Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) - The King Of Mountain Treasures
Exploring the many gifts of Shiitake Mushrooms in the context of Food Forest Design. This is Installment #41 of the Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet series.
Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) are widely known as the “King of mountain treasures” (山珍之王) in China and East Asia due to their exceptional nutritional value, unique culinary aroma and extensive health-enhancing properties. Shiitake mushrooms are a symbol of youth and longevity in China. Long considered a medicinal mushroom due to their health-promoting compounds.
These delicious gourmet mushrooms have a long and illustrious history in Asian culinary and medical practices. They offer a rich and exotic ‘umami’ flavors and can bring new life to many of your favorite meals.
The mushrooms we eat are the fruit body of the wood decomposing fungi (aka “Saprotrophic Fungi”) known as Shiitake. They can be grown at home by inoculating certain hardwood species (such as maple and oak) with shiitake spawn (mycelium) in almost any climate.
Shiitake mushrooms are very versatile in the kitchen, they make for an effective addition to a regenerative garden and they can also offer important contributions to stocking a ‘natural medicine cabinet’. In addition to tasting great, helping heal our bodies and giving back to the soil, I have found that growing our own supply of these mushrooms (inside and in the garden) provides a very practical means for increasing both emergency preparedness (being able to grow nutrient/protein rich food regardless of the time of year or weather) and cutting down on grocery bills.
I love how through working with this species, you essentially are empowered to engage in alchemy and can turn wood into food. Shiitake mushrooms are protein, vitamin and mineral rich, so this it not just survival type food, this is main course, deeply nourishing fill up your pantry because they are versatile, delicious and very nutritious kind of food.
Below will offer basic info on how to cultivate these at home, both inside or outside, how to preserve and create with them in the kitchen, their health benefits and cultural history. This is the first of several articles i’ll be posting on fungi species that are highly compatible with food forest design and have the potential to take the already impressive capability of regenerative agroforestry to produce more food per acre than monocultures several magnitudes greater in the realm of health and food sovereignty for communities all over the world.
Common Name: Shiitake (椎茸) mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) are traditionally known as Oak mushrooms, Black Forest mushrooms, or simply Black mushrooms. Other common names include Chinese black mushroom. In Chinese, they are often called Shiang-gu (or Xiang-gu) the sawtooth oak mushroom, xiānggū (香菇 - fragrant mushroom), in Korean pyogo (표고), and in Thai hed hom (เห็ดหอม).
The name “Shiitake” comes from Japanese (椎茸), where shii refers to the Castanopsis cuspidata tree (a type of oak) and take means mushroom.
Family: Marasmiaceae
Part used for medicine/food: myceliumas well as the whole fruit body (aka the stem and cap of the mushroom)
Constituents: polysaccharides (lentinan), beta-glucans, and eritadenine, Rich in antioxidants like ergothioneine and selenium, they also contain Protein, Riboflavin, Niacin, Copper, Vitamin B5, Manganese, Zinc, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin D as well as medicinal terpenoids and sterols.
Medicinal actions: Immune system enhancement, Osteoprotective, Hepatoprotective, Neuroprotective, Reproductive health enhancing, Radioprotective, Antineoplastic , Hypocholesterolemic, Immunomodulatory, Cardio protective, cholesterol reduction, anti-tumor activity, and anti-inflammatory properties, anti-oxidant and nutrative.
Key constituents include lentinan, a (1-3) β-D-glucan polysaccharide, which acts as a host-mediated anticancer agent by enhancing immune function—activating natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, macrophages, and cytokines like interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Lentinan is used in Japan for use in cancer therapy.
Eritadenine is a nucleoside analog that lowers cholesterol by inhibiting S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, thereby promoting cholesterol metabolism and bile acid excretion. It also shows antihypercholesterolemic effects and regulates lipid metabolism.
Lenthionine, the primary flavor compound, exhibits antiplatelet aggregation activity and significant antimicrobial effects, particularly against yeasts and fungi (MIC 2–8 μg/mL), comparable to standard antifungal agents. It also contributes to anti-inflammatory effects by reducing tumor necrosis factor-α production.
Other compounds include L-ergothioneine, an antioxidant as well as lentincoumarins and hydroxymelleins, which show strong anti-inflammatory (TNF-α and NO inhibition) and antioxidant (DPPH radical scavenging) activity.
Additionally, AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound), is present in shiitake mycelia, and it enhances dendritic cell counts and immune response. Shiitake extracts also demonstrate antiviral, antifungal, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and anticaries effects.
Cold Hardiness: they can be grown in zones 1-11 (with specific strains and techniques being required for both extremes on the the colder and hotter ends of that range)
Native Range (and potential range):
Japan native range map
Native to the forests of East Asia, with high concentrations of them growing in the wild in mountainous regions of China, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia. They grow wild on decaying hardwood logs, particularly from the Castanopsis (shii), oak, maple, and chestnut families.
Shiitake mushrooms are typically successfully cultivated outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9, but if one selected specific strains and worked with creating a microclimate for outdoor cultivation shiitake mushrooms could be cultivated in zones 1 through 11. This makes them versatile enough for most of Canada, The United States, much of Europe, Asia and similar temperate climates. They thrive on hardwood logs in shaded environments.
Notice how most of Europe is also within optimal Shiitake mushroom growth ranges for outdoor cultivation in the map below
Growth Stages and Form:
Mycelium Stage: Before forming mushrooms, shiitake grow as white, threadlike filaments (mycelium) that colonize wood or sawdust. This stage involves colonizing the sapwood, turning it white, and later, the mycelium will often form a brown crust on the surface of the substrate (especially on artificial blocks).
mycelium visable on ends of inoculated logs
Pre-fruiting (aka “Popcorning”): When cultivated, the mycelium often develops into bumpy, nodular structures called “popcorn” before pinning, especially when using sawdust blocks.
growth stages of shiitake mushrooms on logs, left at pre-fruiting (“popcorning”) stage, then pinning and cap formation on right
Primordia Formation (aka Pinning): Small pins, or baby mushrooms, emerge from the log or block, often triggered by temperature drops or water soaking.
Growth Habit of Mushrooms: Shiitake fruit bodies (aka mushrooms) grow in “flushes,” where a large group of mushrooms emerges over a short period (typically within 7-14 days).
Cap: The cap is convex, typically light to dark brown, and measures 3 to 6 inches in diameter. The edges of the cap often curl inward, and the surface can be covered in white tufts.
Gills: The underside features cream-colored, serrated gills that turn brown with age.
Stalk: The stem is fibrous, thick and tough, with a whitish to light-brown color.
Mushrooms ideally ready for harvest when the cap is 50%–80% open, but the edges are still rolled down towards the gills.
these are at a great stage for harvesting
this mushroom is past the ideal stage for harvesting (still edible and nutritious but should be used right away and would not have a very long shelf life)
Reproduction:
In nature, Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) typically reproduce via spores produced on their gills, but human cultivation typically uses vegetative propagation aka “Mycelial Fragmentation” (mycelium) to inoculate hardwood logs.. The process involves drilling holes in logs, inserting spawn (plug or sawdust) and sealing with wax, allowing the mycelium to colonize the wood for 6–12 months before fruiting (producing mushrooms).
Habitat and Ecological Niche:
Shiitake is a saprophytic fungus natively found in moist temperate forests of East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, and Russia), she has spread globally due to cultivation, naturalizing in some areas with suitable hardwood hosts. Some people have said they have found this fungi growing wild in North America but there is not much documentation of this and it appears the species is not resilient enough to outcompete local fungi species (so there does not appear to be a risk of her becoming “invasive” in forests outside of her native range).
This fungal being occupies an ecological niche as a wood eating (lignicolous) fungi that acts as a specialized decomposer in forest ecosystems. It is a “white-rot” fungus, specifically breaking down lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose in dead or dying hardwoods, facilitating nutrient cycling (while producing nutrient dense food for many beings, including humans).
She grows in groups on decaying hardwood trees, including oak, chestnut, beech, and maple (among others) typically inhabiting forest shade. She often acts as a secondary saprophyte, colonizing wood that has already been partially broken down by other pioneer fungi or bacteria.
Some Habitat Characteristics include :
Deciduous Wood: Natural habitat centers on fallen logs, stumps, and branches of hardwood trees. Preferred species include Quercus (oak), Castanea (chestnut), Fagus (beech), maple, poplars, and mulberry (though many other species can be used to cultivate her which I will list later in the article).
Climate: Thrives in humid, temperate to subtropical climates, often appearing after rain in spring and autumn.
Forest Type: Prefers forest shade, which provides stable moisture and protection from extended amounts of direct sunlight.
Cultivation Habitat:
While originally foraged in the wild in Asia, L. edodes is now cultivated globally on natural logs (e.g., oak, sweetgum) or on artificial logs made of compacted, sawdust-based substrates.
Health Benefits of Shiitake Mushrooms (and Mycelium)
Nutrition Profile of Shiitake Mushrooms:
Shiitakes are low in calories. They also offer good amounts of fiber, as well as B vitamins and some minerals. Here are the nutrients you get in only 8 dried shiitakes (30 grams): Fiber: 4 grams. Protein: 2 grams. Riboflavin: 22% of the RDI. Niacin: 22% of the RDI. Copper: 78% of the RDI. Vitamin B5: 66% of the RDI. Selenium: 20% of the RDI. Manganese: 18% of the RDI. Zinc: 16% of the RDI. Vitamin B6: 14% of the RDI. Folate: 12% of the RDI. Vitamin D: 12% of the RDI. (and the vitamin D content in mushrooms can be increased by leaving the mushrooms exposed to sunlight before eating!)
In addition, shiitakes contain many of the same amino acids as meat.
They also contain polysaccharides, terpenoids, sterols and lipids linked to immune-boosting, cholesterol-lowering and anti-cancer effects.
All of these properties can differ, depending on how and where the mushrooms are grown, stored and used.
Health Benefits of Shiitake Mushrooms (and mycelium):
1. Increases Heart Health:
Shiitake mushrooms have several benefits for heart health. For example, they have three compounds that help lower cholesterol:
Eritadenine: A compound that inhibits an enzyme involved in producing cholesterol. Sterols: Molecules that help block cholesterol absorption in your gut.
Beta-glucans: A type of fiber that can lower cholesterol. One study of rats with genetically high blood pressure found that shiitake mushroom powder prevented an increase in blood pressure.
Beyond its individual components, shiitakes may be heart-healthy as a whole food.
They also contain potent phytonutrients that help keep cells from sticking to blood vessel walls and forming plaque buildup, which maintains healthy blood pressure and improves circulation.
A study conducted at Tohoku University in Japan found that shiitake mushrooms prevented blood pressure increases in hypertensive rats. Shiitake feeding resulted in a decrease in VLDL and HDL cholesterol.
A study in lab rats fed a high-fat diet found that those given shiitake mushrooms developed less fat in their livers, less plaque on their artery walls and had lower cholesterol levels than those who didn’t get any mushroom supplement.
2. They Boost Your Immune System:
Shiitake mushrooms strengthen the immune system by increasing the production and activation of white blood cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells and T cells.
