Shiitake Inoculation

This week the WWC Forestry Crew inoculated a new batch of mushroom logs. 120 logs were inoculated with shiitake spawn and another 5 logs were plugged with chicken-of-the-woods.

Drilled log ready for inoculation and shiitake spawn

The first step in inoculation is to drill holes 5" apart in a diamond pattern around the log. These holes are filled with mushroom spawn, a sawdust medium that is colonized with the mycelium of the fungus.

Charles Williamson and Dylan Bahoosh plugging logs

A palm inoculator, once filled with mushroom spawn, injects the spawn into the log. The hole is then sealed over with cheese wax.

The new logs bedded down for the year

The inoculated logs were taken to the shiitake yard and bedded down underneath their future ricks. After resting for a year the mycelium will have fully colonized the log and they can be forced to fruit.