Shiitake Spore Print and Log Cultivation Preperation

To take a spore print all you need is a mature mushroom, paper or glass that is a different color from the spores your mushrooms are going to put off and something to cover it with.

 Step 1: break the stem off of your mushroom so it can lay flat on the paper.

 Step 2: Place the stemless mushrooms facing downward with the gills touching the paper. (If you live in a humid area, placing rice around the mushrooms helps absorb moisture.)

Step 3: Cover your mushrooms with something to assure they are undisturbed by moisture and air currents.  

Kuo, M. (2006, November). Making spore prints. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/spore_print.html

If you plan to make a spore slurry I suggest moving the mushrooms to different spots on the paper every few hours. These multiple prints will ensure that you have enough spores to make the slurry. 

  Unfortunately I left my prints unattended for too long and they molded. I ordered shiitake sawdust spawn from Fungi Perfecti . Some oak was cut down about a week ago on the property here at The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center. I'm waiting for it to die so I can inoculate it with the spawn.

Bellow is how the space I plan to put my logs looked before working on it.

So many heavy cinder blocks       

After this winter my Shiitake and Chicken of the Woods logs will be staked in this lovely spot behind The Many Hands Peace Farm stable :)