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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!
Our DIY Mushroom Log Kit will teach you how to incorporate edible mushrooms into your backyard or garden in three easy steps.
Skill level
Beginner
Time to set up
1-2 hours, once you've gathered your logs.
Time to grow
18 - 24 months (patience is a virtue - this is a long-term investment!)
Grow location
Outdoors
Shelf life
Check the "Grow By" date on the bottom of your kit or store for 3-6 months (refrigerated).
We’ve gathered all the bits and bobs you need inside our convenient DIY Mushroom Log Kit. Using these materials, you will be able to inoculate 6-8 logs.
Included in this kit:
You will need to source:
The fantastic thing about mushroom logs is that you will get years worth of gourmet mushrooms without having to be constantly making fruiting blocks or buckets. The larger your log, the longer it will produce mushrooms for. The logs you make with this kit should produce mushrooms seasonally for 3-5 years once colonised.
When selecting which mushroom to grow using this method you should consider what tree species you have in your area and if they’re available to you. Most mushrooms will grow on a wide range of hardwood species, but some have specific tastes. Finding the right tree species for your mushroom logs will increase your chance of growing some tasty mushrooms.
We’ve outlined some basic information below, but you will find a more detailed guide to tree species selection in the video instructions and further down this page.
Mushroom variety:
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.
Expect to grow: Seasonally
Mushrooms are a living organism and it is very hard to predict exactly what you'll harvest! As you'll be growing with the elements, outdoors, your mushrooms will pop out when conditions suit - usually after heavy rain or a drop in temperature.
Once your mushroom logs are established, with a little bit of care, they can produce mushrooms for years to come!
Storage: If you're not going to start your Mushroom Log Kit straight away, store your mushroom spawn packet in the fridge for 3-6 months.
This outdoor growing method is ideal for people wanting to grow mushrooms at home but don’t want to bother with expensive equipment or fussy fruiting rooms. Let nature do its thing, and with just a little bit of care and attention, you can grow delicious gourmet mushrooms in your garden.
Local
Ethical
Sustainable
We’re a little team doing big things here at Little Acre and we do our very best to get your goodies on their way to you ASAP.
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You can now add a gift message to your order 🎁 Simply enter your message at checkout and we’ll print it on a gorgeous card - free of charge!
Dispatch
We ship orders Monday to Thursday. We do not ship Fridays to avoid extending delivery times. Please note this applies to all orders, including our express post shipments.
Click & Collect orders
Pick up your order from the Little Acre warehouse in Geebung, on Brisbane’s northside. Pick up is free - simply select ‘Pick up’ at checkout.
Pick up is available Monday to Friday, between 8:00am - 3:30pm.
Tracking information
Once your order has been shipped, you’ll receive an email with your tracking link so you can stay up to date with where your order is at.
Delivery times
Delivery times are tricky to provide these days. You’ll be able to check your unique delivery estimate provided by Australia Post via the tracking link in your email with the subject “Your order has been shipped!”.
Shipping costs
Orders under $45
Standard Shipping via Australia Post - $10.20
Express Shipping via Australia Post - $14.20
Orders $45 and over
Standard Shipping via Australia Post - flat rate $14.20*
Express Shipping via Australia Post - flat rate $18.20*
(*This does not apply to bulk growing supplies.)
Shipping destinations
Yippee! This product can be shipped Australia-wide. And we currently do not offer international shipping, sorry team!
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. You'll be able to watch it as many times as you like.
Drill holes every 10-15cm around the log. Drill straight and fast!
Using a mallet, hammer the mushroom plugs all the way into the holes.
Using melted wax, seal over each plug.
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. We recommend sourcing logs from a sustainable source, or use sustainable practices when cutting trees for mushroom log cultivation.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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