Cultivation of Pholiota microspora (nameko)

Organic Nameko Mushroom - Plug Spawn

🍄 NAMEKO MUSHROOM PLUG SPAWN: Pholiota microspora (syn. P. nameko), ideal for growing on hardwood logs: beech, birch, oak, poplar, and alder.
🌱 EASY PLANTING: Drill holes, insert the stakes, then seal the holes (wax recommended). All you need is a drill and a suitable wood drill bit.
🌳 HOST SPECIES: Nameko mushrooms thrive particularly well on beech and birch, but also grow very well on oak, poplar, and alder.
🍽️ FLAVOR & NUTRIENTS: Mild umami flavor with nutty notes; naturally gelatinous cap that gently thickens soups and sauces. A source of fiber and beta-glucans.
🌍 ORGANIC PRODUCTION: Certified “BE-BIO-01,” grown without pesticides or GMOs, environmentally friendly.
📏 PRACTICAL INFORMATION: ~50 dowels per log measuring 100 cm × 20 cm. Storage: ~3 months in the refrigerator (2–6 °C) before use.

€16.90

Quantity

200 dowels
1,000 dowels

- +

Categories:
Outdoor cultivation Mycelium on logs

Delivery time:

2–3 weeks. If in stock, we’ll ship them to you within a week. See all our delivery times

Pholiota microspora

A star in Japan, yet still relatively unknown here: Nameko mushrooms grow in clusters of amber-colored caps, whose naturally gelatinous texture adds a rich umami flavor to soups and sauces. When cooked, it develops woody notes with hints of hazelnut and caramel and a deliciously crunchy texture. Grow it on hardwood logs outdoors and harvest in cool weather (fall/spring).

Why you're going to love it

Taste & texture: a gelatinous film that naturally thickens broths and sauces, with a pleasant crunch.
Culinary highlight: perfect for soups, stir-fries, risottos, noodles, and eggs.
Outdoor cultivation: tight clusters on logs, shoots during the cool, damp season.
Rarity: Virtually impossible to find fresh— make a difference with your own harvest.

Growing specifications

Level: intermediate to advanced (more technical than shiitake and oyster mushrooms).
Location: outdoors, on logs or stumps. It fruits mainly inthe fall.
Incubation: Aim for 12–18 months for the first harvests, depending on tree species, diameter, and climate.
fruiting Optimal at 7–18 °Cwith consistent humidity; avoid hot, dry environments. Nameko mushrooms thrive in cool, consistently humid conditions.
Recommended wood species: ideal — beech, oak, maple, hornbeam, cherry, chestnut, cottonwood, birch; other options — alder, ash, elm, eucalyptus, mulberry. Avoid: resinous conifers .

Recipe Idea (Ready in 15 Minutes) – Nameko Mushroom and Tofu Donburi with Miso

Ingredients (serves 2): 300 g nameko mushrooms, 200 g firm tofu, 1 tbsp miso, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin (or white wine), 1 clove of garlic, 1 small piece of ginger, 2 bowls of hot rice, scallions/sesame seeds.
Step by step:
1. Rinse the nameko mushrooms briefly (do not soak them).
2. Sauté the diced tofu until golden brown. Set aside.
3. Sauté the nameko mushrooms for 3–4 minutes (until their juices thicken ), then add garlic and ginger.
4. Deglaze with soy sauce and mirin, then dissolve the miso off the heat (do not boil).
5. Return the tofu to the pan and coat it with the sauce. Pour over the rice, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Tip: Save the pan juices—they naturally thicken the sauce.

How do I do that?

For more information, we recommend reading our guide: "Growing on logs"

How do you inoculate logs with plug spawn ?

Required equipment

A log or piece of wood that has been recently cut (no more than 3 months old). Avoid softwoods. Most hardwoods are suitable. Contact us if you would like more specific information. Log diameter: between 10 and 25 cm. Length: between 50 and 150 cm.
Mycelium on dowels: For a length of 1 m, multiply the diameter of a log by 2.5. Example: A log that is 1 m long and 20 cm wide requires 20 × 2.5 = 50 dowels.
Drill and drill bit 8–9 mm
Hammer
Optional: vegetable wax, beeswax, paraffin, or green clay to cover the holes.

Instructions

Wash your hands before touching the mycelium to maximize your chances of success.
Drill holes in your log. The holes should be slightly deeper than the height of the plug. Space the holes about 10 cm apart. A 1-meter-long log requires about 50 dowels.
Insert the dowels into the holes using a hammer. The dowels should not protrude from the holes.
Cover with wax. The wax protects the mycelium from insects and diseases, as well as from drying out. If you don’t have wax, you can also use paraffin, cheese wax, or green clay.

Be patient: Store your logs in a shaded area sheltered from the wind. Avoid direct contact with the ground, which could attract small insects and cause contamination. For example, you can place them on a pallet covered with a tarp. In hot weather, occasionally pour a watering can of water over the logs to prevent them from drying out.
Harvest and enjoy your crop. A log prepared under the right conditions can produce mushrooms for 3 to 5 years.

For more information, we recommend reading our guide: "Growing on logs"

Notes

The best times to inoculate logs are in the fall, winter, and early spring, before the sap begins to flow.

The main threat to this crop is drought: cover the wood with a tarp or a cover if necessary to keep the logs moist, especially during incubation.

We fill our bags by weight, so there may be slight variations from the stated amount.

We inoculate the logs with a mixture of spores and sawdust. It is therefore normal to find some sawdust mixed in with the logs. This remaining sawdust can also serve as inoculum.

Our commitment to quality:

We produce our mycelium in laboratory conditions, which ensures the purity of the strains and optimal quality.

We produce our mycelium using 100% organic methods, and all our products are certified "BE-BIO-01, Agriculture Belgique" by CERTISYS.

Identification and Precautions

Be careful not to confuse:

Nameko (safe to eat)

Cap: small, amber-orange in color, shiny and gelatinous to the touch, with a smooth edge.
Foot: slender, creamy orange, without a distinct ring.
Gills: cream-colored, turning cinnamon brown (spores).
Habitat: dense clusters on hardwood logs.

Sulphur-colored Hypholoma – Hypholoma fasciculare (not for consumption)

Sulphur-yellow cap, dry (not gelatinous).
Leaves yellow to olive-green.
Distinct bitterness. No gelatinous film.

Marginated Galerina – Galerina marginata (poisonous, caution)

Small brown mushroom with a membranous ring; cap is not gelatinous.
Rust-colored spore print. Do not consume if in doubt.

Golden boletes – Pholiota spp. (may be confused with)

Larger, sometimes scaly, slimy, but without the distinct gelatinous film found on nameko mushrooms.

Golden rule: From your inoculated logs, eat only the mushrooms with the characteristic amber caps and distinctly gelatinous texture typical of Nameko. If this “gelatinous coating” is missing or if you have any doubts, do not eat them.