Shitake mushroom log cultivation in Japan

While visiting tea farms in the mountains of Kyushu in Japan, I also had a chance to observe traditional shitake cultivation. Mr Saeki who has been growing shitake for a long time showed me around his work site and where he rests his shitake logs. Although it was not time to do any work on shitake logs, it was nice to actually see it.



Old time they naturally inoculated with existing spores in the air and the forest, but he explained that it does not naturally happen anymore. What has changed?
They use mushroom plug spawn or dowels that is colonized by shitake mushroom mycelium similar to what we can get in the U.S. at various places.



Logs traditonally used for shitake cultivation in Japan is called "Kunugi" (櫟), a type of oak tree. There are a few other trees used too, but by far Kunugi is the most common one in the region.



He peeled a little piece of bark and showed me the mycelial colonization on the log. The log on the photo was 2 years after inoculation. Generally logs of this size, 5-6 in in diameter, is known to produce shitake for 4-5 years.

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