Thinned wood of Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa for production of Pholiota nameko mushrooms in Japan

We experimentally examined the artificial cultivation of Pholiota nameko, a hardwood-rotting and excellent edible mushroom, on beds of logs from thinned Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa. The water content of logs was 62.43% for Cr. japonica and 51.11% for Ch. obtusa. The sapwood, bark, and hardwood water contents were similar in the two species. Both tree species were suitable for P. nameko cultivation, but the numbers and fresh weight of fruiting bodies were higher on Ch. obtusa than on Cr. japonica. The number of pores drilled into logs for inoculation with fungal mycelia influences mushroom production. The number of inoculated pores per log did not affect mushroom production in Ch. obtusa, but more pores were required to produce more mushrooms in Cr. japonica. Hence, logs of Ch. obtusa are more suitable than logs of Cr. japonica to produce this mushroom because the fruiting bodies form on both the cross-sectional surfaces of Ch. obtusa, as well as on the bark.