Some of the mechanisms by which shiitake enhance immune function include:
Immune Cell Activation: Regular consumption boosts the number and activity of NK cells and T cells, which identify and destroy infected or cancer cells.
Polysaccharides (Lentinan): These compounds, particularly lentinan, strengthen the immune system’s response to viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Reduced Inflammation: Shiitake mushrooms help modulate the immune system, reducing inflammation markers like C-reactive protein (CRP).
Gut Health Support: Acting as prebiotics, the fibers in shiitake nourish good gut bacteria, which is essential for immune system regulation.
Nutrient-Rich:They provide copper, an essential mineral for immune function.
A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutritionevaluated 52 healthy males and females, aged 21–41 years, to determine if shiitake mushrooms could improve human immune function. The study involved a four-week parallel group trial that involved participants consuming either five or 10 grams of mushrooms daily.
The results suggest that consuming mushrooms improved cell effector function and improved gut immunity. There was also a reduction of inflammation due to mushroom consumption.
Additionally, your immune system gets weaker with age. However, a mouse study found that a supplement derived from shiitakes helped reverse some of the age-related decline in immune function.
3. They Contain Compounds That Fight Cancer:
Polysaccharides in shiitake mushrooms also have an anti-cancer effect. Research suggests that shiitake mushrooms help fight cancer cells and the lentinan in shiitakes helps heal chromosome damage caused by big pharma’s anticancer radiation treatments.
A 2006 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine investigated the potential roles of an ethyl acetate fraction from shiitake mushrooms. The study involved two human breast carcinoma cell lines, one human nonmalignant breast epithelial cell line and two myeloma cell lines.
The results show that shiitake mushrooms were able to inhibit growth in tumor cells with their mycochemical value. Shiitake mushroom successfully induced apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death. In China and Japan, an injectable form of lentinan is used alongside chemotherapy and other major cancer treatments to improve immune function and quality of life in people with gastric cancer.
4. They Have Antibacterial and Antiviral Effects:
Several compounds in shiitakes have antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects. These include oxalic acid, lentinan, centinamycins A and B (antibacterial) and eritadenine (antiviral). In the face of growing antibiotic resistance, many scientists think it’s important to explore the antimicrobial potential of shiitakes.
A 2011 study at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute in London tested shiitake’s antimicrobial effects on gingivitis, a preventable disease that involves inflammation of the gums due to the buildup of a microbial biofilm at the gingival margin. The effectiveness of shiitake mushrooms was compared to that of the active component in the leading gingivitis mouthwash, containing chlorhexidine.
The total bacterial numbers as well as the numbers of eight key organisms in the oral community were investigated after treatment. The results indicated that shiitake mushroom extract lowered the numbers of some pathogenic organisms without affecting the organisms associated with health, unlike chlorhexidine, which had a limited effect on all organisms.
Shiitake mushrooms support bone health by providing a high, natural source of vitamin and minerals like copper, selenium, and zinc, which contribute to normal bone structure, which are essential for calcium absorption, bone mineralization, and maintaining bone density. They help prevent age-related bone loss and improve bone strength, particularly through Vitamin D enriched (sunlight exposed) shiitake, which is highly bioavailable.
Mushrooms are the only natural non-animal source of vitamin D.
Your body needs vitamin D to build strong bones, yet very few foods contain this important nutrient.
The vitamin D levels of mushrooms vary, depending on how they are grown. When exposed to UV light, they develop higher vitamin D levels.
Besides their excellent protein content shiitake mushrooms also have a unique ability to synthesize Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) when exposed to UV light (whether it is sunlight or indoor UV lights). This means you can supplement your vitamin D levels via exposing your mushrooms to sunlight (or a sunlamp) before eating to get an extra dose of this essential vitamin.
Shiitake also support Osteoclast Regulation. Research has shown that shiitake mushroom extracts can inhibit osteoclast differentiation—the cells responsible for breaking down bone tissue—thereby reducing bone resorption.
The body’s natural process of bone remodelling—the constant breakdown of old bone and creation of new bone—is a lifelong activity. Supporting this process through nutrition and exercise is crucial for maintaining skeletal health as we age.
Nature offers many ways to support this foundation. Emerging research suggests that shiitake mushrooms contain compounds that can support healthy bone metabolism and density. Unlike isolated nutrients, shiitake provides a whole-food approach to nutrition that your body can recognise and use.
First, compounds in shiitake may help support the normal activity of cells that break down old bone (osteoclasts). By supporting a balanced rate of breakdown, shiitake helps the body maintain its existing bone structure.
At the same time, shiitake extracts have been observed to support the cells responsible for building new bone (osteoblasts). Research shows an increase in markers for active bone formation (offering Osteoregenerative benefits).
This dual-action support—for both sides of the remodelling equation—helps promote a balanced, healthy cycle.
In one study, mice fed a low-calcium, low-vitamin D diet developed symptoms of osteoporosis. In comparison, those given calcium and UV-enhanced shiitake mushrooms had higher bone density.
6. They Help With Weight Loss:
Certain components of the shiitake mushroom have hypolipidaemic (fat-reducing) effects, such as eritadenine and b-glucan, a soluble dietary fiber that’s also found in barley, rye and oats. Studies have reported that b-glucan can increase satiety, reduce food intake, delay nutrition absorption and reduce plasma lipid (fat) levels.
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Obesityexamined the effects of shiitake mushrooms on plasma lipid profiles, fat dispositions, energy efficiency and body fat index. Rats were fed a high-fat diet for a six-week period.
Researchers found significant effects of dietary intervention on body weight gain. Rats on a high dose of shiitake mushroom diet (which involved adding mushroom powder to a high-fat diet) had 35 percent lower body weight gains than rats on low and medium shiitake mushroom diets. Rats on the high dose shiitake mushroom diet also had significantly lower total fat masses and had a trend of lower fat accumulation.
The researchers concluded by suggesting that shiitake mushrooms can help prevent body weight gain, fat deposition and plasma triacylglycerols when added to a high-fat diet. This encourages an effort to pursue human studies that examine the efficacy of shiitake mushrooms for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders.
7. Boost Energy and Brain Function:
Shiitake mushrooms are a great source of B vitamins, which help support adrenal function and turn nutrients from food into useable energy. They have proven to help balance hormones naturally and break through brain fog to maintain focus all day long — even improving cognitive performance.
Millions of Americans come up short on one or more of the B vitamins, and that causes energy slumps, unhealthy blood cell and adrenal effects, and foggy thinking. Adding shiitake mushrooms to your diet can give you the extra boost of B vitamins that you need to avoid a deficiency.
Shiitake mushrooms also contain a significant amount of Choline.
About 18% of CDP-choline is converted into acetylcholine within a short period of ingestion, and the rest is stored as phosphatidylcholine (PC) or some other similar compound in our neurons.
In studies of subjects who were given choline , scientists observed an increase in the number of neurons of in their brains as well as the sensitivity of those neurons (offering neuroregenerative benefits).
The study found an increase in the number dopamine receptors and the number of acetylcholine receptors in these new neurons. The fact that they observed in increase in our sensitivity to these neurotransmitters means it took less of each neurotransmitter to achieve the desired increase in focus and motivation (shiitake mushrooms modulate your brain to be more powerful as well as efficient, improving optimal brain function and slowing cognitive decline).
Choline is an essential nutrient. Although humans can produce a small amount of choline in the liver, it’s primarily provided by the diet. Without adequate levels of choline in the brain (and the ability to use it well), neurotransmission and cell membrane health are likely to be affected.
Shiitake mushrooms also contain Uridine which supports the formation of synapses. It is also one of the important compounds found in mother’s milk. Uridine is a molecule that also helps with neurogenesis, or the growth of new neurons. It’s a key component of RNA and glycogen synthesis, and it’s involved in the synthesis of cell membranes (and promotes new connections between them).
Shiitake mushrooms also contain Ergothioneine which has antioxidant properties and may help with neuroprotection. Ergothioneine also helps with DNA repair and prevent DNA damage caused by irradiation (offering Radioprotective benefits).
8. Promotes Skin Health:
When selenium is taken with vitamins A and E, it can help reduce the severity of acne and the scarring that can occur afterward. A hundred grams of shiitake mushrooms contain 5.7 milligrams of selenium, which is 8 percent of your daily value. That means shiitake mushrooms can act as a natural acne treatment.
In an open trial, 29 patients were given 0.2 milligrams of selenium and 10 milligrams of tocopheryl succinate for their acne twice daily for six to 12 weeks. After treatment, the patients noticed positive results. The zinc in shiitake mushrooms also promotes immune function and reduces buildup of DHT to improve skin healing.
9. They Contain Anti-inflammatory Compounds:
New research has shown that a relatively small daily amount of dried shiitake mushroom (5 grams of dried mushroom, which is the equivalent of 1-ounce fresh mushroom or less than one large shiitake mushroom) can provide measurable anti-inflammatory benefits. This finding is great news for anyone who is interested in bringing small amounts of shiitake mushrooms into his or her diet, without necessarily making it any sort of dietary focus. Consumption of these small amounts of shiitake mushroom by 50 study participants lowered blood levels of the inflammatory messaging molecule MIP-1alpha (macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha) and increased blood levels of anti-inflammatory molecules including interleukins 4, 10, and 1alpha (IL-4, IL-10, and IL-1a). This study outcome is not surprising since shiitake mushrooms have an extensive track record as an anti-inflammatory food.
Shiitake mushrooms offer Ocular-Regenerative and Ocular-Protective benefits:
Shiitake mushrooms support eye health by providing high levels of antioxidants, such as ergothioneine and selenium, which protect the lens and retina from age-related oxidative stress, blue light and radiation exposure damage. They are also rich in riboflavin (vitamin B2), which helps reduce eye fatigue.
Perhaps more importantly, shiitake mushrooms help increase the production of Glutathione which is a potent antioxidant, that helps maintain and heal eye’s aqueous humor, lens, and cornea.
Shiitake Mushrooms contain compounds that increase the endogenous production of Glutathione:
Consuming shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) increases levels of glutathione, a crucial endogenous antioxidant. Studies indicate that shiitake mushrooms contain high levels of antioxidants like ergothioneine and help boost glutathione, reducing oxidative stress, improving redox status and aiding in muscle damage repair.
Glutathione offers a number of extremely important functions in the body, including but not limited to:
Spike Protein Detox (cardioprotective for those have received mRNA injections)
Liver Detoxification: It helps the liver clear waste products and toxins.
Skin Health and Anti-Aging: Frequently used to treat hyperpigmentation, reduce skin inflammation, and slow down signs of aging.
Fatty Liver Management: Helps manage both alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by reducing cell damage.
Immune System Support: Stimulates the immune system to fight infection and manage inflammation.
Cell Repair: Plays a key role in DNA synthesis, protein regulation, and cell death regulation.
Respiratory Care: used for treating cystic fibrosis and other respiratory issues.
Mycelium is also rich in unique compounds and enzymes active in breaking down wood, providing potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This means if you are growing Shiitake on a sawdust/woodchip based substrate inside, you can actually use the myceliated substrate to make tinctures as well as the mushrooms.
