Shiitake Plug Spawn - (Lentinula edodes)

Grow Gourmet Mushrooms on Logs!

Easily cultivate delicious, umami-rich shiitake mushrooms with our Shiitake Plug Spawn! These hardwood dowels are pre-colonized with vigorous shiitake mycelium, ready to transform freshly cut logs into productive mushroom sources for years.

Why Choose Shiitake Plug Spawn?

• Beginner-Friendly & Reliable – Perfect for all skill levels, from home growers to commercial cultivators.
• Long-Term Harvests – Once established, logs can produce shiitakes for 3–5 years with proper care.
• Ideal for Hardwood Logs – Grows best on oak, sweetgum, poplar, and other suitable hardwoods.
• Thrives in Temperate Climates – Fruits naturally in cooler seasons (spring & fall) when temperatures range between 55-75°F.
• Incredible Culinary & Medicinal Benefits – Shiitake mushrooms are prized for their rich, savory flavor and immune-boosting properties.

How to Use:

1. Drill holes in freshly cut logs.
2. Insert the plug spawn into the holes.
3. Seal with wax to protect the mycelium.
4. Keep logs in a shaded, humid area to allow colonization.
5. Enjoy harvests for years with proper soaking and care!

Click here for full instruction. 

Start your shiitake cultivation today and enjoy homegrown gourmet mushrooms for years to come! 🍄

Shiitake WR - This is our best fool-proof Shiitake strains, this ecotype prefers optimum fruiting temperatures when they fall in between 55-70F. Typically fruits in the spring and fall months after colonization is complete. Fruits well on oak, sweetgum, poplar, and other hardwood species. Recommended for temperate climates, this one can fruit in most climates experiencing a cool transition period at any time of the year. Fruiting Temps: 55-75F

Shiitake WARM - One of our best warm weather Shiitake strains, this ecotype prefers optimum fruiting temperatures when they fall in between 70-85F. Typically fruits in the warmer, summer months after colonization is complete. Fruits well on oak, sweetgum, poplar, and other hardwood species. Recommended for supplementing summer production in cooler climates or year-round in subtropical/tropical climates. Fruiting Temps: 70-85F

Shiitake COLD - Our best outdoor cold weather Shiitake strain, this superior and consistent strainproduces dark brown to blackish fruitbodies when temperatures fall in between 40-55F. Typically fruits after cold snaps, logs should be protected from freezing weather when fruiting, using blankets, or move logs indoors once triggered by cold shock. Fruits well on oak, sweetgum, poplar, and other hardwood species. Recommended for supplementing winter production in warmer climates or year- round in temperate climates and higher elevation locations. Not recommended for southern or tropical climates unless you have 1-2 months of winter to sustain cold shocks needed. This strain should also conversely be used as the bulk strain in colder climates, paired with our wide range strain. Fruiting Temps: 40-55F

Shiitake WILD - This is a clone from an “escapee”, or a wild mating of commercial log grown shiitakes that appeared in North Carolina on a large fallen oak at Warren Wilson College. The cap is smoother, almost bald, but still has the beautiful caramel-colored surface and wonderfully strong shiitake aroma. Fruiting Temps: 45-65F

Edibility and taste: Savory and Meaty

Grows on: Hardwood logs outdoors: oak, pecan, walnut, alder, sweet gum, maple, ironwood, hophorn beam, cherry, sycamore, tulip poplar, eucalyptus, chestnut, ash, birch, bitternut, willow. Avoid for shiitake: conifers, fruit trees, elm, hackberry, sassafras, soft maples (red and striped), dogwood, black locust, beech, hickory

Availability: Year-round