Organic Hen of the Woods (Maitake) Mushroom Log Kit

Difficulty: Advanced

Hen of the Woods is a tasty polypore that frequently weighs twenty pounds. It gets its name from resembling a small hen covered with leaves. Hen of Woods has a semi-firm texture and taste similar to eggplant. It can be ripped into small pieces and added to a dish or left large to be the centerpiece of a meal.

Hen of the Woods will only fruit in oak logs. After a 1-year colonization period above ground, Hen of the Woods logs may be partially buried under 2 inches of top soil to mimic their natural place in an ecosystem. The mushrooms will fruit from logs and emerge out of the soil.

It should be noted that Hen of the Woods is prone to being out competed by other fungi and is not a reliable producer without first treating your logs. To limit variables we strongly suggest you sterilize 8" by 8" segments of oak log before inoculation and incubate your log segments for a few months in sealed filter patch bags until they are completely colonized. Remove them from the bag and partially bury them in a shady location. (You can sterilize your log segments in a 22 qt or larger pressure cooker such as an All-American.)