How to grow Shiitake in Australia
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a rich, savoury mushroom that grows on hardwood, not in soil. At home it is grown on freshly cut logs drilled and plugged with spawn, or on ready-made sawdust blocks. A well-kept log in a cool, shady, moist spot can produce flushes of mushrooms for four to five years.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Shiitake in Australia
At a glance
When to sow by region
| Region | When to sow | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | All year | |
| Northern Rivers NSW | All year | |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | All year | |
| Melbourne & Victoria | All year | |
| Adelaide & SA | All year | |
| Perth & WA | All year | |
| Tasmania | All year | Year-round indoors. Tasmania suits outdoor log culture better than anywhere, because cool, moist and shaded is exactly what shiitake wants. |
| Canberra & ACT | All year | |
| North Queensland | May to August | Cool months only. Shiitake fruits at about 14 to 20C, so start blocks or soak logs May to Aug, in the coolest shaded spot you have. |
| Darwin & Top End | Not suited | Not suited outdoors. Shiitake fruits at about 14 to 20C and Darwin nights rarely drop that low. Grow pink oyster mushroom instead. |
Where to plant
Shiitake logs need a cool, moist, shady spot out of sun and drying wind, such as under trees, on the shady side of a building or in a shade house. Stack or lean them off the ground on bricks or a rack so air moves around them and soil fungi and slugs are kept at bay. Sawdust blocks can be kept indoors in a cool, bright room out of direct sun.
The fungus fruits best in mild, cool weather, at around 14 to 20°C, so most flushes come in autumn and spring.
- Hobart, Melbourne, Canberra and the cooler hills: ideal for outdoor logs, which are cool, moist and shaded enough to fruit for much of the year.
- Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers: logs and blocks work well in deep shade with regular watering; expect the main flushes in autumn, winter and spring.
- North Queensland: start blocks or soak logs only in the cool months, May to August, in the coolest, shadiest spot you have.
- Darwin: not suited, as nights rarely get cool enough for shiitake to fruit. Pink oyster mushroom is a better choice.
Choosing a variety
- Wide-range strains fruit across a broad temperature range and suit most Australian gardens.
- Cold-weather strains fruit at lower temperatures and suit southern gardens and winter cropping.
- Buy spawn plugs (dowels) or blocks from a specialist mushroom supplier, and keep dowels in the fridge until you use them, within the supplier's use-by time.
How to start a shiitake log
- Cut logs about 10 to 15 cm across and up to 1 m long from a healthy, living hardwood, ideally in late winter or early spring. Oak gives the best results; Australian trials have also succeeded with eucalypts and alder. Do not use conifers such as pine, or rot-resistant timbers.
- Plug the logs within a few weeks of cutting, while the bark is intact and the wood is fresh. Advice varies from a day to four weeks after felling; US extension research found sooner gives more mushrooms. Old or dead wood is usually already colonised by other fungi.
- Drill holes to suit the dowels in a staggered diamond pattern around the whole log, about 7 to 8 cm apart along rows 8 to 10 cm apart. A 1 m log takes about 25 to 40 dowels.
- Tap a dowel into each hole and seal it, and any bark damage or cut ends, with melted wax such as beeswax or paraffin.
- Stack the logs in the shade, off the ground, and water them once or twice a week so they never dry out. The fungus takes about 9 to 12 months to colonise the log.
Watering and triggering a flush
Keep the logs moist at all times, watering once or twice a week through the colonising year and more in hot, dry weather. A log that dries out can lose its fungus. No feeding is needed: the fungus lives on the wood.
Once a log is colonised, you can trigger a flush by soaking it in cool water for about 24 hours, then standing it upright in the shade and watering it lightly several times a day. Mushrooms usually appear two to three weeks later. Rest each log for a couple of months between soakings so it can recover.
Pruning and care through the year
- Protect fruiting logs from possums and slugs, which both eat the mushrooms; fine mesh over the logs helps.
- Do not overwater resting logs. Constantly soggy logs invite green Trichoderma mould and other competing fungi.
- With sawdust blocks, follow the supplier's instructions; most fruit within weeks of opening and misting, and can be soaked again for a second flush.
Harvesting
Pick shiitake when the caps have opened to about two thirds, while the edges are still curled under, just before the lip turns outwards. Twist and pull each mushroom from the log at its base, or cut it off.
Fresh shiitake keep about a week in the fridge in a paper bag, not plastic. They dry very well and dried mushrooms keep for a year or more in a sealed jar.
Using it
Shiitake have a deep, savoury flavour. Use them in stir-fries, soups, ramen, risotto and sauces. The stems are tough, so slice them off and use them in stocks. Dried shiitake are soaked before use, and the soaking water makes a rich stock. Always cook shiitake well: some people react to raw or undercooked shiitake with an itchy rash.
Pests and diseases
Most problems with shiitake come from logs drying out or staying soggy, which lets competing fungi in, and from animals eating the mushrooms.
Pests to watch for
- Slugs Chewed caps and slime trails on outdoor logs. Raise logs off the ground.
- Possums Mushrooms eaten overnight. Cover fruiting logs with mesh.
Diseases to watch for
- Trichoderma Green mould on the bark or cut ends, usually on logs kept too wet. Let the log dry out a little between waterings.
- Contamination Other fungi fruiting on the log, or a log that never produces shiitake, often from old wood or bark damage. Use fresh logs and seal damage with wax.
Common questions
Can you grow shiitake mushrooms in Australia?
Yes, on hardwood logs or sawdust blocks. Logs do best in cool, moist, shaded spots in southern and highland areas, and work in the subtropics in deep shade with good watering. Darwin is too warm for shiitake to fruit.
What wood is best for shiitake logs in Australia?
Oak gives the best results. Australian trials have also grown shiitake successfully on eucalypt and alder logs. Use freshly cut, healthy logs about 10 to 15 cm across, and avoid pine and other conifers.
How long until a shiitake log produces?
The fungus takes about 9 to 12 months to colonise a log. After that, soaking the log in cool water for a day usually brings on a flush two to three weeks later, and the log keeps producing for up to four to five years.
How do I make my shiitake log fruit?
Soak a fully colonised log in cool water for about 24 hours, stand it in the shade, and keep it moist. Flushes come most readily at about 14 to 20°C. Rest the log for a couple of months between soakings.
Why is there green mould on my mushroom log?
Green mould is usually Trichoderma, a competing fungus that thrives on logs kept too wet. Let the log dry a little between waterings and keep it off the ground with good air flow.
Can I eat shiitake raw?
It is best not to. Some people react to raw or undercooked shiitake with an itchy, streaky rash. Cook them well.
Sources we checked: Otway Agroforestry Network and Australian Master TreeGrowers: Shiitake (Luital and Reid); Cornell Small Farms: Inoculating logs.