musha-boom

Hello I am very new to the forum but was hoping to get some advice from the experts. I am also new to mycology and mushroom cultivation but have been very interested in learning for the past year on how to grow my own mushies at home and going on forest forays trying to learn to id fungi. So... I participated in a workshop where we were given shiitake dowel to take home to inoculate our own logs. I have just started looking for some logs to inoculate for Spring and my shiitake dowel look like they are so ready for a new home. I was given these two logs yesterday (see pics also some oyster growing in the buckets we took home too!) but not sure if they are healthy enough or the right type of Eucalyptus for the shiitake to grow on. I've been reading Mycelium running by Paul Stamets and there is a good list of suitable tree types for woodloving mushrooms, for shiitake it states Blue Gum Euc, Grand/ Globulus Euc and some other species. I understand that they can't already be hosting other mycelium or have any rot/ mottling on the stump either... I was curious if anyone would know somewhere I could get/purchase some fresh logs in Melbourne, Australia. I was thinking saw mills or local farmers that have cut down some trees and don't need the logs? Also Not sure of the correct size drill bit I would need to use for drilling holes for dowels? Any help or advice would be much appreciated Cheers

Waterboy, great ideas! Thank you for your help with the log id, I wasn't too sure what we picked up as I need to learn some tree identification too. I heard yesterday where I volunteer at a community garden that some Euc. had been cut down by some aborists so sussing out that option tomorrow. I think some bevvies and a chat might do the trick like you said. Would you be able to please give me an appropriate approx size for some limb wood? I was thinking around 150cm in length, maybe 20-30cm diameter? Unfortunately I can't keep the dowel in the fridge as my housemate has a huge phobia of fungi spores and I will get kicked out Thanks again, this is pretty much a new field for me but am very interested in growing at home. Have you had luck or tried growing shiitake on logs too?