First Shiitake Grow
- 2024-03-01 Update with Midwest Grow Kits Affilate links.
First thing I learned was that I might have started the block too soon! The color was not as deep brown as I have read is the suggested color of the brick before starting fruiting.
Introduction
Shiitake mushrooms, or Lentinula edodes, are flavorful and nutritious edible mushrooms from East Asia. Known for their savory taste and meaty texture, they are a popular choice in various cuisines.
My personal motivation for choosing to grow shiitake mushrooms stemmed from a desire to embark on a new learning journey. The concept of growing mushrooms appeared intriguing and enjoyable past time. As a mushroom eating enthusiast, the prospect of cultivating and savoring various varieties at home was particularly appealing.
Day 0 - Yeah, I am a computer guy
I purchased four of the Mystery Kit Specials from Midwest Grow Kits, my favorite Bitcoin-accepting vendor!
From Midwest Grow Kits site:
“Mystery Kit - Our Choice: Save 25%-35% discount off regular price! We choose from our inventory! This Mystery Kit is the same quality as our retail. You may even get one of our small batch rare varieties that we sell only in our retail store or even an upcoming variety that we are still testing and may be available soon. If you order multiple mystery kits, we do try and give you a variety, but there are no returns or exchanges on mystery kit orders. Some recent examples are: Enoki, Bear’s Head, ABM Mushroom, Elm Oyster, Nameko, and soon the Abalone Mushroom!”
My shipment included the Lion’s Mane, Pioppino, King Trumpet, and of course the Shiitake mushroom grow kits. These kits arrived a week before Christmas, a busy time in my house, so I didn’t open them until the first week of January. When I did, a few of them had a note that the blocks are new and I should let them sit for 2 weeks. It had been a few weeks already, but looking at them, I didn’t feel they had enough mycelium growth, so I threw them back in the closet, but I didn’t close the door. I think this is why the Shiitake and Pioppino started to grow. The Shiitake block was still white and not yet the dark brown that most of them I see on the internet are, maybe I started them too soon.
Anyway, I threw them on my The Mushroom Humidity Dome tray, put in about a half-inch of water, and put the whole thing into my Mushroom Ecosphere 3.0 tent.
I will update this article as the grow moves forward.
References
Video Playlist
Check out videos of this grow at:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhTRd38kjUGuz_xZQb6fUW_PYDHUSubzC&si=TDXD9BAiJIlhEW10
