Lentinula edodes (Shiitake)

Lentinula edodes are more commonly referred to as Shiitake (椎茸, シイタケ). Last year I received a Shiitake mushroom growing kit from my mother-in-law. I had one successful flush and had trouble with subsequent indoor flushes – outdoors was a different story. After putting the Shiitake block outside in a pile of willow chippings, nature did it’s thing.  The slugs and fungus gnats usually notice that my Shiitakes are growing outside before I do. One of these days I’ll update this post with a picture of these guys growing outside.