(Pholiota nameko)

The glossy little mushroom that turns cold weather into soup season.

Nameko is one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in Japan, loved for its silky texture, nutty flavor, and beautiful amber-orange caps. Famous in traditional miso soup, this mushroom thrives when temperatures cool down and forests begin to wake up with fall fungi.

🌱 Why You’ll Love It

🍄 Beautiful amber-orange mushrooms with glossy caps
🍲 A classic mushroom for soups and sauces
❄️ Cold-weather fruiting specialist
🌳 Excellent for log raft cultivation outdoors
🌿 Heavy producer under the right conditions

Where Can I Grow It?

Nameko grows well on:

• Oak
• Beech
• Cherry
• Birch
• Poplar
• Willow
• Fruit woods
• Many other hardwoods

👉 Best suited for hardwood logs or supplemented sawdust

🍽️ What Does It Taste Like?

• Mild and nutty
• Silky texture
• Slightly gelatinous cap surface

🔥 Perfect for:

• Miso soup
• Broths and sauces
• Stir-fries
• Noodle dishes

👉 The slippery cap blends beautifully into soups and rich dishes

🍄 What Makes Nameko Special?

• One of Japan’s most cultivated mushrooms
• Fruits heavily in cool weather
• Forms dense clusters of glossy mushrooms
• Can produce spectacular “wall-to-wall” flushes outdoors

👉 A favorite for both growers and chefs

🌡️ Cold Triggered Fruiting

Nameko prefers cool temperatures and often fruits when temperatures drop below 50°F for the first time in fall.

• Ideal fruiting range: 40–55°F
• Typically produces multiple flushes
• Loves cool, humid environments

👉 A true fall mushroom

What to Expect

• Excellent outdoor performer on hardwood logs
• Can also be grown indoors on supplemented sawdust
• Requires a substantial cold shock for fruiting
• Dense clusters may need harvesting with scissors

👉 This mushroom rewards patience with huge flushes

🍄 How to Grow (Quick Overview)

Outdoor Method

1. Inoculate hardwood logs
2. Bundle or “raft” logs together
3. Partially bury and cover with leaves
4. Maintain moisture
5. Wait for cool weather to trigger fruiting

Indoor Method

1. Grow on supplemented sawdust
2. Fully colonize substrate
3. Introduce cold shock
4. Maintain humidity and fresh air

Then prepare for a LOT of mushrooms.

Shipping & Freshness

• Ships in 1–2 business days
• Produced fresh for strong colonization

📚 Want Step-by-Step Instructions?

ARTICLES

Ultimate Guides: Growing Mushrooms on Logs
Log Mushroom Cultivation Troubleshooting Guide
What Should I Grow My Mushrooms On
Zone Fruiting Map

INSTRUCTIONS

Outdoor Log Raft Cultivation
Growing Mushrooms on Logs
Growing Mushrooms on Stumps