Growing Shitake Mushrooms at home

[Ace]

High guys and gals,

Has anyone tried growing Shitake Mushrooms (or any other species available from woolies) at home from spores gathered from store-bought specimens (like the title suggests ) Would it be possible to take a regular print and go at it PF tek style? If so, what types of substrate would you be able to use?

I'm sure this has probably been covered before, but I cant find a whole lot of info or a clean-cut tek for these sorts, so forgive me for asking this if it has been covered already

Thanks everyone!!

-Ace

[gerbil]

You'd be better off cloning a store bought specimen and working from there;

Haven't looked too much into shiitake. From vague readings I think they can be a little difficult, but by no means unachievable.

Check over at mushworld for the free download of the shiitake growers handbook, lots of good low and high tech methods. I've read about good success with certain Eucalyptus sawdust/chips somewhere, which should be very handy for Australian folk.

I'd probably lean towards actual log and stump culture of tree limbs/trunks or doing polyethylene bag culture creating sawdust/chip 'logs' and fruiting these mushroom blocks.

anyhoo sorry, i'm in a rush, if you can't find the link i'll post it eventually.

[Ace]

You'd be better off cloning a store bought specimen and working from there;

Haven't looked too much into shiitake. From vague readings I think they can be a little difficult, but by no means unachievable.

Check over at mushworld for the free download of the shiitake growers handbook, lots of good low and high tech methods. I've read about good success with certain Eucalyptus sawdust/chips somewhere, which should be very handy for Australian folk.

I'd probably lean towards actual log and stump culture of tree limbs/trunks or doing polyethylene bag culture creating sawdust/chip 'logs' and fruiting these mushroom blocks.

anyhoo sorry, i'm in a rush, if you can't find the link i'll post it eventually.

Thanks for the reference Gerbs, but I couldnt find the file you mentioned. I tried to have a look at another one that sounded similar, though you need to register with them. If you could post a direct link to the Shitake Growers Handbook, that'd be tops!

-Ace

[mescalito]

This is definitely the one I'm going to focus on atm(and it's Shiitake Ace )

I was about to start work on cloning some supermarket jobs when I had fridge failure this week and they went rotten ....they retail @ $5 for 150g and I can get as much euc sawdust as I want for free!!

I have at least 3 potential clients chomping at the bit for these (haven't even approached the chinese restaurants!)so i purchased a 9.5L S/S Fago-Duo PC in anticipation but haven't been able to get things off the ground yet(but does a superb job with cooking )

Check out Rev's methods and links http://home.iprimus.com.au/reville1/methods.htm for this species and I seem to recall Watertrade having success with Lentinula as well.

The bloke in the highlands who supplies IGA makes cakes and spikes them onto racks AFAIK....the grower using an abandoned underground tunnel.

We have a "farmer's market" thing for local produce just starting too and I reaaally wanted to get things going by now.

Anyone have some clean liquid culture?

[spiders]

Few problems with your business plans would be that this mushroom doesnt really yield massively, takes a long time to fruit from its dormant phase and the clones can be hit and miss and you often dont find out until after youve waited a while.

I wouldnt go with a clone, Ive had no luck with them. Had better luck with strains fruited from spores from a dried specimen i rehydrated.

I dont think you can really make much money from this mushroom - it tastes better onces its been dried and re-hydrated and it takes too long and is fiddly,

In terms of money id go with trying Hypholoma capnoides, agrocybe aer. or some of the oysters- much easier and faster.

[smogs]

In one of my books I believe if you colonise logs it usually takes around 3 years to see fruit? But then you will get fruit every year for a few years at the right season.

However, sawdust blocks can show fruit after 1 year I think. I agree and would say that oysters would be a better go or enriiji, portabellos/porcini something like that.

I had visions of growing black morels in my garage for supply to resteraunts but I lost my culture doing silly things like cutting corners and not keeping a backup culture