Mycelium is The Primary Stage of the Mushroom Life Cycle
A better understanding of the role of mycelium in the mushroom life cycle helps inform about the benefits of mycelium. Mushrooms are a type of fungal organism with a three-stage life cycle that is similar to the different stages found in plants. Mycelium is the longest living part of the organism. It consists of myriad intricate filaments that are only one cell-wall thick. Despite its delicate stature, mycelium is quite formidable. It grows for months, years, potentially centuries, and navigates through a sometimes inhospitable ecosystem. It is capable of expanding its reach through a habitat filled with millions of microbes while communicating chemically with the surrounding environment, devising complex chemical responses to whatever challenges it encounters.
Eventually, when the circumstances are favorable, mushroom mycelium generates a fruit body - the above-the-surface, easily identifiable part of the mushroom organism. The process of producing a mushroom fruiting body requires that the mycelium maintain a highly active immune response to prevent pathogens from harming it. Meanwhile, the mushroom fruit bodies that eventually form, much like many flowers or fruits, can be highly perishable. For example, the oyster mushroom rots in just a few days. This is in stark contrast to the mycelium that generated it which can live for months, years, or decades.
The mushroom life cycle consists of mycelium, fruiting bodies, and spores.
Mycelium – the immune system of the mushroom offering an amazing diversity of beneficial constituents.
Fruiting body – the reproductive stage and provides beta-glucans and other complex polysaccharides.
Facts About Mushroom Mycelium:
Because of the delicate, filament-like appearance of the mycelium, people sometimes assume it is nothing more than a root system designed to support a fruiting body. While it’s easy to dismiss the vast network of mycelial filaments under the surface, it’s important to understand that the mycelium represents the primary function of the organism.
Mycelium is the highly dynamic stage of the mushroom life cycle. Mycelium is the primary “plant” portion of the mushroom, while the fruit body is the temporary “flowering” part of the mushroom life cycle that releases spores for reproduction.
Mycelium is the longest living part of the organism. Depending upon the species, mycelium can remain highly dynamic and metabolically active for ~95% of the overall life cycle, while fruiting bodies often represent less than 5% of the life cycle timeline.
Mycelium serves as the immune response that supports not only the health, vitality, and immune response of the fungal organism, but also supports the health of the surrounding ecosystem. Scientific research, targeted studies, and widespread use in holistic treatment plans demonstrate that when harnessed in the form of supplements, human beings also benefit from the significant health-supporting power of mushroom mycelium.
While I think making tinctures or powders from myceliated grain or sawdust shiitake mushroom blocks is great, I am of the opinion that combining that with extracts from the fruit bodies (mushrooms) is the best way to get the full spectrum of medicine offered by these fungal beings.
“Powdered Grain Spawn
The grain spawn that is produced as a part of the mushroom cultivation Process can be consumed on its own as a form of megafood-medicine. Indeed, most commercial medicinal mushroom capsules are filled with powdered grain spawn, with “myceliated brown rice” often being the primary ingredient. In addition to rice, millet and sorghum (milo) are also common substrates. Many of these powdered products are essentially freeze dried grain spawn that has been ground to a fine powder, encapsulated, and then sold at a markup of 1,000% or more!
Luckily, comparable products can be made simply and easily at home with grain spawn produced using techniques described in Chapter 8. With these techniques, one cannot only grow their own myceliated grain but also myceliated blends of purple corn,’‘ medicinal herbs, and other natural medicines. If these substrates are locally harvested and myceliated with a local mushroom strain, the resulting product would be a potent, place-based medicine that is incomparable to that found in commercial capsules.
Once this substrate has been fully myceliated, it can be processed. First, the material is dried at low heat to minimize denaturing of the active constituents. The grains are spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet or other clean surface and a fan is placed to blow over them for a day or two until they are thoroughly dried. Alternately, the grains can be dried in a food dehydrator on a low setting or, better yet, with its heating element removed. Once the grains are thoroughly dried, they can either be stored whole and used in grain-based recipes as an ingredient or they can be powdered using a blender, coffee grinder, or flour mill. This grinding process is used in place of hot water to break the chitinous cell walls of the mushroom and make the beta-glucans and other compounds acesble upon digestion. Flour or stone mills are preferable as they produce the finest powder, increasing the medicine’s bioavailability.
If you wish to create measured doses of the powder, using a home capsule maker is the best route. Blends can also be made that incorporate additional ingredients, such as vitamin C (which enhances the medicinal potency of some species), or herbs. However, if you are cultivating your own medicinal grain spawn, an abundant supply can be readily created, making the process of encapsulating a gallon of mushroom powder a bit unnecessary. I prefer to maintain jars of individual species powders and add these (or blends) to foods or teas as a versatile medicinal supplement.
Ultimately, the hypha is the limit on how to incorporate this potent and easy to grow medicine into every facet of one’s diet and lifestyle. Dig it.”
History and Cultural Relevance of Shiitake Mushrooms:
black and white photo of traditional shiitake mushroom cultivation in Japan where cultivators would strike the inoculated logs with hammers to stimulate mushroom growth. Lentinula edodes). This practice, sometimes combined with soaking the logs in water, is known as “shocking” or “scaring” the mushrooms, often referred to as “hammer time” by researchers.
Early Use and Medicinal Importance in China:
The earliest records of Shiitake mushrooms date back to Song Dynasty China (960–1279 AD) where they were recognized for both their culinary and medicinal properties. Ancient Chinese medical texts praised the mushroom for its ability to boost immunity and support overall wellness.
In traditional Chinese sources, Shiitake mushrooms were referred to by names such as Xiānggū (香菇) meaning fragrant mushroom, and Dōnggū (冬菇) meaning winter mushroom, reflecting its strong aroma and long shelf life during cold seasons.
By the Ming Dynasty, the cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms had begun in Southern China, especially in Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces. Chinese farmers pioneered a technique of drilling holes into logs and inoculating them with mushroom spores, forming the foundation of modern Shiitake cultivation methods.
Introduction to Japan and Buddhist Influence
As one of Japan’s representative edible mushrooms, they have been consumed since at least the Heian period (794–1185), when wild shiitake were foraged and eaten.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, Shiitake mushrooms were introduced in an intentional cultivated format to Japan by Chinese monks traveling to spread Buddhism. The mushroom became popular among the nobility and monks due to its rich umami flavor and nutritional value. Its inclusion in the vegetarian diets of Buddhist practitioners further increased its importance as a key source of protein.
During the Edo period (1603–1867), shiitake cultivation in Japan became systematic, transitioning from foraging to organized production, particularly in Oita and Izu regions.
Japanese farmers adopted and enhanced Chinese techniques, carefully selecting mushroom strains and refining cultivation methods to suit Japan’s climate.
Farmers developed the "natural log" technique, inserting spawn into oak stumps (hodagi) in shaded areas (hodaba) to produce premium, thick-capped dried shiitake, creating a significant trade commodity.
Active cultivation records date to 1664 in Takachiho-go and similar periods in Izu. It is said that in the 17th century, a charcoal burner named Genbei in Oita discovered that shiitake grew on wood, leading to the development of early techniques.
Early cultivation involved cutting logs (hodagi) from sawtooth oak trees and, rather than inoculating them, cutting slashes in the bark. These were left in the forest to be naturally inoculated by spores. The logs were kept in designated forest areas known as hodaba (often cedar forests).
In 1930, Japanese people could pick wild shiitake in the mountains for free!
The 50-volume “Complete Collection of Dietary Habits of Japan“ (Nobunkyo) is Japan’s largest food culture database, created by interviewing 5,000 speakers at 300 locations across the country about their dietary habits around 1930. The following facts were found by tabulating articles related to “shiitake mushrooms”.
1) Wild shiitake mushrooms grew in Satoyama, so you could pick shiitake all over Japan.
2) If you cut a sawtooth oak, and slit the log with a hatchet, and leave it, shiitake grew from it.
3) Takachiho-go was the center of shiitake cultivation.
Oita prefecture became a major producer, establishing techniques that still yield high-quality shiitake today.
Almost all over the country, shiitake was wild.
By tallying up the mentions of shiitake being gathered in the mountains, researchers color-coded in green the prefectures where shiitake were growing wild in the forests around 1930 .
Shiitake picking was mentioned only in the “Complete Collection of Food Habits in Japan,” so looking at the results, which are colored green almost all over Japan, it seems that shiitakes were commonly grown deep in the mountains, even in the gray areas.
For example, even in Tokyo, wild shiitake mushrooms must have grown deep in the western mountains, such as Mt. Takao, and in Nagano Prefecture, there is a possibility that shiitake mushroom records may have been omitted because the area was too much of a mushroom paradise (foragers did not want to give up their favorite spots).
“Mushrooms are plentiful in the mountains in autumn. We are blessed with many varieties, including shiitake. They are simmered and made into miso soup. With these seasonal ingredients, we not only savor them when they are in season, but we also store them in salted or dried form and eat them out of season as well.”
(Aomori Prefecture)
“In August, after the autumn storm passes, a basketful of shiitake is harvested at a time, and every household becomes enthusiastic about picking shiitake. Freshly picked shiitake are sometimes cooked, but most of the time they are preserved as dried shiitake.” (Tochigi Prefecture)
“In the fall, Mt. Minobu is a treasure trove of mushrooms, with more than enough shiitake and other mushrooms to fill one’s backpack. They are used to make soup or simmered in soy sauce. The shiitake mushrooms can be dried and preserved, and when added to umani-braised, the taste and aroma are both delicious.” (Yamanashi Prefecture) (source)
“While collecting firewood, we would cut down sawtooth oak and other oak trees in the mountains and hang them in the damp area under the trees in the garden of the house, using bamboo as a support. In spring, shiitake grow from these trees. After a few warm days, they produce enough shiitake for home use, which are picked and chopped into thin strips and cooked with fried tofu and carrots in a soy sauce seasoning.” (Shizuoka Prefecture)
modern day shiitake cultivation operation in Oita prefecture
Ogata Town (Oita Prefecture),: “It was around this time that Oita’s shiitake mushrooms gained fame, winning the top prize at the Kyushu-Okinawa Eight Prefectures Union Exhibition in 1921 and a gold medal at an exhibition in Tokyo the following year.”
Takachiho Town (Miyazaki Prefecture), 1942 : “The dried shiitake mushrooms thus produced are bought at a good price by merchants from Higo (Kumamoto) and Bungo (Oita), in addition to local merchants.” Local and Higo merchants buy the dried shiitakes while they are still warm, competing with their rivals in a shouting match. We are happy when we get a good price. The sight of shiitake mushroom merchants carrying large cotton packs of shiitake mushrooms home is like that of Daikoku-sama.”
Misakubo/Gotemba (Shizuoka Prefecture), 1304 characters: “Some merchants who come to buy dried Shiitake mushrooms even stay overnight to wait for them to dry. (source)
Technological Advancements in Cultivation
It wasn’t until 1942 (Showa 17) that the method of inoculating logs with plug spawn (koma-kin) was developed, marking a significant breakthrough. This advancement brought about a major leap in log-grown shiitake cultivation.
