Shiitake sawdust spawn for making mushroom log totems in the garden. Totem logs are super easy to do, cut the log, pack the sawdust between rings, stack and wait!

What you will get:

We will send you 2kg of inoculated sawdust spawn ready to be used. Please source the log before buying the sawdust spawn as it is best used fresh within a few weeks of arrival.

What is a mushroom totem?

A totem is a log cut into rings and stacked back up like a tiki, with a layer of sawdust spawn sandwiched between each ring.

The mycelium (mushroom roots) grows from each layer into the wood above and below it. It mimics the way shiitake naturally grow on fallen hardwood in the forest, and once colonised, a totem can keep producing mushrooms for years.

How to make a shiitake totem

Pick your log: a healthy hardwood log with the bark on, ideally 300mm wide or wider. Most hardwoods work - alder, beech, elm, aspen, birch, poplar, oak, maple, willow. Avoid cedar, black locust, walnut, macrocarpa and most conifers.
Cut log into rings about 200mm long.
Stack and spawn: sit the first ring on the ground, break up the block and spread a 2-3cm layer of spawn over the top. Place the next ring on top and repeat until your totem is built.
Find a shady spot out of direct sunlight. Keeping the bottom ring on the ground helps stop it drying out - the log wicks water up from the soil.
Keep it watered through the dry months of summer, and keep an eye out for shiitakes popping up - usually in autumn or spring when temperatures change and the air is humid after rain.

Got a bigger log or want to build more than one totem? Grab an extra block so you can keep a generous 2-3cm layer between every ring.

Associated Products

Rather drill and plug? Our >> inoculated dowel spawn comes in 8 species.

Don't fancy a chainsaw? Our >> ready-made shiitake logs arrive already inoculated.

Further Resources

Learn more about >> growing mushrooms on logs and the totem method

Learn about all the options on >> how to grow your own shiitake mushrooms

Always identify any mushroom before consuming!

Totem Log Spawn - Shiitake

$45.00

Quantity

If you see any colouring other than white in your sawdust spawn bag please send us a photo before opening as this could be contamination and we will replace it. It is very rare we get contamination, but on the odd occasion, it can happen. We will always replace any unopened contaminated spawn.

We cannot guarantee mushroom growth with outdoor totems due to the long term nature of growing outdoors, local weather patterns, local pests etc.
You will need: a hardwood log ideally 200-300mm+ wide, a chainsaw, and this shiitake sawdust spawn.

Cut the log into rings about 200-300mm long. Sit the first ring on the ground, break up the spawn and spread a 2-3cm layer on top. Place the next ring on top and repeat until the totem is built. Alternatively, you can cut the log in half lengthways and spawn between the halves.

Keep your totem in a shady spot, sitting on the ground, and keep it well-watered over summer.

Detailed printed instructions are included with your order.
Most types of hardwood will do the job. This includes alder, beech, elm, aspen, birch, poplar, oak, maple, willow, hickory etc. Take healthy cuts with bark intact, ideally within a few months of cutting.

Fruit tree woods are less ideal and are known to produce lower yields.

Avoid using cedar, black locust, walnut, macrocarpa and most conifers. Any woods used for garden sleepers is best to avoid.
This Agreement is entered into by and between Sporeshift Mushrooms ("Seller") and the purchaser ("Buyer") upon the purchase of any mushroom cultures from Sporeshift Mushrooms.

1. Description of Product

The mushroom cultures provided by Sporeshift Mushrooms are intended for personal, educational, research, or hobbyist use only. These cultures may include, grow kits, grain spawn, spores, agar plates, liquid culture, mycelium, or other biological materials for cultivation purposes.

2. Permitted Use

Buyer agrees to use the mushroom cultures solely for non-commercial purposes, such as personal cultivation, microscopic study, or educational experiments.

3. Restrictions

No Commercial Use or Resale: The mushroom cultures are not sold or provided for commercial production, distribution, resale, or any profit-generating activities without the express written permission of Sporeshift Mushrooms. This includes, but is not limited to, selling cultivated mushrooms, cultures, or derivatives thereof.

If you wish to use our cultures for commercial production please contact us through the >>contact us form on the website.