but once established, you can be harvesting from your mushroom logs seasonally for a few years! Smaller logs will produce more quickly but won't produce for as many years. A log 10-15cm in diameter should produce for 3-5 years once colonised.
Results will vary greatly depending on the mushroom, tree species selected, and environmental conditions. If you let your logs dry out or if your climate is too warm you will struggle to grow mushrooms using the log method. Be sure to consult our full log growing guide for all the details on caring for your logs.
Mushroom Log FAQs
What is the best time of year to make mushroom logs?
The timing of your log harvest is important. Choosing the right time of year to cut logs can improve your chances of success. An ideal time to cut logs is during the sap flow - this is between Autumn and early Spring, before the trees form buds and new growth. This will ensure there’s lots of yummy sap in the wood, providing tasty nutrients for the mushroom mycelium to grow.
If you're going to use Eucalypt species or gums, these often shed their bark during Summer so it's best to wait until after this time.
You need to inoculate your logs within a week or two of cutting them so make sure you’ve set aside some time for your project. This gives enough time for some of the anti-fungal properties in the wood to dissipate but not too long for the wood to dry out or other competitor fungi to take up residence. While you’re resting your logs, be sure to keep them off the ground.
What size logs should I use?
Most log sizes will work, but there’s a general rule of thumb - a size that will produce a good amount of mushrooms, while still being easy to work with. We recommend cutting logs to 1m in length and choosing sections 10-15cm in diameter.
Small-diameter wood will colonise more quickly but will not produce for as many years and can dry out. Larger logs are really heavy and hard to work with.
You can use branches if that’s what you have available - there’s no need to cut down a whole tree!
What temperatures will the shiitake mushrooms grow in?
Shiitake: Grows in 10°C to 28°C
The Shiitake is the OG mushroom for this method of growing and has been cultivated this way for hundreds of years. It's a great one to start with for beginners as it grows on a wide range of hardwoods.
Do I have to use all the plug spawn in one go?
For best results we recommend using all the plug spawn at once when you first open the bag. This will give you the best chance of success and prevent the plug spawn aging or contaminating after being opened. If you're not ready to use your plug spawn, store it in the fridge for up to 3 months.
When will the Shiitake fruit from the logs?
The shiitake mycelium needs 12 months or so to establish in your logs. Once the logs are fully colonised and the climatic conditions are right (cool and wet) the shiitake will fruit, sometimes triggered by heavy rainfall. If you haven't had heavy rainfall and your log has reached maturity, you can trigger fruiting by giving your logs a soak in clean cold water overnight.
