How to grow Shiitake in New Zealand
Shiitake is a prized culinary mushroom with a rich, savoury umami flavour, grown on fresh-cut hardwood logs or on sawdust blocks. Log growing is slow to start but low maintenance: drill and plug a log with spawn dowels, keep it in a humid, shady corner, and it crops for five or six years. New Zealand also has its own native shiitake, sold as dowels for home growers.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Shiitake in New Zealand
At a glance
When to sow by region
| Region | When to sow | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| Northland | All year | |
| Auckland | All year | |
| Waikato & Bay of Plenty | All year | |
| Central North Island | All year | |
| Wellington & Lower North Island | All year | |
| Nelson & Marlborough | All year | |
| Canterbury | All year | |
| Otago & Southland | All year | |
| Central Otago | All year |
Not to be confused with: Oyster mushrooms, which are faster and easier to grow on straw or sawdust, and wild fungi, which should never be eaten unless identified by an expert.
Where to plant
Keep shiitake logs in a humid, shady, sheltered corner of the garden, out of direct sun and drying wind, such as under trees or on the shady side of a building. They can be grown in any region; the Asian shiitake strain sold here is chosen to suit New Zealand conditions, and the native shiitake fruits between about 5 and 25°C, so it crops year round in most of the country.
Choosing a variety
- Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is the classic Asian mushroom. Buy dowel or grain spawn from a New Zealand supplier with a strain selected for local conditions.
- New Zealand native shiitake (Lentinula novae-zelandiae) is grown the same way, with a similar texture and flavour and slightly darker, red-brown caps.
- Hardwood logs such as oak, beech, birch, maple and eucalyptus work well. Poplar and willow can be used but rot away faster.
How to plant
- Cut healthy hardwood logs about 10 to 15 cm thick and around a metre long, and use them within a few weeks while the wood is still fresh and moist.
- Drill holes slightly wider and deeper than the dowels, about 15 cm apart all around the log; for 8 mm dowels, an 8.5 to 9 mm bit is right.
- Tap a dowel into each hole with a hammer, then seal the holes with melted wax. A log usually takes 15 to 50 dowels depending on its size.
- Stack the logs in a shady, humid spot, off the ground on bricks or pallets, and keep them moist while the mycelium colonises the wood.
- Keep dowels in the fridge until use, for up to two months.
Watering and feeding
Keeping the logs hydrated is the key to success. Water or soak them during dry weather so the wood never dries out. Once the logs are fully colonised, soaking them in cold water for a day can help trigger a flush of mushrooms when the weather is mild.
Pruning and care through the year
- Check the ends of the logs for white mycelium, a sign the spawn is running through the wood.
- Watch for other fungi growing on the logs, which compete with the shiitake; remove badly contaminated logs.
- Protect fruiting logs from slugs, which eat the caps.
Harvesting
Pick shiitake when the caps have opened but the edges are still slightly curled under, by twisting or cutting them off at the base. Mushrooms keep for about a week in a paper bag in the fridge, and they dry well, which concentrates the flavour.
Growing indoors
Shiitake can also be grown indoors on supplemented sawdust or woodchip blocks inoculated with grain spawn, which fruit in about 8 to 12 weeks. This is a more advanced method; ready-made grow kits are an easy way to start.
Pests and diseases
Slugs and competing fungi are the main problems for log-grown shiitake.
Pests to watch for
- Slugs Holes and chewed edges on the caps of fruiting mushrooms on outdoor logs.
Diseases to watch for
- Trichoderma Green mould on logs or blocks that competes with the shiitake, usually after poor hygiene or overly wet, warm conditions.
Common questions
How long do shiitake logs take to fruit?
Usually about a year, sometimes longer, depending on the log size, wood type and how well it is kept moist. After that they crop several times a year for five or six years.
What wood is best for shiitake in New Zealand?
Fresh-cut hardwoods such as oak, beech, birch, maple and eucalyptus. Poplar and willow work but break down faster.
Is there a New Zealand native shiitake?
Yes. Lentinula novae-zelandiae is a native relative of shiitake with a similar flavour and texture. Spawn and dowels are sold for home growing, and it fruits between about 5 and 25°C.
Why are my shiitake logs not fruiting?
Usually the logs have dried out, or the mycelium has not finished colonising the wood. Keep logs moist and shaded, give them time, and try soaking a fully colonised log in cold water to trigger fruiting.
Can I eat wild mushrooms growing on my logs?
Only eat mushrooms you are certain are the shiitake you planted. Other fungi can colonise logs, and some wild mushrooms in New Zealand are deadly. If in doubt, throw it out.
Sources we checked: MycoLogic: Shiitake spawn and dowels; MycoLogic: NZ native shiitake; MycoLogic: Mushroom dowels.