Shiitake
Lentinula edodes
The great classic of log cultivation: on an oak or chestnut round, in humid shade, the shiitake turns thinning wood into harvests that come back several years running.
Partial shade
Role in permaculture
Growing this mushroom
- Method
- Logs / hardwood rounds (inoculation by dowels or sawdust)
- Substrate
- Fresh logs of dense wood, oak (Quercus) or chestnut (Castanea), bark intact, not dried out, diameter ~10-15 cm, length ~1 m. Oak, denser, spreads the harvests over several years.
- Where to place it
- In a shaded, humid area under tree cover, at the edge of a hedge or woodland, sheltered from direct sun and drying wind. Fits into the wooded surroundings of a forest garden and makes good use of oak or chestnut thinning wood.
- Period
- Inoculation in early spring; first fruitings the following autumn or spring, then recurring flushes.
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
Steps
- Fell healthy hardwoods out of sap (late autumn to late winter) and let the logs rest 2 to 4 weeks, without letting them dry out.
- Drill holes in a staggered pattern, push in inoculated dowels or sawdust, then seal with melted wax.
- Stack the logs in humid shade (the 'laying yard') and wait for full colonisation, often 6 to 18 months.
- Trigger fruiting by a 12-to-24-hour soak in cold water followed by a thermal shock; harvest, let it rest 6 to 8 weeks, start again. Harvests over 3 to 6 years.
Precautions
Cases of respiratory allergy to the spores exist among heavily exposed growers. Little risk of confusion, as cultivation is on identified logs.
Sources: Paul Stamets, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, Ten Speed Press, 2000 (Lentinula edodes) · Tradd Cotter, Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation, Chelsea Green, 2014 · Ohio State University Extension, Ohioline F-0041, « Shiitake Mushroom Production: Logs and Laying Yards » · Cornell Small Farms Program ; Alabama Cooperative Extension System, « Shiitake Mushroom Production on Logs »
Good companions
Traditional companion planting (benefit not demonstrated)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Always cook thoroughly. Eaten raw or lightly cooked, shiitake can cause 'flagellate dermatitis', a streaked rash delayed by 24 to 48 h, a reaction to lentinan (heat-labile), which affects a minority of consumers of raw or undercooked shiitake and is not seen after full cooking. Lentinan belongs to research: do not attribute to it a therapeutic effect through food; medical advice is required for any health-oriented use.
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Common varieties
Key takeaways
- • Prefers partial shade exposure.
- • Classic companion: Sweet chestnut.