Got a fresh-cut stump or log, grow a gourmet crop.
These mushrooms are Certified Organic, GLOBAL G.A.P, USDA Organic, Certified South Carolina, and Certified Appalachian Grown™ products.
Be the first to have the new phenomenon in vegetable growing: mushrooms cultivated in stumps or logs from your own yard. We are delighted to introduce wood-grown Shiitake mushrooms that are easy to plant and almost effortless to maintain.
If you have a power drill, you can plant these wooden plugs. (If you don't, ask your neighbors. They will be intrigued by the process and eager to help, especially if promised a gift of fresh-grown mushrooms.)
Here's what you do:
1. Select a fresh-cut (within 6 weeks) stump or log. Deciduous hardwoods such as maple, oak, sweetgum, and poplar work best. Conifers do NOT work.
2. Gather your Shiitake plugs, the drill with 5/16-inch bit, melted soy wax, and a hammer. (We offer a kit containing the drill bit, the soy wax, and a little paintbrush to apply it -- see Log Plugging Kit.) Make sure the stump or log is fairly clean, though lichen or moss is fine.
3. Drill 1 1/4-inches into the log, spacing the holes at least 5 to 6 inches apart. You can drill the top and the side of stumps, and all around logs except the area that will rest on the ground. Logs should probably be at least 6 inches in diameter, so that you can get the longest possible life out of your mushrooms. The rule of thumb is that the mushrooms produce one season for every inch of log thickness. That means that a 6-inch-diameter log should bear fruit for 6 years, a 10-inch for 10 years, etc.
4. Gently hammer (it's more like tapping) the 3.4-inch dowel plug into the hole. The plug has been inoculated with shiitake spawn.
5. Paint the plug with melted soy wax to secure it in place.
6. If the stump or log is very dry, soak or deep-water it. Otherwise, just make sure that it gets a good watering once a week and is never allowed to completely dry out.
7. In 8 months to one year, you will have beautiful fresh, delicious shiitakes. After that, they will produce new crops intermittently year-round. All they need is consistent moisture and, after you harvest a mushroom, a good deep soaking at the plug site.
Shiitakes are a gourmet treat, and supermarkets charge gourmet prices for them, even when they aren't as fresh as you'd like. Now you can grow the ultimate in fresh, organic, delicious shiitakes every time . . in your own backyard.
Don't stop here—we also offer wood-cultivated (that's the official term for what we call "log mushrooms"—Brown Oysters, too.
If you can't "plant" your mushrooms immediately, the spawn may be refrigerated for 3 to 6 months, but never frozen. Do not let spawn sit in the sunlight.
Pack of approximately 100 plugs.
| Genus | Lentinula |
| Species | edodes |
| Item Form | Plants |
| Zone | 3 - 9 |
| Fruit Color | Brown |
| Additional Characteristics | Easy Care Plants, Edible |
| Light Requirements | Part Shade, Shade |
| Moisture Requirements | Moist, well-drained |
| Uses | Outdoor, Cuisine |
| Restrictions | *Due to state restrictions we cannot ship to the following: Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Alaska |
Spore prints are used for three main purposes: mushroom cultivation, mushroom identification (as different mushrooms have different colored spores), and, of course, art.
Making spore prints is not only an easy, fun way to get to know mushrooms but also a very cheap way to cultivate more mushrooms at home.
For mushrooms with gills (spores lie on the gill surface) and mushrooms with pores (spores inside the pores underneath the cap), follow these instructions.
If you don't want to separate the cap from the stem, make a hole in an index card, place the card on a paper cup and slide the stem of the mushroom through the hole until the underside of the cap is resting on the card; then proceed as above.
If the mushroom is hard, it is more difficult to obtain spore prints. Some polypores not only take a long time to mature and produce spores but also can often live a long time after they’ve produced and dispersed their spores. Try wrapping them in wet paper towels or newspapers overnight before putting them down on foil, paper or glass to make a spore print. Note that the spore bearing surface always faces down toward the ground as the polypore grows.
To study the spores with a microscope, scrape off some of the spores from your spore print with a needle or scalpel onto a microscope slide. Place a drop of water on the spores and cover with a cover slip.
To preserve your spore print, spray them lightly with an artist spray or hair spray. Hold the spray at least 12 to 15 inches away from the print.
A double extraction will pull out water-soluble beta-glucans and alcohol soluble triterpenes. Beta-glucans are a form of soluble fiber strongly linked to boosting heart health, improving cholesterol, and regulating blood sugar to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Oyster and shiitake mushrooms are believed to have the most effective beta glucans. Triterpenes compounds have revealed anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-anxiety, immunomodulatory activities, and liver protective effects. Reishi mushrooms are considered the best source of triterpenes.
Ingredients:
• 80 proof or higher alcohol (vodka and brandy are popular choices)
• Organic dried mushrooms
• Purified water
Directions:
1. Fill a quart-sized glass jar halfway with dried mushrooms.
2. Fill jar with alcohol, completely covering the mushrooms, but leaving about a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jar. Secure lid.
3. Let it sit for a month. Shake daily.
4. After a month, strain mushroom-infused alcohol into another jar and set aside.
5. Next, make a water extract by bringing a half gallon of water to a simmer in a stock pot. Add the mushrooms from the alcohol extract to the simmering water.
6. Simmer the mushrooms for about 2 hours, until the water has reduced to approximately 8 to 16 ounces. Make sure to keep an eye on the water level, as you don’t want it to completely evaporate. You may need to add water to the stock pot throughout the process.
7. Let it cool.
8. Strain and compost the mushrooms using a funnel and cheesecloth, reserving the mushroom-infused water.
9. Combine the water extract with the alcohol extract.
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