Shiitakes are delicious and healthy, because they contain a lot of protein and vitamins. Besides eating shiitakes, they can be used to make fashion! There’s lots you probably don’t know about this mushroom. Therefore I follow shiitake grower Menno from Shiitake Kwekerij Haveman.
The process of growing shiitakes
Growing shiitakes naturally takes a lot of patience. First Menno prepares the logs. He makes his own inoculation material; he tested different materials and developed plugs for the logs. Menno drills a small hole in the log and insert the plugs. After that, the logs pile horizontal for 1,5 year. Yes, 1,5 year! To facilitate the harvest, after the long wait the logs are put in vertical position. Every other month the logs need water, as in: they need to be put in water for 24 hours.
At Shiitake Kwekerij Haveman shiitake grower Menno also sells plugs to people who like to give growing shiitakes a try. The second time I visited Menno I went with my dad. And he was very excited about everything. They talked about shiitakes for a long time haha! Afterwards my dad brought some logs and plugs back home. I am so curious to see if it’ll grow!
