Shiitake mushroom logs: how to grow shiitake on hardwood

How shiitake mushroom cultivation works on logs

Wikipedia says shiitake are "grown in conditions similar to their natural environment on either artificial substrate or hardwood logs, such as oak." ³

This page is about the log method. You buy spawn, which is the fungus growing on a carrier such as wooden dowels. You push it into holes in a freshly cut log and seal the holes with wax. The fungus then spreads through the wood.

Mississippi State University Extension lists the steps in order. Get logs. Drill holes. Fill the holes with spawn. Wax over them. Label the log, then leave it for the spawn run. ¹

Which logs work, and how big?

MSU Extension lists "Fresh cut hardwood logs, 4–8 inches in diameter and 18–36 inches long". ¹ It adds that "The best tree species to use are oak (Quercus spp.)" and names a few others, such as beech and persimmon. ¹

It also says "Do not use wood that is dry (firewood), rotting or scarred." ¹

Little Acre is an Australian seller. It says "We recommend cutting logs to 1m in length and choosing sections 10 - 15cm in diameter." ² It adds: "Small-diameter wood will colonise more quickly but will not produce for as many years and can dry out." ²

Little Acre also says "You can use branches if that’s what you have available - there’s no need to cut down a whole tree!" ²

Drilling the holes and adding spawn

Spawn comes as dowel plugs or as sawdust. MSU says dowel plug spawn "Requires a 5/16-inch (8.5 mm) diameter hole drilled to a depth of 1–1½ inches." ¹

For spacing, it says "Drill rows of holes 6 inches apart along the length of the log." ¹ Then "Each row is spaced 2 inches apart, and the holes are offset or staggered, creating a diamond or spiral pattern." ¹

Little Acre's plug spawn page says "We recommend using 50 plugs for a log of 100 - 150mm diameter and 1000mm in length." ² That's the seller's figure for its own plugs.

After the plugs go in, MSU says to "apply the wax to each hole, covering the plug or sawdust and the area immediately surrounding it." ¹ The wax is there to "prevent moisture loss and keep pests away from the inoculation site." ¹

How long until the first mushrooms?

A long time. MSU says to place the logs "outside in 60 percent shade and near a water source", exposed to the weather "for 9–18 months." ¹

Little Acre lists an incubation period of "12 - 18 months (log cultivation is a long game)." ²

Both sources give a range, and neither promises a date. Keep the log moist. Little Acre says to keep logs "somewhere shaded, protected from the wind and a cool temperature" and "off the ground otherwise competitor fungi might take over." ²

MSU says the same about the ground: stack logs "on pavers or a pallet or in a mulched area, but never on bare dirt." ¹

Getting mushrooms, and when to pick

Logs fruit naturally when the weather turns. MSU says "Rainy weather and a temperature drop trigger mushroom cap production." ¹

You can also force a log. MSU explains that "forcing means to trick the bolt into producing mushrooms by increasing moisture content and decreasing temperature." A bolt is just a log used for growing. Its method is to "soak it in chilly water for 12–24 hours." ¹

MSU adds that "A flush of mushrooms usually appear 10 days after forcing." A flush is one round of mushrooms. ¹

MSU says to harvest "when they are 75 percent open, with the outer rim still curled under." It also says "Cut the stem off close to the bolt." ¹

Other fungi can turn up too. MSU warns "Other more colorful fungi with different shapes may also grow on the inoculated bolt" and says not to harvest them like shiitake. Don't eat anything you can't identify as the shiitake you inoculated. ¹

How long does a shiitake log keep producing?

The two sources give different figures.

MSU says "A bolt should be fruitful for 2–3 years depending upon its initial size." ¹ Little Acre says "Once colonised your log can fruit seasonally for 5 or more years." ²

Both agree that bigger and smaller logs behave differently, as Little Acre's note on small-diameter wood above shows. Treat the numbers as the sellers' and extension services' own estimates, not promises.

MSU's rest advice: "After harvesting, let the bolts rest and dry out slightly for 8–10 weeks before soaking again during cool weather months." ¹

Buying shiitake spawn in Australia

On 7 November 2026, Little Acre's Shiitake Mushroom Plug Spawn showed "$45.00" for 400 plugs, with tax included. ² The page describes them as "400 hardwood dowels colonised with Shiitake mushroom mycelium". ² The page states no currency, but it is an Australian store.

Storage is simple: "Chill in the fridge until ready to use." ²

Shipping matters because the spawn is alive. Little Acre says "we strongly recommend shipping plug spawn via Express Post." ² It ships orders Monday to Thursday and doesn't dispatch plug spawn on Fridays. ²

Little Acre is one Australian seller. Prices change, so check the page before you order.

Spawn for another species works differently, and our notes on oyster spawn types and storage explain how. Growing from a kit is a separate route: see what to expect from oyster kits, our lion's mane kit page and kits sold in Australia.