Growing Shiitake Mushrooms at Sunset Community Garden

April 13, 2025


Shiitake mushrooms and lion's mane mushrooms are delicious and easy to grow. It does take time. Join us at Sunset Community Garden (@sunsetgardenridgewood) where we will use the log inoculation method to grow these edible mushrooms!

Last season gardeners inoculated logs with oyster mushrooms, and lion's mane mushrooms. We are looking forward to enjoying the first mushrooms from last year's inoculation later this spring. The oak logs we inoculate during this workshop will remain in the garden and begin fruiting next year.

This is an opportunity to get hands on with the materials and methods for log-grown mushrooms that you can replicate in your own garden/outdoor growing space. A discussion of long-term care and maintenance of mushroom logs will accompany the hands on inoculation.

This is a free workshop. All are welcome! Reserve a spot!

A big thank you to NYRP for the logs, Biotech without Borders for the spawn and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) for the tools and expertise for this workshop. Facilitation of this workshop would not be possible without the CCE Community Mushroom Educator Program that has trained many of us here in NYC how to grow and teach about log grown mushrooms! Check out some videos from CCE exploring some of the many aspects of growing mushrooms.

If you are planning to attend the log inoculation, also consider participating in our Clothing & Housewares Swap.

**Please note: This event is entirely outdoors at Sunset Community Garden. Please wear comfortable clothing including closed toe shoes that you do not mind getting dirty. Bring water and food. There is a port-a-potty on site.

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The NYS Mushroom Summit, hosted by the Cornell Small Farms Program, will convene a regional network of mushroom farmers and educators from indoor, outdoor, and community production systems; restaurateurs, food creatives and chefs; and extension, government and industry representatives. This diverse group will work together to determine grower research and marketing needs, interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities, and community building initiatives. Group conversations and presentations will be structured around value added products, frontiers in mycology research, and peer-to-peer learning.

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11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
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Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101 (Flushing, NY)

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11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
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Join us at Ridgewood Community Garden for a free, hands-on workshop with CCE Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist Karen Guzman. Participants will learn about basic tree maintenance and pruning techniques. Proper winter care helps trees conserve energy, prevent damage from cold weather, and prepare for growth in the spring. 

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