Shiitake Plug Spawn 100 Count - Shiitake Dowel Spawn - Grow Your own Edible Gourmet Mushrooms

Q: Can you use fir or apple tree wood?

Oak is best/optimal for shiitake. However any other hardwood should do, except pine. Stay away from softer woods (i.e. fruit trees).

Q: Are these ok to purchase and have shipped in the winter? In other words, will they freeze during shipping?

We make sure all the dowels have on their winter coats! (just kidding) The spawn is fine in transit, and you can store in the fridge until you are ready to use! Hope that helps!

Q: can then used in jars with substrate

Yes you can. So long as your process is safe from any contamination. I tried making plug spawn my self with this plug using birch plugs bought from home depot and it was a big success.

Q: I did not get inoculation instructions. Where can I find some?

Honestly, if you look on You Tube you can find step by step videos on how to inoculate. If you haven’t gotten your logs yet, cut down your oak tree and let sit for about a month and then they will be ready to put in your plugs... it’s important to let your tree/logs sit for a month after cutting because there is a deterrent that live trees have naturally to keep fungus’s from growing on it. That needs to die off before plugging. Then you want to inoculate with your fungus before Nature does it with other fungus’s. You will need a 5/16th drill bit with a spacer, a rubber mallet and bees wax works best but you can use cheese wax too to cover all plugs and ends. You want to seal the log. Then soak overnight about every month for about 9 months to a year. You should be able to get a harvest off each log every 4-6 weeks or if it rains:) Good luck! There is a lot of info out there to help with questions.