Later, sawdust-based cultivation (kinshō saibai) was introduced in the postwar Showa era. This method involves mixing sawdust with rice bran, wheat bran, and chemical fertilizers, into which spawn is planted. Today, the majority of domestically sold shiitake mushrooms are grown using this sawdust-based technique.
In the 1960s, Shiitake cultivation saw a major breakthrough when scientists developed substrate-based methods using agricultural byproducts like rice husks, straw, and other organic materials. This innovation allowed for year-round production at lower costs.
The land mass of Oita prefecture varies considerably in altitude, from one meter above sea level near the coast to more than 700 meters up in the mountains. This produces a wide range of micro-climates that suit different sub-species of shiitake. According to Mr. Watanabe from the Oita Prefecture Shiitake Growers’ Association (OSK for short), Oita produces about 35 different sub-species of shiitake, more than anywhere else in Japan. Shiitake farmers are called nabashi in Oita.
Alongside improved preservation and transportation methods, such as drying, freezing, and vacuum packaging, Shiitake mushrooms became easier to export and distribute internationally.
Global Expansion: Shiitake Reaches the West
Shiitake mushrooms made their way to the Western world in the late 19th century through Asian trade routes and migration. Chinese and Japanese immigrants brought dried Shiitake mushrooms with them to use in traditional cooking.
In the United States, awareness of Shiitake mushrooms grew during the 1960s, driven by rising interest in Asian cuisine and health-focused diets. Japanese and Chinese restaurants in major American cities began incorporating Shiitake mushrooms into their dishes.
Shiitake cultivation in the West began in earnest during the 1970s, following the 1972 lifting of a U.S. Department of Agriculture ban on importing live cultures. Initially introduced by Asian immigrants, rising interest in Asian cuisine and health-focused diets spurred demand. Early, small-scale log-based production in California and Pennsylvania later evolved into widespread sawdust-based cultivation to meet commercial demand.
The first BC Shiitake mushroom farms were established in 1979, utilizing drilled and inoculum-plugged deciduous tree logs. Doctor Theodore Takeuchi is credited with pioneering the farming of Shiitake on alder logs in British Columbia.
Through the 1980s to the 2000scommercial production expanded rapidly, with U.S. shiitake production rising significantly, with total U.S. production reaching over 10 million pounds (5000 tons) by 2008. In 2017, shiitake production amounted to approximately 2,406 tons (over 5 million pounds) in Canada.
The introduction of fungi as an ally and mycology as a science into the west has resulted in some expansive and profound thinkers and philosophers drawing from the deep living library of the Fungal Queendom in recent years.
The "Fungal Queendom" (as author, educator and mycological pioneer Peter McCoy calls it) is a truly ancient community of organisms which often forms symbiotic relationships with other organisms capable of contributing to a mutually beneficial relationship. It is no wonder that when ingested, many of these fungi have the ability to provide excellent nutrition and augment/boost our general health/resilience (while simultaneously providing our immune system with compounds that assist in rendering pathogenic organisms inert that are present in the human body).
Below is an excerpt from Peter McCoy’s seminal and substantial book pertaining to incorporating the Regenerative design mindset within the realm of mycology.
“The 15 Principles of Natural Mushroom Farming and Regenerative Mycology
To begin cultivating fungi outdoors, their ecological habits must be integrated into the principles discussed in Chapter 8. Though outdoor work does not provide for the consistency that indoor cultivation offers, by allowing fungi to engage with the natural environment on their own terms one can engage in the art of ecological co-creation that acknowledges the various relationships and patterns fungi form in the world.
The following 15 design concepts are offered to help influence this work. Largely influenced by the ecologically inspired design system known as permaculture, these are not specific protocols, but guiding principles for integrating Nature’s patterns into any installation’s design. Like myceli-um, permaculture designs integrate the features of an environment into a cohesive, efficient, and self-supporting system. By mycomimicking this concept in all aspects of a cultivation projects design, mushroom growers and homesteaders can learn to create personal pathways toward a regenerative future that is supportive of the webs that underlie our lives, our communities, and the ecologies we live within.
OBSERVE AND WORK WITH FUNGI
This concept applies to all cultivation work but it is especially important to recognize in outdoor installations where control of the environment is beyond the means of the cultivator. Through observation, one can learn to anticipate the success of future installations as the responses of the fungi to their environment become increasingly familiar. When fungi are encountered in the wild, take note of their substrate and the local ecology. Spend time in their home to understand how to recreate it. This principle is reflected by the fungi in their surveying and responding to environments in ways that reflect the needs or limits of that habitat.
CATCH AND STORE ENERGY
The gifts of potential and kinetic energy offered by the Earth and Sun should be honored and collected wherever possible to increase the sustainability and independence of a natural mushroom farming system. Infrastructure and landscaping methods that efficiently collect solar energy, radiant heat, and water should be applied to reduce ones impact on the environment while simultaneously cultivating resilient mycoscapes. This conservation of energy principle is reflected in the means by which fungi gather and store nutrients in their mycelium and later release them to efficiently navigate and steward their environment.
OBTAIN A FLUSH
Harvesting a large flush of fungi not only brings joy and bounty to the table, it also encourages the cultivator and their students to pursue future cultivation projects. When mushroom installations fail due to poor design or management, it is easy for the beginner to get discouraged and abandon the practice. Tangible yields serve as a visual affirmation of the importance and value of natural mushroom farming and self-sufficiency in general, and help ensure the evolution and spawning of future cultivators. This principle is exemplified by the fungi through their tireless efforts to always produce and distribute spores, regardless of environmental constraints.
APPLY SELF-REGULATION AND ACCEPT FEEDBACK
Do not assume that you know how a fungus will respond to a novel condition. Experimentation is encouraged with mushroom cultivation, but it is best to maintain a sense of humility as you learn from the successes and failures of innovation. Use these lessons and insights to refine your next experiment. Don’t get discouraged, get creative. This principle is an integral aspect of fungal growth and development. Fungi epigenetically respond to changes in their environment in ways that are self-preserving, energy efficient, and regenerative for the whole ecosystem.
USE AND VALUE RENEWABLE RESOURCES
Mushroom cultivation is founded on the realization that agricultural “waste” streams can be transformed into high quality food and medicines. Similarly, many other elements and practices used in mushroom cultivation offer a range of outputs that can be creatively utilized. The most resilient mushroom farms utilize solar heat, fermentation, and biogas production when preparing substrates in place of fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources. Nearly every tool used in the cultivation process can be built from reusable materials, lowering costs and cultural debris. Substrates can be sequenced to host a range of species so as to maximize yields. And the fungi themselves can be valued for their variety of regenerative functions, not just for the taste of their fruit bodies. The fungi reflect this principle in their efficient management and redistribution of resources within an environment.
UP THE FUNCTIONS
Everything performs more than one function. The science of ecology is based in determining how the various “outputs” of an organism or element affect the environment as a whole. Well designed cultivation systems mimic natural systems by efficiently integrating the various outputs of the design’s elements and taking advantage of every output an element has to offer. This concept is often referred to in permaculture as “stacking functions. At all times, consider how a given project or act can accomplish more goals in a shorter amount of time. In most systems currently designed by humans, fungal functions are entirely absent.
Permaculture design utilizes a number of tactics for increasing the efficiency of a living system.
Many of these concepts are described in this chapter, in as much as they relate to fungal cultivation.
However, these design concepts are only a foundation to build upon. As the field of appropriately applied mycology progresses, new integration strategies are bound to arise that will continue to raise the bar of understanding of what is possible when working with fungi. This principle is embodied by the fungi in the range of actions that they efficiently engage with in their environment as a unified web of autonomous hyphae.
CLOSE LOOPS AND PRODUCE NO WASTE
There is no waste in Nature. To reduce the waste produced by mushroom cultivation, the byproducts of any operation should be utilized by another system on the farm. Contaminated or spent spawn can be employed in a number of ways, as noted in Chapter 8. Where possible, use glass or repurposed tools and containers in place of single-use plastic bags and agar plates. Non-renewable resources and substrates are best used for developing the infrastructure that leads to a self-reliant system. This principle is witnessed in the fungi’s capacity for recomposing the elements of plant and animal matter into the lush topsoil that breeds new life.
SPAWN FROM PATTERNS TO DETAILS
The various techniques of aseptic mushroom cultivation are based upon the principles and patterns of fungal biology and ecology. This concept readily expands to natural mushroom farming where an intimate understanding of the habits of fungi is needed to best enhance the success of any system.
This endless expansion of life is exemplified in the holographic growth of a mycelial network.
MYCELIATE RATHER THAN SEGREGATE
Everything is connected. The most resilient natural mushroom farming practices integrate fungi into multi-canopied food forests, annual vegetable production, and other installations intentionally inoculated with beneficial microbes. Creating such a diversity of organisms in a landscape not only enhances the overall productivity of a place, it can also stimulate the vigor of the fungus mycelium and lead to a more robust installation. When the proper mixture of elements are applied to any cultivation system, their combined effect can often be greater than the sum of their individual outputs, enabling even small-scale installations to be highly productive. Recognizing the intimate connection that all life forms share with each other and their habitats imparts a reverence for the brilliance of Nature and the humility to support its longevity for present and future generations.
In natural systems, fungi thrive when they are enmeshed within a dynamic and harmonic ecosystem.
Increasing diversity in an ecosystem is an inherent role that the fungi play as keystone species.
USE SMALL, SLOW, AND SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
Natural installations with fungi should be seen as long-term endeavors that gradually work to enhance landscapes over time, while occasionally producing crops. When learning to integrate fungi into more complex systems, start small to gain familiarity with your work and then scale up as your understanding increases. When designing installations that emphasize a regenerative or remediative function over fruit body yield, apply caution at first. Work in short bursts (pulses) and in small areas (patches) to observe the effects that your initial design has on the regenerative work that Nature is bringing in of its own accord. Where possible, make the smallest intervention in these cycles as possible.
Mushroom cultivation does not have to be difficult, overly elaborate, or expensive. Installations that follow the principles of natural cultivation and account for the specific needs of a given mushroom species are likely to succeed to some degree regardless of monetary or infrastructural constraints. Once established, well-designed mushroom operations can be self-reliant for years or decades. This principle is seen in the slow, steady, and powerful march of microscopic hyphal threads as they ramify substrates and enhance ecologies over centuries.
USE AND VALUE A DIVERSITY OF SPECIES AND STRAINS
Each fungal species and strain offers its own unique blend of characteristics to an installation.
Integrating a wide variety and number of fungal species, strains, and installations into your design increases the variety of functions offered by the fungi. This not only adds aesthetic and functional value to the land, it also increases the potential for the system to respond and adapt to future chang. es. Increased diversity and redundancy of species/strains increases one’s mycological resilence Supporting the growth of local fungal strains also helps to increase the geographic distribution and genetic diversity of these strains as their spores eventually spread from your installations along air currents. The importance of diversity is found in the mixture of fungal and non-fungal species that abound in healthy ecosystems and in the incredible array of genetic expressions offered through the mating of Basidiomycete spores.
USE A DIVERSITY OF LOCAL SUBSTRATES AND INCREASE VITALITY
Sourcing local substrates reduces the environmental and economic impacts of importation. Developing strains that prefer a locally abundant waste stream or “weed” plant increases a system’s resilience. Building soil by growing mushrooms on these substrates supports the cultivation of other crops that can feed animals and produce more substrates, which in turn grow more mushrooms. richer and more fertile than originally found.
