Lentinula Edodes – Shiitake Substrate
The Lentinula Edodes – Shiitake substrate allows you to grow one of the world’s most prized mushrooms directly in your Grow Box. Simply make a few cuts in the block’s outer wrap and place it inside the machine. Renowned for its intense flavor and immune-boosting properties, Shiitake can now be cultivated at home without the need to manage complex sterilization or inoculation steps. Let’s explore its key features together!
Basic Information
Class: Basidiomycetes
Scientific name: Lentinula edodes
Common names: Shiitake – Oak mushroom – Hua gu
Characteristics
Fruiting body: convex or flat cap, dark brown with lighter scales, 5–15 cm in diameter.
Gills: closely spaced, free from the stem, white or cream-colored.
Stem: central, fibrous, cylindrical, white or slightly brownish, often curved.
Flesh: white, firm and fibrous, with a strong, pleasant aroma reminiscent of oak wood.
Spores: white in mass, elliptical, smooth, 7–9 x 4–5 µm.
Natural Habitat
Shiitake is a saprophytic fungus that naturally grows on dead or dying hardwood logs, especially oak, chestnut, and beech. Native to East Asia (China, Japan, Korea), it is now cultivated worldwide. While rare in the wild, with the Grow Box, you can grow fresh Shiitake anytime you want right at home!
Cultivation Requirements
Temperature: 22–28°C for mycelium colonization, 15–22°C for fruiting
Humidity: 60–70% during colonization, 80–90% during fruiting
Tips
- Growth phases: Shiitake has a long colonization phase (up to 3 months on wood), but with pre-colonized substrate, fruiting occurs much faster.
- Ventilation: essential to prevent CO₂ buildup, which inhibits stem development and causes deformed caps.
- Substrate: prefers hardwoods rich in lignin. Our substrate is formulated with oak sawdust and balanced nutrients to maximize yield.
- Light: requires indirect light to guide growth and develop a well-pigmented cap. The Grow Box provides ideal illumination!
- pH: thrives best in a slightly acidic environment (pH 5.0–6.0). NaturNext substrate is already optimized.
- Thermal shock: often useful to trigger fruiting—brief exposure to cooler temperatures (10–15°C) for 12–24 hours can stimulate fruiting body formation.
- Humidity cycles: alternating short misting periods with ventilation mimics natural dew and encourages growth.
- Contamination: Shiitake is competitive and resistant to molds, but avoiding extreme humidity and temperature fluctuations is crucial.
- Adaptability: adapts well to controlled indoor environments, especially when supported by a Grow Box that maintains stable conditions.
- Continuous monitoring: thanks to the Grow Box, all critical parameters (humidity, temperature, light, ventilation) are automatically managed for a healthy and abundant harvest!
Organoleptic Properties
Shiitake offers a rich, earthy, and slightly smoky flavor, with an intense aroma that becomes even more pronounced when dried. Its texture is meaty and satisfying—perfect for soups, risottos, stir-fries, or as a star ingredient in vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Nutritional Properties
Shiitake is rich in protein (about 20%), dietary fiber, B-complex vitamins (especially B2, B5, and B6), and minerals such as copper, selenium, and zinc. It also contains eritadenine, a unique compound that helps regulate cholesterol levels. Moreover, it is well known for its powerful immunomodulatory effects, thanks to beta-glucans (particularly lentinan), which have been studied for their antitumor and antiviral properties.
Numerous studies show that Shiitake supports cardiovascular health, strengthens the immune system, promotes longevity, and exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. For over two thousand years, it has been regarded as a true “medicinal mushroom” in traditional Asian medicine.
