Zanaravo.com - mushroom spawn and kits for mushroom cultivation
Shiitake are mushrooms named »Xiang-gu« or »Shiang-gu« in China, meaning fragrant mushroom. As a traditional dish they are valued in China, Japan and Korea. This delicious mushroom has not just a very nice taste but also possesses many medicinal compounds.
Hundreds of scientificall experiments were conducted, proving that shiitake reduce cholesterol level, have antibacterial, antiviral and antitumor effect, level blood pressure and sugar, strengthen immune system, reduce stress and have beneficial effect on liver and kidneys. They grow wild only in Far East where they are cultivated for more than thousand years.
Cultivation on wood
Wood can be inoculated with plug or grain spawn. When using grain spawn shorter (up to 50 cm) logs with larger diameters (up to 30 cm) should be used. After inoculation white mycelium appears on the cut section of the log (Picture 1.), turning to brown color with age (Picture 2.). After few months of incubation logs should be soaked into cold water (24 hours soaking) for stimulation of fruiting bodies formation.
 Picture 1 |
 Picture 2 |
For fruiting bodies formation incubated logs can be beaten after submersion in water. When this action is taking place it should be taken care not to damage the bark, although bark represents the barrier keeping the moisture inside the log and protecting its interior from contaminants.
 Picture 3 |
 Picture 4 |
Mushrooms should be harvested before the caps fully expand and start releasing white spores. Large logs placed outside can fruit for up to 15 year.
Table 1. Suitability of different wood types for shiitake (Lentinula edodes) cultivation.
| Latin name | English name | Cultivation suitabillity |
| Acer sp. | maple | 2 |
| Alnus sp. | alder | 3 |
| Betula sp. | birch | 3 |
| Carpinus sp. | hornbean | 4 |
| Castanea sp. | chesnut | 3 - 4 |
| Malus silvestis | apple tree | 0 |
| Populus sp. | poplar | 1 |
| Fagus sylvestris | beech | 4 |
| Quercus sp. | oak | 4 |
| Salix sp. | willow | 3 |
| Liriodendron tulipifera | tulip tree | 1 |
| Platanus occidentalis | sycamore | 1 |
| conifers | not appropriate! |
Wood suitability: not appropriate-0, bad-1, good-3, exelent-4
Table 2. Growth parameters for shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes)
| Substrate colonization | |
| temperature | 21 - 27 oC optimal, slower at lower temperatures |
| light | not needed< |
| duration | 6 - 24 months on wood |
| Primordia formation | |
| temperature | 8 - 21 oC (strain dependent) |
| relative humidity | 95 - 100 % |
| duration | 5 - 7 days |
| light | diffuse light necessary |
| Mushroom formation | |
| temperature | 16 - 27 oC, strain dependent |
| relative humidity | 60 - 80 % |
| duration | 5 - 8 days |
| light | necessary (no direct sunlight!) |
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