The fungi are regenerators of landscapes. They thrive under diversity and in return leave their habitat
EXPAND THE EDGES AND VALUE THE MARGINAL
The boundary zone where two environments overlap, known as an ecotone, often supports a greater variety of species than the two individual environments on their own. When the total length of a zone’s edge is increased through the creation of curves in preference to straight lines, the total available space for edge-dwelling species is thereby increased. Mushroom installations that follow contours and maintain a maximized edge length can support species diversity at a boundary. Marginalized and undervalued fungal species should be constantly reconsidered for any overlooked traits and the underutilized spaces of properties should likewise be evaluated for their ability to support a fungal installation. The value of the edge in mycology is reflected in the rich diversity and density of Jungal species that is often found where two habitats intersect. Mushrooms often fruit on the edges of an installation, where hyphal tips are most active, reflecting the importance of increasing edge length. Mycelium is only one cell thick, giving the network as a whole a very high surface area.
Mycelium is almost entirely edge.
CREATIVELY ADAPT TO CHANGE
Fungal installations are not static and need regular attention, modification, and/or relocation to maintain their health and vigor. Maintenance can include changing substrates, adding spawn, and improving designs. These modifications should be seen as stepping stones toward developing a familiarity and routine with natural cultivation that can anticipate and prepare for future shifts in the environment. Where appropriate, let Nature take its course in response to changes. This offen provides unexpected alternatives to solving a problem. Design systems that are modular and easy to move or upgrade as new needs present themselves. The potential future shortages of fossil fuels and clean water (among many other resources) should serve as an impetus for all Radical Mycologists to design ever more regenerative systems that incorporate the undervalued gifts of fungi. The fungi are one of the greatest model organisms for the strength and resilience that come from directly confronting and creatively responding to changes in the environment. They thrive under challenging environments and demonstrate the value of pursuing one’s goals in the face of adversity.
SPREAD SPORES
The threads that weave together our contemporary knowledge of fungi have branched from the legacies of countless ancestors. To spawn the next generation of Radical Mycologists, our systems should actively seek to inspire and educate all those that encounter them. The abundance produced should be shared and acknowledged as a symbol of the numerous benefits that fungi provide. The fungi, as with all the elements of Nature, present an endless array of lessons and insights for how to live in recognition of ones personal impact upon the lives of future generations.
In a food forest, shiitake mushrooms function primarily as decomposers that break down dead hardwood trees, clearing deadfall and recycling vital nutrients back into the soil. Their ability to digest lignin, a tough organic polymer in wood cell walls, allows them to convert woody waste into food for the ecosystem while helping to remove organic pollutants through bioremediation.
When planning out your food forest if you are in an ideal climate zone to grow one of the tree species listed below, you will also eventually have wood that can be used to grow shiitake mushrooms.
Tree members of a food forest that I have written articles on which can either be coppiced, thinned, pruned (or in the case of wind fall) they can be used to cultivate shiitake mushrooms:
- Oak(ideal speciesand 4-8 inch diameter branch or log sections inoculated with Shiitake can produce for 7 years plus)
- Maple (also idealand 6-10 inch diameter branch or log sections inoculated with Shiitake can produce for 5-7 years)
- Apple wood (a good species for mushroom cultivation and 6-10 inch diameter branch or log sections inoculated with Shiitake can produce for 4-7 years)
- Hickory and Pecan wood (a good species for mushroom cultivation, but takes longer to colonize dense wood. 6-10 inch diameter branch or log sections inoculated with Shiitake can produce for 4-7 years)
- Hazelnut wood (a good species for mushroom cultivation and 6-10 inch diameter branch or log sections inoculated with Shiitake can produce for 4-7 years. This one is especially empowering for northern food forest designers since it can be coppiced and made into woodchip blocks for cultivating mushrooms inside as well)
- Birch (a good species for mushroom cultivation and 6-10 inch diameter branch or log sections inoculated with Shiitake can produce for 4-6 years)
- Tulip Tree Wood (a good species and produces earlier than others but that means does not produce for as many years, 6-10 inch diameter branch or log sections inoculated with Shiitake can produce for 3-4 years).
- Ginkgo Biloba wood (a good species but antimicrobial compounds in wood require a 3 week resting period before you can innoculate freshly cut wood and ittakes longer to colonize. Has the potential to produce for many years. 6-10 inch diameter branch or log sections inoculated with Shiitake can produce for 4-7 years).
Spent shiitake logs become highly porous and fertile over time, breaking down into rich soil amendment that improves soil structure, water retention and microbial diversity.
The forest-grown shiitake technique (specifically when managed as part of a Japanese-style Satoyama landscape) helps maintain porous, healthy soil that enhances the forest's ability to retain water and reduce flooding.
They do this and build soil, clean water and enrich biodiversity all while providing food and medicine to humans!
Guild Profile:
Permaculture Functions and Benefits
Waste-to-Resource Conversion: Shiitake break down woody debris (woodchips or logs) that might otherwise be waste, converting it into high-value food and medicine.
Edible Landscaping: They transform shaded, under-utilized “dead zones” in a coniferous forest, park or yard into productive areas, pairing well with edible shade-lovers (like ramps, ginseng, pawpaw or hazelnuts).
Soil Fertility Improvement: As the logs decompose over 3–5 years, they break down into organic matter that can be used to mulch other plants in the guild.
Microclimate Creation: The shaded “laying yard” creates a humid microclimate that can support other shade-loving crops.
Core Components of a Shiitake Guild
Fungi (The Worker): Shiitake mycelium inoculated into 3-4 ft hardwood logs (”bolts”). These can be stacked traditionally into criss crossed patterns, or you could get creative, build a mushroom hallway out of them to walk through while harvesting from a tunnel filled with mushrooms, or build raised beds out of them, or anything that inspires your imagination.
Overstory/Shade (The Enablers): Hardwood trees (oaks, maples) provide the initial logs, and living shade trees (e.g., pine, fruit trees, nut trees) provide the necessary shady, humid “laying yard” (forest shade) to keep logs at 30%+ moisture.
Ground Cover (The Protectors): Shade-tolerant groundcovers like ramps, ginseng, currents, bloodroot, hostas, ferns, or ajuga keep the soil cool and moist, reducing the need for artificial watering of the logs.
Water Source: A creek, pond, or passive rainwater catchment system is vital for soaking logs to induce fruiting (foraging) after a dry period.
Guild Design Example
Layer 1 (Overstory): Oak or Sugar Maple Trees (Source of logs).
Layer 2 (Understory): Pawpaw or Hazelnut (Provide dappled shade).
Layer 3 (Fungi/Shrub): Inoculated Shiitake Logs stacked in pyramid or crib style.
Layer 4 (Ground Cover): Comfrey (for nutrient accumulation) or Ferns.
Traditional Medicinal Uses:
Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) have been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and East Asian medicine to boost vitality, promote longevity, and improve circulation. They are traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and stomach, nourish blood, and treat colds, flu and fatigue.
Traditional Medicinal Uses in TCM include:
Tonify Qi and Energy: Considered a “tonic” food to increase vital energy and improve overall stamina.
Strengthen Immune System: Used to enhance (defensive immunity) helping the body resist infections.
Support Digestion: Used to nourish the stomach and spleen, addressing poor appetite and bloating.
Cardiovascular Health: Known to enhance circulation and improve blood flow.
Kidney Health: Sometimes used in traditional formulas to support kidney function.
For more info on traditional TCM uses for Shiitake mushrooms, read:
Decomposition of “waste” wood 3-6 inches (7.5-15 cm) in diameter which is typically to small for lumber use
Medicinal - Animal studies have shown some positive results regarding the antitumor, cholesterol-lowering, and virus-inhibiting effects of several active compounds in shiitake mushrooms. There have been limited studies in humans. I am very interested in this research!
Cultivation details:
me inoculating some logs with Shiitake mushroom plug spawn using a modified angle grinder
Cultivating Shiitake at Home:
In their natural habitat, shiitake mushrooms grow on old logs, dead tree trunks, and because of this they sometimes labeled as hardwood mushrooms. Spores are released from fruiting bodies in the fall or spring, and land on both live and fallen tree limbs. Healthy trees will resist the spores, but fallen and dead limbs will be taken over by the spores where they will build a mycelial network that produces fruiting bodies. The above ground part of the mushroom is what is foraged and harvested. The mushrooms are tan to dark brown, with caps that typically grow between 2 to 4 inches.
At home we do not use spores, but rather typically use either ‘plug spawn’ (wooden dowels that have been colonized by shiitake mycelium) or sawdust spawn (sawdust canonized by the mycelium) as the established mycelium will give a higher chance of successful crops (attained more quickly) than working with spores (somewhat similar to the different between growing a fruit tree from a cutting vs a seed).
In the cultivated farms , they are grown crop on custom sized logs, and sawdust. Originally cultivated using ancient shiitake growing methods, usually outside on hardwood logs, the mushroom is now widely propagated for commercial use inside on natural wood pulp, a rice/grain medium or artificial substrate, and some are still cultivated on logs (resulting in the highest quality mushrooms of all the cultivation methods).
Spawn inoculated logs (Oak, Ironwood and Maple logs are best, but other species like Birch will also work) are kept under shade for up to 8-12 months. Once the mycelium has spread all along the length of the logs, they are encouraged to fruit profuse amounts of mushrooms by submerging in cold water in order to time the crop for bulk harvesting. Each well maintained 4 feet length log could yield up to 2-4 pounds of shiitake at a time.
Shiitake thrives on dense, non-aromatic hardwoods with good moisture retention. The following tree species are ideal: Oak (Best overall choice – high yield & longevity), Pecan, Walnut, Alder, Sweetgum, Maple (Hard Maples: Sugar Maple, Black Maple, Florida Maple), Ironwood (Hop-Hornbeam), Hazelnut, Cherry (Black Cherry, Wild Cherry), Sycamore, Apple, Ginkgo, Tulip Poplar, Eucalyptus, Chestnut, Ash, Birch, Bitternut and Shagbark Hickory or Willow.
These species are NOT recommended due to high resin content, natural fungicides, or low nutrient availability:
• Conifers (Pine, Cedar, Spruce, Fir, Cypress, Hemlock, etc.) – High in resins and antifungal compounds • Some Fruit Trees ( Pear, Peach, etc.) – Often contain antimicrobial properties • Elm – Resistant to fungal colonization • Hackberry – Poor growth results • Sassafras – Natural antifungal compounds • Soft Maples (Red Maple, Striped Maple, Silver Maple) – Less dense, decomposes too quickly • Dogwood – Not suitable • Black Locust – Extremely rot-resistant, poor fungal growth • Beech – Slow decomposition and inconsistent fruiting
Outdoors, inoculated logs can be partially buried or lined up in fence-like rows. Once the logs have stopped producing, the softened wood can be either broken up and added to garden beds/compost bins to build soil or sterilized, and re-inoculated.
