Shiitake Hardwood Log Plug Spawn – 100 Plugs

Description

Shiitake Log Plug Spawn – Hardwood log plug spawn: 100 pre-drilled hardwood dowel plugs colonised with shiitake, plus 100 wax-sealed collars Shipped cold in a filter-patch bag, ready to mix into your substrate.

Shiitake Log Plug Spawn: what you get

Shiitake Log Plug Spawn arrives as 100 Plugs, as the listing states it. Variations are sold as sealed or packed so it survives a courier, not just a shelf.

• 100 Plugs, as the listing states it
• sealed or packed so it survives a courier, not just a shelf
• the same photograph as the listing, so you know what arrives

How to use shiitake log plug spawn

Nothing about shiitake log plug spawn is difficult, and almost every failed grow we hear about breaks at one of four points: moisture, temperature swings, still air being taken for clean air, and opening things too early. These four steps cover shiitake log plug spawn in any shop-bought setup.

1. Store at 2-4 C and use within two weeks; grain keeps colonising in the fridge and turns old-fast if it is left warm.
2. Let the spawn come to room temperature before you open the bag, so condensation does not land on the grain.
3. Break up the colonised grain with a sterile tool and mix at roughly 1 part spawn to 10 parts moistened substrate by weight.
4. Anything that smells sour or shows pink or green before it is used goes in the bin, not into your substrate.

Storage and handling

If a pack has been wet, warm or sitting for an unexpected length of time, do not compound the loss by running it: use it on the next clean setup, or ask us before you inoculate.

Common questions

How many plugs per log?

For a 4-foot log 5-6 inches in diameter, 30-40 plugs is normal – staggered rows, holes 4 inches apart. One pack of 100 inoculates three logs.

Which wood works, and which wastes my money?

Hardwoods with decent durability: oak, sugar maple, beech, birch, sweet gum. Avoid pine, cedar, black walnut and any rotting or freshly cut green log – let cut logs season 6-18 months.

Do I really need the wax collars?

Yes. Plug holes dry out and invite competitive mould; sealing each plug with wax or paint is the difference between a colonised log and a decorative one.

Usually ordered with Supplemented Hardwood Sawdust Spawn – 5 lb and Shiitake Rye Grain Spawn – 3 lb Mason Jar. The spawn archive covers grain types, run rates and cold storage. Mushroom Spawn. Reviews are not enabled on the shop, so the honest answers are in the FAQ above. For the technique side we keep FreshCap on grain spawn open while writing these pages, and the sanitation notes for the consumables follow the FDA Food Code.

Pre-drilled oak dowels colonised with shiitake, sealed with wax collars, for inoculating cut hardwood logs. This is a multi-season project and we say so in every listing: it is the cheapest way to have mushrooms in a shaded corner of the yard for the next few years, and the worst way to want mushrooms next week.

What is in the box

• 100 pre-drilled hardwood dowel plugs colonised with shiitake, plus 100 wax-sealed collars
• For inoculating uncut, debarked hardwood logs of oak, sugar maple, beech or birch – 4-6 inches across and cut at least six months before drilling
• Drill, tap the plug in, seal with wax or cheese paint, then shade and stack the logs
• A multi-year project: expect the first flush in the second or third season after inoculation, not this autumn

How it works

1. Drill 5/16-inch holes about 7/8 inch deep, in staggered rows 4 inches apart.
2. Tap each plug in flush and seal it – the wax keeps competing mould off the wound while the mycelium catches.
3. Stack logs on pallets or rails in heavy shade, and water them through dry spells.
4. Once colonised (the bark starts to smell mushroomy and white fans appear under the bark), notch or soak to encourage pinning.

About Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)

Shiitake is the patient one. It colonises slowly, asks for a cold shock to trigger pins and then gives you the most reliable umami in the shop – plus a block that can keep producing for months. On a hardwood log outdoors it is a two-year project; indoors on a supplemented sawdust block it is a few weeks.

Conditions shiitake grows best in

• Fruiting temperature: 55-70°F (13-21°C), with a 10-15°F drop to trigger pinning
• Humidity: 80-90% with moderate fresh air
• Colonisation is slow: 4-10 weeks on sawdust, months on log
• A 12-24 hour cold-water soak often starts a flush on a tired block
• Brown cracks on the cap come from dry air and are cosmetic, not a fault

When to pick: Pick while the cap margin is still curled under the gills and the stem snaps rather than bends. Over-mature shiitake turn leathery and stain the gills dark.

In the kitchen: Dry them for a stronger flavour than fresh, then rehydrate slowly and keep the soaking liquid for stock. Stems are tough; use them for broth.

What to expect from this grow

Log cultivation is measured in years, not weeks. Roughly 20-40% of plugs on a log set the first year, and a good log fruits for three or four years. This is the product most likely to be over-sold by anyone, including us, so we say plainly: be patient.

Specification

Product type	Hardwood log plug spawn
Stage	Log plug spawn
Size	100 plugs + 100 collars
Species	Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)
Substrate it grows on	Supplemented oak or hardwood sawdust; outdoors on logs
Fruiting range	55-70°F (13-21°C), with a 10-15°F drop to trigger pinning
Difficulty	Intermediate
Shipped weight	1.6 lb
Package size	6 × 4 × 3 inches
SKU	MGS-0029

Part of our Mushroom Spawn range. Questions about shiitake? Email [email protected] or call +1 970-909-8532.

Other formats for Shiitake: Ready-to-fruit grow kit, All-in-one grow bag, Grain spawn. Start with a guide if you are not sure which one fits your space.