GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

GROWTH PARAMETERS 265
Figure 240. Approximately 20 days after inocula- Figure 241. 25 days after inoculation onto sterilized,
tion, the surface topography of Shiitake blisters, a supplemented alder sawdust, brown primordia
phenomenon many cultivators call "popcorning". form on the peaks of the blisters. When ten mush-
The time to blistering is strain specific. rooms form, I remove the plastic to allow
unencumbered development. Most methods for
growing Shiitake on sterilized sawdust require 70-
90 days before primordia are visible, and usually
only after the blocks have become brown in color.
a white rot fungus for the appearance of the wood after colonization. However, the mycelium of
Shiitake is initially white, soon becoming chocolate brown with maturity.
Fragrance Signature: Grain spawn having a smell similar to crushed fresh Shiitake, sometimes
slightly astringent and musty. Sawdust spawn has a sweeter, fresh and pleasing odor.
Natural Method of Cultivation: On hardwood logs, especially oak, sweetgum, poplar, cottonwood,
alder, ironwood, beech, birch, willow, and many other non-aromatic, broad-leaf woods. The denser
hardwoods produce for as long as six years. The more rapidly decomposing hardwoods have approximately
1/2 the lifespan. The fruit-woods are notoriously poor for growing Shiitake. Although
Shiitake naturally occurs on oaks and beeches, the purposeful cultivation of this mushroom on hardwood
stumps in North America has had poor success thus far.
For the most current information on the cultivation of Shiitake on logs, see Fujimoto (1989),
Przybylowicz & Donoghue (1988), Leatham (1982), Komatsu (1980 &1982), Kuo & Kuo (1983)
and Harris (1986). Several studies on the economics of log cultivation have been published to date.
Kerrigan (1982) published a short booklet on the economics of Shiitake cultivation on logs which
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