Growing Shiitake Mushrooms

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP–Living in Natures Love Lifestyles @insideawareness.com

Shiitake Mushrooms Photo by Renee Lindstrom

After purchasing Shiitake Mushrooms from the grocer I observed the caps to observe any spores that may be in between the mushroom spines. Picking out a good candidate I cut the cap off and placed it on a piece of tin foil. After a few drops of water on the cap this was set in a space that wouldn’t be disturbed. The next day an imprint of the underside of the mushroom cap was left on the tin foil.

This tin foil was carefully cut into the round circle shape of the gill imprint left on it by the Shiitake spore release. This would be placed into a substrate to experiment with. Would it grow?

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Coffee and Cardboard substrate

You will need:

Cut up wet cardboard
- soak in water overnight
Knife and scissors
- sterilize with alcohol or peroxide
Container (recycled plastic or milk cartons)
- sterilize with alcohol or peroxide
- cut hole in bottom and larger ones in sides (potentially for mushrooms to grow through)
Freshly used coffee grounds

Soak pieces of cardboard in water overnight
Place layers of cardboard, coffee and mycelium into the container
At the top of the container place the tin foil circle of mycelium spore side down to encourage it to spread and grow into the substrate.
When container is full place in a darken space for a couple of weeks for the mycellium to grow in the container. If in hot summer do not leave in heated area. Ensure it is a cool space. After two or three-week place in ambient light.

Mycelium: vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching thread like hyphae very much like the roots of plants.

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