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 Yrat
Hello
Registered: 11/08/07
Posts: 300
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 Shiitake Log inquiry
#8906576 - 09/10/08 11:38 AM (2 months, 23 days ago) |
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Over the last weekend when tropical storm Hannah blew through, a very large (150+ yr old) red oak tree was blown down on a friend's property. We have discussed using some of the wood to try out a shiitake-log grow.
As of now, the plan is to over-winter the logs of choice with them raised off the ground. Upon arrival of spring (April?) the logs will be soaked and inoculated with dowel spawn. The logs will the be kept in a shaded, damp area for incubation and hopefully eventual production.
Does this sound like a good general plan to make use of some of this excess wood? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
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RogerRabbit
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: Yrat]
#8908571 - 09/10/08 06:40 PM (2 months, 23 days ago) |
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Yes. The shiitake will have a hard time colonizing the logs that are over about 6" thick, so use the trunk and other parts for something else, or chip them up for substrate bags.
It's a shame about the tree. I love those old grandfather oaks. I wish Oak trees would grow in my climate, but it's too cold here.
RR
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drwatson
MysticalPhysician
Registered: 10/29/07
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: Yrat]
#8908784 - 09/10/08 07:15 PM (2 months, 23 days ago) |
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I was going to suggest a chipper too if you have access to one.
I'm really looking forward to trying shiitake indoor. We have oak all over the Texas coast so oak logs, stumps, and sawdust are very easy to come by.
Roger, if you are ever around the Texas Coast you should check out
"The Big Tree" as the locals call it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Big_tree.jpg
I know there are very old trees in the PNW, but for a small community in south texas a 1000+ year old oak is an attraction.
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MycoAu
Registered: 07/18/07
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: RogerRabbit]
#8908792 - 09/10/08 07:18 PM (2 months, 23 days ago) |
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Why are you over-wintering the logs first? (just curious)
And I completely understand the sentiment about oaks- they only grow here where they are brought in. No naturals at all (aside from burr oak).
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Yrat
Hello
Registered: 11/08/07
Posts: 300
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: MycoAu]
#8909345 - 09/10/08 09:22 PM (2 months, 23 days ago) |
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i thought it would help to kind of weather the logs a bit since they are so fresh and the temperature is already dropping anyways. would it be worth it to inoculate before winter?
the tree was very large, a chipper probably wouldn't help with the trunk, which would take two people holding hands to get around. the tree broke off completely clean about twenty feet above the ground. the inside had completely rotted out and had actually turned back into great soil. it's going to take some serious chainsaws to cut this thing up. but there is plenty of small stuff from the high branches that would be perfect for this project.
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Paresthesia
Registered: 07/02/08
Posts: 445
Loc: Texas
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 Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: drwatson]
#8911073 - 09/11/08 06:29 AM (2 months, 22 days ago) |
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Quote:
drwatson said:
Roger, if you are ever around the Texas Coast you should check out
"The Big Tree" as the locals call it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Big_tree.jpg
Funny, I just mentioned the Goose Island Oak in a different thread here discussing chanterelles. I've been down there before and I saw the tree--it's quite impressive, and the grove it's in is impressive, too! It might be a bit disappointing for left coasters who're used to giant redwoods, but it's quite a tree! I'd love to go down there again sometime after a big rain and see what mycorrhizal mushrooms pop up around it. Some of those could be older than the tree itself!
Speaking of wood for shiitake production, I'm really curious about the following two species:
Fraxinus americana var. texensis (Texas Ash)
Triadica sebifera (Chinese Tallow Tree)
Both of these trees have been planted everywhere in my town, mostly because they're drought tolerant and grow quickly. That also means that they're short lived, (ash is trash, ash is trash!) so when I see a tree removal service truck driving around, nine times out of ten it has logs from one of these trees sitting on it. I get business cards from these guys when I see them, so I'm curious about how well suited they are to log cultivation. Chinese tallow is relatively soft, but ash makes a nice, punchy sounding bass guitar...
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- T. S. Eliot
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MycoAu
Registered: 07/18/07
Posts: 650
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: Paresthesia]
#8912043 - 09/11/08 11:30 AM (2 months, 22 days ago) |
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I don't know about using ash or tallow. Haven't heard (that I can remember) about specifically using those species.
As for using the oak before, winter, I think it might help. You would have some extra time for colonization before it slows down a lot in winter. Plus, the colder temperatures would prevent further contamination in uncolonized areas (that have now been reduced in number and size). But the biggest point of importance (as I see it) is that you are already beginning to lose the sugars that the tree has. Might as well take advantage of their presence while you can. I don't know how much of a difference it will actually make though.
Normally, the logs are harvested during late winter or very early spring when sugars are building, but before they begin to be used for bud/leaf production and other new growth to maximize the available amounts. In your case, you will only have decline from the point of tree death forward.
Just a thought. If you choose to overwinter them, you shouldn't experience any real problems other than potential contaminates due to the extended exposure times. The cold weather will probably prevent any large amounts of growth if the logs are kept dry.
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MycoAu
Registered: 07/18/07
Posts: 650
Last seen: 2 hours, 53 minutes
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: MycoAu]
#8912051 - 09/11/08 11:32 AM (2 months, 22 days ago) |
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Where do you live? (Climate zone?)
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Yrat
Hello
Registered: 11/08/07
Posts: 300
Last seen: 3 hours, 26 minutes
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: MycoAu]
#8916997 - 09/12/08 07:14 AM (2 months, 21 days ago) |
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New England, zone 6 I believe
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MycoAu
Registered: 07/18/07
Posts: 650
Last seen: 2 hours, 53 minutes
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: Yrat]
#8918149 - 09/12/08 12:04 PM (2 months, 21 days ago) |
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As cool as it's been here, I can only imagine you'd be averaging 10-20*F cooler than here. You're probably fine to do which ever action you prefer or have time for. I don't foresee a lot of problems if you wait, so only take the comments above as a suggestion for a possible route.
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debianlinux
Myconerd - DBK
Registered: 12/09/02
Posts: 7,937
Loc: Over There
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Re: Shiitake Log inquiry [Re: MycoAu]
#8932171 - 09/15/08 08:07 AM (2 months, 18 days ago) |
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I'm not so certain the logs would need to be soaked prior to inoculation if he starts now. The soaking may be necessary later and may also impair long-term production if competitor fungi are activated or encouraged by the soaking.
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