Making sawdust blocks for Shitake's

Deebs

The Sentient Naturewalker
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Some of the woods shiitakes thrive on for sawdust bags is alder, cottonwood, poplar, willow, aspen, sweetgum and other fast decomposing hardwoods. For log production oak is the wood of choice for shiitakes. Reports show shiitake do not do well on fruit tree woods.
 

Deebs

The Sentient Naturewalker
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Shitake Growth Parameters

Spore Germination: 50-70°F

Spawn run: 70-80°F, Humidity 95-100%, Time: 35-70 days;

Primordia Formation: 50-60°F, Time: 1 day then 60-70F 5-7 days

Fruitbody Development: 50-70°F Time:5-8 days

Fruiting Cycle: Usually 2-3 weeks for 16 weeks
 

Deebs

The Sentient Naturewalker
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Maitake looks similar these are also on the list:

For fruiting of this species indoors, spawn can be started on rye grain. Then transferred to sterilized supplemented hardwood sawdust/chips/bran. Fruiting should begin 6 to 8 weeks from inoculation. It will generally fruit one or two big cluster of delicious medicinal mushrooms!

Spawn Run Temperature: 70-75F
Humidity: 95%-100%
Primodoria Temperature: 50-60F
Humidity: 95%
Fruitbody Development: 50-65F
Humidity: 75-85%

Substrates for fruiting: hardwood sawdust, sawdust/chips/bran, oak is best, poplar, cottonwood, elm, willow and alder. Over watering at the fruiting stage of this species should be avoided. Also recommended to lower the humidity during fruiting. This fungi likes temperature swings at the fruiting cycle so don’t think these temperatures are exact. We had this species fruiting in temps outdoors between 50F-78F.
 

macsnax

Pollen Slinger
Really interesting, I wonder if they're easier to grow outdoors. At least that's what I think when I hear that they like the temp swings. Are you going to fruit these indoors? Maybe they're a little more versatile too, that's a wide temp range.
 

jpcyan2

In Bloom
Wood stove pellets also make a nice material to transfer to and from.
Woodlovers are quite contam resistant once there is no longer grain in the substrate mix. In my opinion, thats one of the keys to success.
Once it is colonizing the wood, get the grain out or transfer away from it.
There is a lot of info out there on shiitakes. I think you will be surprised and be more successful than you might anticipate. (y)
Temps might be the most difficult part.
 

Deebs

The Sentient Naturewalker
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Wood stove pellets also make a nice material to transfer to and from.
Woodlovers are quite contam resistant once there is no longer grain in the substrate mix. In my opinion, thats one of the keys to success.
Once it is colonizing the wood, get the grain out or transfer away from it.
There is a lot of info out there on shiitakes. I think you will be surprised and be more successful than you might anticipate. (y)
Temps might be the most difficult part.


So I was able to cancel the woodchips...you saying something like this would be better?

1588909621257.png 1588909709905.png
 

jpcyan2

In Bloom
Either should work fine, or a combination. You do need some chunk, and both chips and pellets have enough density to provide ample energy and food for the myc to achieve fruiting. It runs fast through sawdust, but for longevity and multiple flushes you need the density of chips , chunks, or pellets.
I dont know that one is better than the other. Both should be good.
 
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