Once the indoor substrates cease production, they can be recycled and re-inoculated with another mushroom, or added to the compost pile to give back to the earth and build soil. It should also be noted that the myceliated substrate (for indoor growing kits) can be used to extract medicines in the form of tinctures or “mushroom milk” (see: Peter McCoy’s book “Radical Mycology” for instructions) allowing not only the mushrooms to provide food and medicine, but also the mycelium.
Dating back nearly 1,000 years, the inoculation of fresh hardwood logs with Shitake mushrooms is one of the most ancient cultivation methods. In the centuries since first being practiced, Shiitake farmers have bred a wide variety of choice strains of the mushroom, each with a fruiting temperature preterence that is warm, cold, or wide-ranging. This Shiitake strain diversity enables growers today to easily find the best variety for their climate and to match different strains to each season.
Once you have sourced an ideal Shiitake strain for your region, the next step is to find an oak, alder, or maple log that was recently cut from a healthy tree. After that, the process is a matter of introducing the mushroom’s mycelium beneath the log’s bark, sealing the bark openings, and then waiting 6-18 months for the mycelium to grow through the wood. After that point, the logs are soaked for 24 hours in cold water (which triggers the mycelium to produce mushrooms), and then stood upright against a pole or fence as mushrooms develop over the coming week.
After harvest, the logs are laid to rest for at least six weeks, after which time the process can be repeated, so long as the air temperature matches the preference of the Shiitake strain you are working with. Once a log starts fruiting, it can typically be fruited 3-6 times a year over the course of 3-5 years, after which point the log can be chipped and fed to a Queen Stropharia bed!”
Below I’ll provide some more generalized info on choosing what mushroom species and strains are best to grow in specific climates so you can strategize for growing both shiitake and other mushrooms.
The most common form of spawn for beginning cultivators growing outdoors on logs and stumps is plug spawn. The plugs are usually made of hardwood, most commonly birch, and are, universally, ¾ inch in diameter and about l inch in length. Typically when you buy them, they have been boiled and sterilized in an autoclave for several hours, allowed to cool, and spawned with a pure culture in a laboratory under sterile conditions. The plugs typically have grooves that run the length of the dowel or, preferably, a spiral groove that wraps and descends around the plugs, which harbors fluffy mycelium in the minute trench that quickly colonizes the drilled hole after being hammered in.
Many growers make their own plugs by purchasing bulk grain or sawdust spawn and transferring it to wood plugs. To make your own plugs, purchase wooden dowel pins that are approximately 1 inch in length, soak them in hot water to hydrate the dowels, sterilize them, and then add a grain spawn culture. Some growers have had success expanding commercial spawn plugs into a larger volume of their own sterilized plugs, but be aware that contamination can magnity every time you expand spawn. Just remem ber to experiment on a small scale before committing to a process. Most commercial spawn suppliers make plug spawn in labs, but you can attain some success by using fresh spawn cultures and proper plug treatments.
Sawdust spawn is the choice of many commercial growers because it is typically the least expensive and most practical form of bulk spawn for a wide range of substrates. It also resists contamination and does not attract molds and insects the way that grain spawn does, since it is less nutritive. It also stores well and takes a long time to over-incubate and become unus-able, which makes it ideal for long-distance shipping Sawdust spawn is usually not just a bag of colonized sawdust, but rather a blend of hardwood sawdust and various nutritive supplements, such as wheat bran, rye grain, powdered calcium, and other proprietary ingredients. The formula is designed to have many more colonizing particles than grain spawn, while providing additional nutrients from the supplements.
If you are using the sawdust spawn to cultivate mushrooms outdoors on logs and stumps, sawdust spawn inoculators (or plungers) are handy and can be had from spawn producers for typically about $30 $50, depending on the model and source. A plunger is basically a small-diameter, spring-loaded pipe that pushes and packs sawdust into the holes you drill into your logs or stumps. In twenty years, I have bough two of these inoculators, but I prefer to use an inexpensive funnel and dowel to inoculate wood-not only because I don’t want to spend the money on an inoculator, but also because I find it simpler.
If you go this route, you’ll want a small funnel! that fits into the holes you drill; these holes should be slightly larger than standard plug spawn holes (гур-ically ¾ inch), to accommodate the slightly bigger tip of the plunger or funnel (usually ⅜ to ½ inch).
And you’ll want a dowel with a diameter about A inch smaller than that of the holes, for tamping in the sawdust. (It you’re going to be filling a lot of holes, you
Choosing, Handling, and Storing Spawn
You may want to affix a comfortable handle to the dowel
Position the funnel over a hole and fill it with what looks like enough sawdust spawn to fill three or more holes-you’ll be packing the spawn in tightly. Use the dowel to tamp down the sawdust spawn, sliding it in and out of the funnel at all angles.
Grain Spawn
Grain spawn is exactly what its name suggests: mycelium that has been carefully grown in a laboratory on sterilized cereal grains such as wheat, millet, milo, or rye. It is sold in jars or bags fitted with a filter that allows it to breathe while keeping contamination out. It has a rapid “leap off” rate, drawing on the rich bank of nutrients in the grains to propel the mycelium outward in search of other colonizing grains of spawn that you have distributed throughout a growing medium. Grain spawn can be more expensive than sawdust spawn for inoculating bulk substrates, but it provides important nutritional supplements to the growing medium. The grain size is important; the smaller the grains, the greater the volume of growing medium the spawn can colonize, and the faster the colonization process will be.
Grain spawn spoils easily, usually from a bacterial contaminant that makes it smell like apple cider or musty grapes, and is best kept either cool (for tropical species) or under retrigeration for most temperate mushroom species during storage or shipment. Grain spawn is susceptible to insect and mold contamination, so it is best suitable for indoor cultivation in controlled, clean environments on pasteurized or sterilized media.
Cultivating Mushrooms Outdoors on Logs, Stumps, and Wood Chips
Cultivating mushrooms outdoors is one of the simplest and most natural forms of mushroom cultivation. It dates back thousands of years and can be applied just about anywhere in the world, using local trees and wood debris, so it is an excellent place to start. However, since you are at the mercy of a fluctuating climate, including temperature and rainfall, you will likely have somewhat varied yields rather than the precise, calculated harvests that come with indoor cultivation, where you can control growing conditions and better streamline your processes. In comparison to the rapid flushing cycles of indoor fruiting, outdoor patches are slower to produce, but they can eventually fruit several times a year for many years, and they require minimal labor and cost (compared to the infrastructure of indoor cultivation), making them well worth the investment.
LOG AND STUMP CULTIVATION
People have been growing mushrooms on logs and stumps for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years.
It is one of the simplest ways to cultivate edible and medicinal forest mushrooms such as shiitakes, mai-takes, and oysters. In fact some mushrooms, such as maitakes, are easier to grow outdoors under natural conditions than indoors.
Outdoor log and stump cultivation is generally low-tech, but when practiced on a large scale it requires a lot of initial labor in getting the logs or stumps set up. For this reason the log-grown mushroom industry has developed more quickly in countries where labor is plentiful and inexpensive and the technologies required for indoor cultivation are limited. Overall, I don’t recommend outdoor log and stump cultivation for commercial enterprises. It is better suited for home-scale and hobby growing, or as supplemental income for a small commercial enterprise.
Cultivating mushrooms on stumps is similar to cultivating them on logs, although if you are a beginner, I recommend starting with logs, since stumps can take many years to fruit. (Once they start, they can fruit for a decade or more.) You use the same inoculation techniques, such as drilling and plugging with dowels or sawdust spawn. The main difference is that you plug as much of the visible barked wood that remains aboveground as possible and you also spawn the outer ring of the top, cut face of the stump. Many mushrooms, such as maitakes, chicken of the woods, reishis, enoki, oysters, and beefsteaks, benefit from stump rather than log cultivation.
What Kind of Wood Can I Use?
Generally, hardwood species just about anywhere in the world are suitable for mushroom cultivation. In temperate climates, deciduous trees are a good choice.
Although cultivators often overlook invasive and nonnative tree species, there’s no reason not to capitalize on their availability, especially since using them can help you manage their presence on your land or in your community. Different strains of mushrooms vary in their ability to break down or fruit on specific wood types, so if you have a question, ask your spawn supplier if a type of wood you have available is appropriate.
Evergreens in temperate climates are typically coniters, many of which do not support mushroom production, with the exception of a tew species: cauliflower (Sparassis crispa), tufted conifer lover (Hypholoma capnoides), and a few strains of chicken of the woods (Laetiporus conifericola). Some mushrooms grown on conifers can have a sap-like flavor and may cause gastric upset, compared to those strains cultivated on hardwoods, so I tend not to eat many mushrooms found on conifers, cauliflower mushrooms being the exception.
Be sure your logs or stumps have the bark intact all the way around, and try to avoid tree species that drop their bark when cut, such as elms. Mushrooms form between the inner and outer layers of bark. The mushrooms use this small space as a nursery where the primordia can safely develop a defined cap and stem base before they’re exposed to the elements. As the primordia grow, they swell with water and break through the outer bark. Although this seems like an
SOURCING WOOD
If you don’t have your own woodlot, finding wood appropriate for cultivating mushrooms can be a challenge. You might try asking composting centers, tree removal services, power-line companies, and arborists, who frequently need to get rid of this valuable resource. If you have a wood supply but you’re not sure what type of mushroom it will support, check in with your local agricultural experiment station or the agricultural department at a local university; many maintain mushroom culture collections and may be able to help you find a strain of mushroom that has been known to fruit on the type of wood you have available.
An unbelievable feat for a seemingly small, tender organism, some mushrooms can lift or split materials with a pressure greater than 80 pounds per square inch.
Split logs, such as firewood, can support mushrooms on their bark-covered sides, but they tend to dry out more readily than fully barked logs. If all you have is split wood, it may be best to bury the split side or at least rest it on the ground. This forces the split side to act as a water wick. It also makes for a compact fruiting area; since mushrooms will not fruit from the undermost side of a buried log, all the fruiting will take place on just the upper surface, which will explode with large numbers of mushrooms. The best logs have thick bark with a lot of texture, which helps trap moisture and encourages the hydration of the mushrooms developing just below the bark. These small crevices and valleys are the perfect microclimates for superior mushroom formation.
How Fresh Does the Wood Need to Be?
Your logs and stumps should have been cut no more than a month ago, although the density of the wood can be a factor in the amount of time you have before the wood becomes contaminated with wild fungi. Harder woods typically have a longer window before they become infected by wild tungi, whereas the softer woods have considerably less. Considering the variability of wood types and contamination risk windows, I preter to simply use the freshest wood available so I don’t have to wait and wonder if my money and effort were worth it.
That said, some tree experts say that after wood is cut, it remains “alive” for about a week, with its natural antifungal defense system still actively rejecting the growth and formation of fungi. Delaying inoculation for that period of time allows the inhibitory compounds to dissipate. After about a week, the mycelium will encounter no competitors or obstacles as it leaves the confines of the plug or sawdust spawn and drillsits way into the wood.
When Is the Best Time of Year to Cut and Inoculate Logs?
