Shiitake Mushroom Production

Clay Olson Taylor County

Linda Landrum NFREC-SV

History

• Cultivated in Asia for over 800 years• Third most widely produced mushroom in the world• One of the top exported products from Japan• Production began in US in early 1970’s, continues today• Three production approaches

*Nutrient amended sawdust block*Log production using forced fruiting* Log production utilizing natural conditions and/or irrigation (this type is recommended for smaller producers)

5 Steps to GrowingShiitake Mushrooms

Step 1- Ordering good quality culture, called spawn or inoculum

• Strains are specific to type of productioni.e. sawdust, forcing, soaking or irrigated

• Can be purchased in sawdust blocks, grain blocks or in hardwood dowels(plugs)

• For Florida…* Wide range C- 41, C-15*Warm-weather CS-24, CS-125*Cold-weather CS-16, CS-11, CS-118

Step 2-Obtaining suitable hardwood logs

• Deciduous oak species are best (such as turkey, black jack, water & laurel)

• Straight , green wood preferred*can use main trunk or larger branches

• Cut during winter months (Oct-Feb)when sap down *use pieces 2 to 4 inches in diameter & 3 to 6 ft in length

• Cut no more than 2 weeks prior to inoculation

• Avoid damaging the bark (allows other non-desirable fungi to enter)

Step 3Inoculating the logs

• Inoculate in shady area as direct sunlight damages spawn

• Drill holes 3 to 4 inches apart in rows spaced 6 inches apart around the log (Logs average between 35-40 holes each) using a high speed drill *use 12mm drill bit for sawdust spawn or 8mm bit for plug spawn*Depth of the hole depends on thickness of tree bark. For turkey or black jack oak, hole needs to be an inch deep – for water oak ¾ inch is enough. Same depths for either plugs or sawdust

Step 3Inoculating the logs

• Carefully pack the holes with sawdust spawn or place hardwood dowel in hole

• If using sawdust , you must pack the spawn down into the hole with a 3/8” dowel rod

• Seal over hole with melted paraffin wax to keep out competing organisms

*Use camel hair type brush as plastic bristles melt in hot wax

Step 4- Allowing Shiitake to colonize the wood

• Stack logs in a vertical position to increase water absorption

• In Florida, irrigation during periods of drought, high temperatures and windy weather will be necessary

* About 20 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week

• Logs MUST be in deeply shaded area(60%) to produce

Step 4- Allowing Shiitake to colonize the wood

• Takes from 4 to 9 months to colonize log (called spawn run) depending on climate and strain to begin fruiting

• Logs will usually fruit for 2 or 3 years without additional inoculation depending on size of log and conditions

• Yields will vary but each log can produce up to 5 lbs. of product over a three year period valued at $8 per lb. in a retail market venue

Step 5-Harvesting , storing and packaging your

mushrooms• Harvest when caps are about 2/3’s open, cutting the stem

flush with the bark using a sharp knife

• Mushrooms can be:

* stored fresh in a cardboard box at 36-41F for up to a month but loss in quality starts occurring after 4 to 5 days

*dried either whole or sliced but price received will be substantially lower. Additionally, you will be required to have a FL Food Permit, certified kitchen and a Food Managers License to do this.

• Packaging should allow for air exchange to inhibit bacteria growth

Step 5- Marketing your mushrooms

Freshness, color and shape main selling features Develop good customer relationships

• Retail Considerations*Less complicated

* Higher returns

*Less expensive

*Eliminates the costs of “middle man”

*Allows for market research

*Use direct market venues such as farmers markets, specialty stores and restaurants

Step 5- Marketing your mushrooms

• Wholesale Considerations

*Useful when zoning prohibits home sales or home base is too far from consumers

*Greater sales volume potential

*Frees producer to focus on production

*More expensive than direct distribution

*Less control over product *Wholesalers will buy dried product at about ½ price

of fresh

*Price Taker rather than Price Setter

Having a consistent, quality product throughout most of the year is desirable for either marketing venue!

Risks Affecting Production

• Severe weather conditions like hot, dry periods so irrigation is critical

• Pest damage from termites, squirrels, mice , birds and deer

• Poor quality spawn so buy from reputable companies and use strains best suited for area

• Inadequate labor to inoculate/ harvest/sell crop

Economics of Producing Shiitake Mushrooms

• Know your costs!• Start up costs for a 4,000 log operation average about $2,000

per year. These include hardwood logs, high speed drill and bits, food grade wax and applicator, spawn, aluminum tags, inoculation tool, shade cloth, water trough and refrigerator.

• Variable costs include labor for production & harvesting, fuel, electricity & packaging.

• Production costs average about $3/lb. of fresh product. Currently, direct markets are paying up to $8/lb. so this could be a profitable enterprise.

• Be sure to consider all variable and fixed coststo get a more accurate cost of production.

Resources

• American Mushroom Institute

http://www.americanmushroom.org/index.htm

• Mushroom Growers Newsletter http://www.mushroomcompany.com/index.shtml

• Florida MarketMaker

http://fl.foodmarketmaker.com

Questions?