I have a large limb that will get cut out of our oak tomorrow and plan to use some of this wood as a shitaki mushroom bed. My old logs are getting pretty meager in the mushroom department. This time around I am going to use sawdust spawn and cut logs of about 16" diameter. I plan to cut the logs into 8 to 10 inch thick slabs, then press the sawdust spawn into 5/8" holes, seal with wax and then soak in creek water for a day. Then the logs will get stacked vertically, one atop the other with a pair of 1/4" dowels separating the logs. I'm going to make a ground bed for some winecap button mushrooms where the logs will get stacked so I can get a double whammy out of the area.
My old logs provided Ma and I with Shitakis that were large , most in the 8" range but some as large as dinner plates. Absolutely primo eating. The old logs I've had for 6 years so its time to start again. Anyone else grow their own mushies?