During the spring and summer trees put most of their energy into photosynthesis, so in temperate climates wood from deciduous hardwoods will have more sugars available to the mycelium if you cut and inoculate them in the winter months, after their leaves have fallen. In tropical climates, where trees tend to be evergreen to semideciduous, it’s more important to match up the kind of wood with the species and strain of mushroom you want to grow than to cut at a particular time of year. In these warmer regions there is generally little variation in the movement of tree sugars from a seasonal standpoint, and year-round inoculations are possible. Palm trees and their fibers do not make good cultivation material compared to hardwoods and are generally resistant to rot; however, some growers are using palm coir to replace peat moss in casing soils for indoor cultivation. (See chapter 20 for more information on casing soils.)
Because winter is the best time to inoculate logs and stumps in temperate climates, temperature can be a concern. Cold tolerance varies among species and ecotypes, but in general, extremely cold temperatures and prolonged periods of temperatures less than 18°F (-8°C) can negatively affect mushroom growth.
I still think it makes sense to inoculate this wood rather than leave it, even though the yields may be less, since the wood is fresh and available and it’s better than no yield at all. If you’re worried about cold temperatures, consider bundling the inoculated logs and covering them with leaves or other natural insulative material until warmer weather returns.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES
Whenever I see a freshly cut or recently downed tree in the woods while I’m hiking, I spawn it. I carry a small hand drill and some sawdust spawn from a quality native strain in my backpack. Once the holes are drilled, I pack in some of the sawdust spawn and then seal it with a smudge of soft beeswax or petroleum jelly. Something is going to grow on these logs, so it might as well be something good to eat! I revisit these areas a few times a year to check on my babies, hoping to find some fruits.
Log and Stump
Cultivation Step-by-Step
Step 1. Cut your logs into lengths that are easy to handle and carry. The most common lengths are between 2 and 4 feet, depending on how much weight you, or the people who are helping you, can carry. And aim for a diameter for 6 to 10 inches. Since you may be picking these logs up often, choose a size that best suits your strength and abilities.
Step 2. Next you will need to drill holes into the log at regular intervals at a depth of about 1 to 1½ inches.
Most plug spawn on the market call for a ⅝-inch drill bit, although this can vary; just match the drill bit to the plugs you’re using. If you’re using sawdust spawn, match the bit to the size of the packing tool you’re using. A high-speed drill bit attached to an angle grinder with an adapter can be well worth the investment if you are inoculating a large number of logs. The higher rpm and speed makes drilling logs effortless compared to a regular electric power drill Drill your holes in a diamond pattern, all the way around the bark-covered surface of the wood, spacing the holes about 4 to 6 inches apart. Drilling and spawning more holes will not produce more mush-rooms, but it will speed up the colonization process for earlier fruiting. I would not advise spacing your holes farther than 6 inches apart or you increase the risk of attracting spores from competing fungi. This doesn’t “hurt” the mycelium you spawned, but it will reduce your yield by taking valuable real estate away from your culture.
Step 3. Insert spawn into each hole, tapping with a hammer if you are using plugs or tamping with a dowel if you are using sawdust. Fill the hole until the spawn is flush with the bark. Brush a small amount of melted wax over the spawned hole to seal in the spawn. Wax helps maintain moisture in the hole, supporting the mycelium as it drills its way outward from the sawdust or plug into the walls of the freshly drilled holes. Some growers also wax the ends of their logs to lock in moisture, but that can also lock it out. Another option is to wax one end and not the other, allowing moisture to wick in the unwaxed side during rainfall, during an overnight soak, or when it comes into contact with the moist ground.
Step 4. Situate the logs in a shady area with dappled forest light, or on the shady side of a building if you’re in an urban environment. Locate them near a water source for easy watering and soaking when necessary. The colonization phase can take six to ten months, depending on the type of wood, temperatures, and spawn spacing. Visit the logs periodically-at least once a month during the first six months. The war you applied may disappear or crack and fall off, which is fine since the mycelium really only needs just a few weeks of protection after spawning. Dry conditions can slow colonization, so lightly water the stack once a week or so to maintain moisture if it has not rained.
Pick up a few of the logs to feel the weight; if they are extremely dry and seem much lighter than they were at spawning, you may want to soak them overnight with water—but for no longer than twenty-four hours, or the mushroom mycelium can drown. Submerge the logs in water in a trash can, large plastic tote, or cheap baby pool. Use other logs or bricks to weigh down the logs, keeping them completely submerged. Another alternative is to mist them gently over a period of a week or more, to gradually allow the logs to wick in moisture. This option can waste water, however.
Step 5. About six months after inoculation, start inspecting the log ends once a week for mycelium, such as white streaks on the open cut face, which signals that the mycelium is approaching full colonization and will soon be capable of fruiting.
Optimum moisture is now more important than ever to ensure that the mycelium will be able to supply the growing mushrooms throughout the pinning and fruiting stages. At this point, as the mycelia in the logs approach complete colonization, the stacked logs may begin to fuse together. Soak them overnight in water and then spread them out in a “log cabin” formation, or lean them against the trunks of living trees in a circular formation, with one end on the ground and the other resting against the tree.
Step 6. At long last, your mushrooms will begin fruit-ing. Logs will fruit two or three times a year, typically for as many years as they are inches in diameter, resting a few weeks in between each flush. Mushrooms may fruit near the spots where you set the spawn on the first flush, because it is an easy escape, but they can also fruit from just about anywhere around the entire bark surface. Once you notice baby shiitake mushrooms, which will split the bark and appear as dark brown to black buttons, mist them as much as you can; several times a day is ideal. A misting system is preferred for commercial log production, or simply locate your logs near your home to mist them in the morning and evening as you pass them by. If your logs have ground contact, check that area often, since they might direct their fruiting downward in the search for water. When the mushrooms have matured, it’s time to harvest!
Keep records of the flushing patterns and establish a schedule for watering that coincides with those patterns; this will not only increase yields but improve your understanding of the mushrooms you are cultivating. Once mushrooms are colonized and ready to fruit, they will be waiting for adequate water to support fruiting. Time the watering for when the mushrooms have had enough rest and are fully charged to take advantage of the watering; this will give you the optimal fruiting.
Trenched Log and Log Raft Cultivation
Many mushroom species that thrive on wood fruit better on logs that are partially buried rather than stacked aboveground. The access to extra ground moisture, reduced fruiting surface area, and microclimate created by covering the logs with leaves or straw trigger and support prolific fruitings preferred by (but not limited to) reishi (Ganoderma spp.), nameko (Pholiota nameko), black poplar/pioppino (Agrocybe aegerita), brick top (Hypholoma sublateritium), and maitake (Grifola frondosa). There are basically two ways to do this: either you trench the logs, or you build a “raft” of them and cover it; they both produce the same results.
When you cultivate mushrooms on partially buried wood, the flushes typically only last for two to three years, so be prepared to build additional beds every two years to sustain a continuous harvest; that said, certain mushrooms can fruit heavily in that time span. I’ll describe two methods; your choice will depend on your access to fresh wood chips. Whichever method you choose, first drill holes in your logs, insert plug or sawdust spawn into the holes, and allow them to colonize for three to four months aboveground; water these logs weekly for the first two months. Once the beds are pre-pared, you only need to water the logs and saturate the beds around the time that the mushrooms should fruit.
Trenching your logs means you’ll need to excavate a space half the depth of your logs, long and wide enough to fit all the logs in tightly. After you place your logs in the trench, shovel the soil you removed back in between the seams and gaps and around the edges. Then water the logs so that the soil settles in firmly, leaving the clean upper bark surface exposed.
(You could bury them entirely, but finding them again can be difficult, and you don’t want to step on any mushrooms that may be hidden and working their way up through the leaves and mulch.) Place a stake or sign near your bed so you can mark where you have planted, and label it with the date and strain information for your records.
Log raft cultivation is similar to trenched log cultivation, only it takes place aboveground. Lay down a thin layer of wood chips, mulch, sawdust, or soil and then wiggle the logs into place so that they lie tightly together in a row.”
Forest gardening is a land management strategy that mimics multi-storied woodland ecologies by densely planting productive trees, shrubs, vines, groundcover plants, and root crops. Known as “edible forest gardens” or “food forests”“ these dense systems are designed to produce an abundance of food while also acting as a self-supporting ecosystem. The following are the fungal functions that I suggest all such systems should incorporate to maximize their efficiency on food forest designs:
THE MYCORRHIZOSPHERE: Plants should be inoculated with the mycorrhizal fungi that they are known to associate with (e.g. AM species, ECM species with appropriate trees, ericoid species with Ericaceae plants). Aerated compost tea should also be incorporated to enhance the density of beneficial microbes and soil yeasts in the soil. The many benefits of mycorrhizal fungi are critical for food forest designs where adequate nutrient distribution is essential for the survival of such a high plant density. The health of the soil’s ecology is tantamount to the overall success of the entire food forest. Fungi are keystone species in soil processes.
THE MUSHROOM LAYER: Mushroom beds can be incorporated among groundcov-er plants. Planting groundcover crops on top of mushroom beds may even increase the yields of the mushrooms by providing a high humidity microclimate to developing primordia as well as additional nutrients. THE LOG LAYER: The cool, moist microclimate of a food forest understory is an ideal place for incubating mushroom logs. If the conditions are appropriate, the logs may also be fruited here, reducing the need to travel to multiple locations to harvest crops.
MYCOHÜGELKULTUR: Hügelkultur is the practice of burying woody material within piles of soil to create large raised garden beds. Over the ensuing years, fungi will digest the wood, providing a constant source of water, nutrients, and warmth to plant roots. The intentional inoculation of this woody material with edible and medicinal white rot fungi is a simple method for accelerating this decomposition process. If buried near the soil horizon, mushrooms will arise from these buried logs, adding an additional crop to the food forest. The best hügelkultur mounds are said to be tall and steep. Using inoculated logs to brace these tall beds is another simple method for integrating mycotems into a food forest design. Logs can also be buried under the berms on the downhill side of a swale.
Cooking with shiitake mushrooms is easy as they have a rich savory flavor that can compliment a wide range of dishes. I like to throw them in almost any soup, stirfry them, panfry and add to sandwiches, wraps and salads or incorporate them into fermented preserves. You can substitute shiitake mushrooms instead of chicken in most recipes and they are amazing when seasoned and then dried to make either “jerky” or crispy snacks for on the go/emergencies.
Below are a good selection of recipe ideas for enjoying your harvest (and/or practicing with some store bought mushrooms until you get growing your own).
I hope these recipes inspire you to try creating with them in the kitchen if you have never tried them before and I hope their delicious flavor and their many health benefits then inspires you to grow your own!
Below are a few of our favorite ways to preserve and enjoy our shiitake harvests.
1. Teriyaki Shiitake chips with toasted sesame seeds (ours are freeze dried, but you could use a dehydrator too, attaching pics below)
After a solid harvest from our shiitake logs and indoor grow set up I decided to experiment with different ways these delicious and nutritious mushrooms can be preserved and enjoyed. We have several recipes that are all time favs that incorporate lots of shiitake but were also looking to diversity given the abundance of our recent indoor harvests (and find uses for the nutritious mushroom stems as well).
