Look for Spring 2023 Donko Shiitake on logs from 2020 and 2022

In 2022 I found some “donko shiitake” on my 2020 logs. So it happened again today! I included here a photo of what my log looks like with the flush. I harvested the largest mushrooms (also pictured). I left some smaller ones on my log because it is supposed to rain tomorrow. If the rain comes in time, those smaller donko shiitake might get a little larger and make more food for my family.

Earlier this winter during a warm spell, I found some shiitake on some logs that we inoculated in 2022.

IF YOU INOCULATED A LOG IN 2022, PLEASE CHECK YOUR LOGS REGULARLY. The mushrooms in spring time can get eaten by slugs and fungus gnats if you are not quick to find them. Mushrooms will “fruit” in just a day or so. If you wait too long, you might not get to eat them before wild creatures get to them. Those creatures are designed to eat mushrooms and turn them into creature bodies and babies.

Oak Ridge trees turn into shiitake mushrooms which turn into creature bodies.

You might try protecting your mushroom logs. Please share on the google group if you have success reducing slug and fungus gnat damage.

The log on the far right has the shiitake “donkos”. I inoculated that log in 2020.

This is what shiitake donkos look like. They are delicious and beautiful.