Shiitake Porn

[waterboy 2.0]

The ongoing challenge to find the best strains of shiitake to match local hardwoods goes on....

Last batch of logs put to test are Eucalyptus viminalis (White Gum - here at least anyway), and Eucalyptus amygdalina (Black Peppermint). Neither species are mentioned in any literature, expected life of the logs I presume will be 3 years for the peppermint and 4 years for the white gum (much denser)

I thought the white gum wouldn't pin as much due to the thin bark, but its doing better than I thought.

I usually use E.nitens (Shining Gum), and has the added benefit of removing some of the plantation tree cancer that has taken over the island.....(ok enough of that...)

First flush 2012:

[Foo]

 

Got any prints/culture/ect to trade? :D

[waterboy 2.0]

Dont bother with shiitake prints, its bloody hard to isolate a reliable fruiting strain.

This particular one I am holding onto for a bit more , haven't put it through the paces properly yet, and is likely to become a production strain for me. It is also a unique cool weather fruiting, cold growing variant (which I worked very damn hard to acquire).

Most variants in oz are warm weather fruiting strains.

when I find time to get my shit together however I will be putting out a few other variants I have banked up

EDIT - I also expect to push this log/strain combo through four flushes , but will see how it performs....

Edited September 23, 2012 by waterboy

[8145]

Don't know what is shiitalking about

Really good fruits you got there

[Bigred]

that's awesome have you ever heard of a Chinese elm i have millions around my place and im constantly chopping them all down would they be any

good for mushrooms and is there any chance when you isolate the strain i could get a culture im so keen on doing logs

[Stillman]

You can get plugs online Big red.

[waterboy 2.0]

@ Big Red - i wouldn't recommend elms for shiitake, unless you use the sawdust mixed in with other hardwood sawdust to make blocks. I have used Radiata Pine this way in a roughly 40% to 60% Euc hardwood sawdust.

Oysters would be worth looking into however for the elms IMO - the "Elm Oyster" is probably the go - pretty sure I have seen domestic supply of plugs on Ebay. Not experienced with them but Enoki may also be worth an investigation.

EDIT- its all to do with the differences in sapwood structure

Edited September 23, 2012 by waterboy

[omsource]

Awesome!!! Keep it up, we need more info on the productivity of native trees.

Beautiful shiitakes by the way

[waterboy 2.0]

And with the change in humidity comes the "Donko" form of shiitake:

[waterboy 2.0]

2013 season about to begin...

[myco]

nicely done WB

i've got some shittake prints here i've been meaning to do something with for some time

might have to give it a go over the weekend

have you ever done them just in BRF cakes WB

that was the first thing i was going to try i only have 2 prints i thought BRF might be the go first to get myself some more prints to mess around with

[waterboy 2.0]

No mate haven't put em through a cake, have seen it done though with some success.I did once think about making bigger cakes (like a small icecream container). I think they were amended as well though (?cardboard?).

For me it started with sawdust bags, now I'm older and have less time the logs give me all I need and

a little bit of pocket money. Not as productive though as roll your own substrates.

Edited September 20, 2013 by waterboy

[Zen Peddler]

Lovely work waterboy. Nice that you've found a cold weather fruiter (being in the Dandenongs Id need that as well).

How do you guys think Alder would go for shiitakes? I have a massive alder tree out front that a council guy wants to cut down. I was reluctant but I guess this would be a potential way of using the wood. I have lots of messmates, grey gums and blackwoods as well. ive been told blackwoods are a poor shiitake substrate so I guess ill aim for the eucs as well as they are always losing large fresh limbs.

Im pretty rapped that the tree out front turned out to be an Alder. Its got two low large branches I could cut off now as they need to be lopped anyway (hanging over road).

[waterboy 2.0]

so better start planning a few meals for the end of the week. The first flush is looking solid, and still pinning through.

To bring the flush on I soaked the logs in a drum of cold water for about 4 days ( a day longer than usual)

They are using alders in north america, dunno the species but they do fit the hardwood type and looks like they give enough longevity.. I found blackwood to be pretty poor to fruit on , it will colonise slowly and put a few out though (oils in it probably slow it up? Thought they'd be OK).

Also had tried Melaleuca ericifolia - colonises it fast, and fruits OK, but it smashes the wood very quickly and found them generally collapsing after a year.

Messmate = Brown top stringybark/Tassy Oak = E.obliqua ??.....if so that would perform well. Colonise slow at first (bang more plugs in - I do this with E.viminalis) , but would give a few good solid years of fruiting.

[Zen Peddler]

Yes that's the messmate I'm talking about. I'll defibately give it a go. Now to find a good cold weather isolate...

[NSF]

I can hook you up with a FungiPerfecti cold weather strain I have Zen.

[waterboy 2.0]

Once their cracking Zen I can't do plugs (to much time I aint got atm...lol), but I'll have a crack at knocking up a liquid culture if your keen it will run off grains.

[Zen Peddler]

I'd say yes to either fellas. Can trade a marasmius oreades plate hopefully.

[waterboy 2.0]

Shiitake with tea tonight to score some brownie points with Mrs WB...lol

[waterboy 2.0]

first for the season....they are a bit later this year, but around the same time as the asparagus is bursting though

The soak water wasn't as cold this year, and it may be an initiation effect....

[gtarman]

This is awesome stuff mate. I've always loved shiitake...and I'm sure it would be so much more amazing fresh than the dried and rehydrated strips which are all I've ever tried so far.

Kudos!

[rottenjonny]

I don't have a lot of experience but I'll always chuck in my 2 cents. In the backyard there is a fallen down mulberry tree that the fungus LOVES!

Whenever I get a good deal of rain it's bursting with Auricularia.

[paradox]

best thread ever, gonna start experimenting soon with some local euc's myself.. Nice work brother!

[waterboy 2.0]

E.amygdalina is so far proving to be the better substrate, still another few years in them, the e.viminalis I reckon will be done this season and hit the fire pile, they are feeling a bit softer and "springier".

Which is interesting as its a much harder/denser wood, and at times ...lol...a bastard to hand split for firewood.

E.amyg. is beautiful firewood, and usually pretty damn easy to split up green or dry. That said a well chosen one is your source of A1 wood shingles down here.

E.amyg. vs E.nitens, a much of a muchness IMO....E.nitens gives a bigger first season, and may be due to bark textures.

Edited October 9, 2014 by waterboy

[paradox]

interesting.. any Euc spp you tried that were definite no goes?