Now we love to have this snack food form of Shiitake mushrooms on hand so we usually process about ¼ of each harvest to become Teriyaki Shiitake chips with toasted sesame seeds (using our freeze dryer) shown above. I see no reason why you could not use a dehydrator to make a similar version of these if you do not have a freeze dryer (perhaps they would end up more like “shiitake jerky” rather than ‘chips’ with a dehydrator though. Either way I imagine they would be delicious and still quite nutritious).
To make our shiitake chips we first cut the caps into thick slices (reserving the stems separately for other recipes) then throw a splash of oil in a pan, add the mushrooms, some diced onion, ginger, black pepper, soya sauce a drizzle of honey and a splash of hot sauce. The mixture is simmered with lid on until it is cooked through and then the lid is removed to allow moisture to evaporate freely. The heat is turned off and the mixture is allowed to sit in the pan to remove access moisture before being added to freeze dryer trays (or dehydrator trays). The result (freeze dried) is a savory, crunchy unami rich delicious snack that provides protein and a wide range of other nutrients on the go. We eat them so fast that we are not worried about how things with oil do not freeze dry for long term as well, otherwise we would just omit the oil and steam cook instead of frying for a longer term storage option.
slicing the mushrooms and adding to a lightly oiled pan to begin the process of making our new Teriyaki Shiitake Chips with toasted sesame seeds.
adding other ingredients (diced ginger, onion, black pepper, pan toasted sesame seeds, tamari (soya sauce), hot pepper flakes and a drizzle of honey to a lightly oiled pan to begin the process of making our new Teriyaki Shiitake Chips with toasted sesame seeds.
After adding other ingredients (diced ginger, onion, black pepper, pan toasted sesame seeds, tamari (soya sauce), hot pepper flakes and a drizzle of honey, simmering with lid on, now the lid is removed to allow excess moisture to evaporate before freeze drying for making our new Teriyaki Shiitake Chips with toasted sesame seeds.
adding the cooked and cooled mixture to a freeze drying tray for making our Teriyaki Shiitake Chips with toasted sesame seeds.
Teriyaki Shiitake Chips with toasted sesame seeds (after coming out of the freeze dryer) ready for crunchy snacking fun!
a close up of our Teriyaki Shiitake Chips with toasted sesame seeds (after coming out of the freeze dryer) ready for crunchy snacking fun! They are soo tasty and addictive, no way they could last long enough to justify a mylar bag so I just keep them in tupper wares for snacking on the go
I created a fermented wild rice, lentil and amaranth batter (which was originally intended to be used for making a kind of Indian flat bread called Dosa) but ended up experimenting and discovering some other amazing uses for the batter (which I now like even …
I began by simmering up some sprouted Hokkaido Black Soy Beans, Egyptian onions, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potato, fermented lemongrass, kimchi, bok choy, peppers and szechuan peppercorns to blend flavors and make the main filler mix. When building the rolls I also added diced shiitake mushrooms, green onions, purple cabbage, ginger, shredded carrots and tat soi to each roll before sealing them up and frying in coconut oil. The result was a super addictive and flavorful egg roll (that unlike its fast food lookalikes) is actually nourishing and good for you!
Around this time of year I like to use up the stores of dried beans from the garden to make 'stick to your bones' type meals and this recipe is one of my favorite ways to do that. We always loved Wor Wonton soup when we went out to Chinese restaurants in the past but finding a substitute after we decided not to eat meat anymore was virtually impossible.
This "Buddha Bowl" type dish has a main theme of Korean flavors but this meal is also a passport and an invitation to embark upon a pilgrimage with your senses to visit several different cultures. It includes region specific ingredients that…
(This post serves as the 22nd post which is part of the Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Apothecary series).
This rich, nourishing and delicious soup contains a full spectrum of antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. It is a great winter soup as it’s complex unami flavors leave one’s appetite fulfilled while leaving you feeling warmed to the core.
I first simmered an array of herbs, vegetables, mushrooms, wild seaweed “wakame” and spices to create a base broth (that already boasted a satisfying richness) and then added a dark hatcho style miso paste (aged for three years) to offer another dimension of nourishment, flavor and color.
This all came together to become the very satisfying winter soup that we call Midnight Miso.
Midnight Miso ready to enjoy
ingredients added to pot before sauteing and building broth
beginning to saute ingredients before building broth
adding water to the sauteed ingredients to simmer and build broth
Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with shiitake, amaranth, wild rice and herbs
This is a fun meal one can make with the tough outer cabbage leaves that are used in the process of making sauerkraut (to hold the shredded cabbage down in the brine while fermenting). Each time I make a batch of sauerkraut I keep the ‘fermentation vessel cap leaves’ that were used to hold the shredded cabbage down and seal then in an airtight ziplock in the fridge with some sauerkraut brine. Once I have saved up enough leaves I can make this tasty stuffed cabbage roll recipe.
I used a mix of wild rice, brown rice, lentils, homegrown amaranth seed, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potato, peppers, egyptian onions and herbs to make the filling and then created a tomato sauce with some of our frozen heirloom toms from the summer, some wine, black pepper and mushroom broth. The result is a filling meal with wonderful Unami flavors, rich texture and a wide spectrum of nutrition. The stuffed cabbage rolls freeze well uncooked and can be pulled out to make a hearty meal in the hurry on busy winter nights.
a fermented cabbage leaf (saved from a batch of sauerkraut ) about to be stuffed and baked
the ancient grain/rice, veggie and herbs mix that went into making the stuffing (amaranth seed, wild rice, brown rice, forbidden black rice, sweet potato, Egyptian onions and various herbs)
the shiitake, veggie, lentil and herb component that went into making the stuffing
making vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls
a raw vegetarian stuffed cabbage roll
building the baking tray layers starting with fermented cabbage leaves on the bottom, then tomato sauce
beginning to add the cabbage rolls to the dish
cabbage rolls all added to the baking dish, after adding tomato sauce and black pepper before baking
“Basically a shio koji with stalks from button, oyster and shitake mushrooms, a couple of cloves of garlic and some onion off-cuts. For extra #zerowaste umami. Made with pearl barley koji. Smells earthy and mushroomy with distinct koji after-smells. “
“But the creativity doesn’t stop there… you can turn fermented mushrooms into Mushroom Sushi or even Mushroom Sashimi!
That’s the beauty of fermenting mushrooms: you can experiment with endless spices, colors, and savory ingredients to create completely different flavor profiles.
You’re not limited to salt — try fermenting with soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Not plant-based? Use fish sauce — most people won’t even realize they’re eating mushrooms.
Add natural colors with beet juice or fruit juice.
Decorate with foraged treasures like wild mustard seeds, radish sprouts, or burdock roots.” - Pascal Baudar (source)
“The recipe for a pint jar (500 ml) was as follow:
10 oz (280 g) fresh shiitake
1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup (or honey/sugar)
1 teaspoon (5.5 g) salt
2 teaspoons (30 ml) soy sauce
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon (15 ml) sauerkraut juice as starter
Enough water to fill half the jar.
The mushrooms were steamed for 20 minutes, cooled off then placed in the jar. I added all the other ingredients including the starter.
The jar is closed tight and the first day, I actually place it upside down (not a must) so that the top mushrooms are starting to ferment first.
The second day, the jar is placed in the upright position. The only thing to do is to shake the jar a couple of times a day for 4-5 seconds which will distribute the acidity as the fermentation take place. You’ll need to burp the jar as necessary, sometimes twice a day until the fermentation gases are barely noticeable - usually around 10 to 12 days.
The jar is then placed in the fridge to age. I like to eat them after 2-3 weeks but I’ve eaten some that were 4 months old. The older they are, the more sour they become. You can slice and serve them as it but I like to add a bit of seasoned rice vinegar. It’s great to add to salads or as a side condiment.” - Pascal Baudar (source)
When you harvest them at home (or have access to freshly harvested from a farm) the stems are often fresh and intact and though they can be kind of tough and chewy for adding directly to stir-fries, the stems still contain lots of unami goodness and bioactive medicinal compounds. I have played around with a few different methods and come up with two ways of using the stems that are easy, efficient and provide value added results. The first is pretty common, it involves simmering the stems with other ingredients to infuse a broth with their flavor and nutrition to become a foundation for countless soup / sauce recipes. We usually use Kombu sea weed strips, home grown leeks, carrot/sweet potato skins and a few dark green leaves of what ever is in season (usually red Russian kale, nettle or sometimes ramps) and simmer in water until all the goodness is pulled out of the ingredients, then we strain out the stems and compost (leaving the rest of the ingredients in the Dashi broth and either freezing or freeze drying for later use). This broth serves as an amazing foundation for miso soups or throwing into a stirfry to give it that extra something (or just sipping on it strait up if feeling under the weather and something light yet nourishing is called more).
Shiitake Stem Tincture:
The second stem recipe is a tincture. Shiitake mushrooms (including the stem) contain a wide range of medicinal compounds which can be extracted via alcohol (and hot water extraction) and recombined to make a double extracted tincture. All this involves is drying the stems out first and then adding them to a jar so the jar is about half full. Add 40-55% alcohol until the jar is ¾ full and then wait. Shake it twice daily to ensure all parts of the stems are being extracted from and then strain it out after at least 4 weeks. Soak the stems in hot water (preferably about 80C and not boiling) for 2-3 hours and then strain out the stems and compost. Combine the water extraction with the alcohol extraction and you have a double extract tincture which is great for boosting and modulating the immune response and also helping to prevent certain cancers.
I shared this pic (and the next one) to show everyone what stems can look like when harvested from a 'ready to fruit block'. The dark areas (oxidized/metabolized substrate) and chunks of myceliated wood chips are not bad and should be left in with the stems. In fact many feel the mycelium contains its own medicinal compounds and so for making tinctures including some of this material is a bonus
this pic shows some of the myceliated wood chips that came off when the mushroom was harvested. We freeze dry it right along side the stems and then use to make tinctures.
freeze dried shiitake stems (a dehydrator should work as well and preserve a good amount of the nutrients)
after adding the freeze dried shiitake stems to a jar and adding alcohol the extraction of myco-medicinal compounds has begun
after adding the freeze dried shiitake stems to a jar and adding alcohol (7 days later) the extraction of myco-medicinal compounds is well under way.
I hope these recipes and ideas have inspired you to try growing or sourcing out some good shiitake for yourself and adding them to your regular foods. Shiitake is a fungi that can work beautifully to be part of a regenerative garden or food forest as the spent substrate (growing medium that is myceliated and digested in order to produce the mushrooms) whether it be enriched grain grow kits or logs outside can be incorporated back into the soil to feed the soil life and increase harvest yields for plant crops. Shiitake are also an excellent option for a nutrient dense food that one can grow at home (regardless if they have space for a garden or not) and are great for people who are trying to minimize or avoid meat products as shiitake mushrooms contain all the same amino acids as meat (plus other benefits that meat does not offer).
I hope you enjoyed this article and feel empowered to be able to take steps heal, protect and optimize your health through foraging and/or cultivating your own medicine at home. If you feel this post would resonate with and/or benefit those in your circles feel free to share.
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What a tour de force! You've given us THE Book on all things Shiitake. Huge thanks!
In awe of every inch of this. Thank you for reminding us of the medicine available from mama earth.