1. Logs need to be matched up with the proper mushroom species.
Each mushroom species has a wood type it prefers. For example, if you've harvested oak logs then you'll want to opt to grow shiitake over something like oyster. Check out our Tree Species Suitability Chart for more information.
2. Logs cut while the trees are dormant will make the best hosts to mushrooms.
From late fall until budswell in the spring of the year is a perfect time to source and harvest your logs. You can cut now, and store them for later!
3. Logs must be cut from healthy, living trees.
This point is where we will spend most of our time in this blog as it is often the point of most friction. Most folks in the mushroom world tend to be big fans of trees, so why cut a healthy one down? Let's dive in.
Harvesting Logs for Mushroom Production
First, we'll start off by saying that almost all hardwood wood products whether it be furniture, lumber, sawdust, etc also come cut from living trees, so mushroom cultivation isn't alone in this practice. And there's a reason for this! Once a tree is infected with a disease it alters the composition of the wood, compromising its use for anything from lumber boards to mushroom fodder. More specifically to mushroom cultivation, once a tree succumbs to a disease the structure and water content of the wood becomes an unsuitable habitat for mushroom mycelium. The wood dries out, the bark falls off, insects move in- all of which are factors that create an inhospitable home for specialty mushrooms.
Now, what if a healthy tree or branch falls during a storm, can you use that? Yes, though depending on the time of year, you'll need to be diligent about caring for the wood between tree felling and inoculation. If the tree comes down in winter you just need to prevent the wood from freeze-drying until spring arrives when it becomes warm enough to inoculate the logs. If the tree comes down in summer, you need to act quickly, harvesting and inoculating the logs within a month of its fall, before the wood dries out or, more likely, another local fungal organism takes advantage of the wood. Our blog Can I Grow Mushrooms on Wood that Comes Down in Summer? covers this in more detail.
Finally- good forestry practices are management techniques that emphasize the balance between human need of resources and maintenance of forest health, wildlife, and water quality for generations to come. For healthy forests, trees need to be thinned to prevent overcrowding. This means cutting only select trees that won't thrive even if they are left alone. If you're taking out a healthy tree try to avoid cutting down mast trees (a tree that produces seeds for many future trees), and opt for smaller trees that may be stunted in growth. If you're sourcing logs from a woodland owner, many follow good forestry practices, but it is worth asking the owner to share their views on forest management. If you only have a few of any select species, we always recommend leaving those be.
If you have questions on a forestry plan, we recommend reaching out to your area's DNR agent to get a conversation started!
