The deep shade provided by large fig trees is ideal for growing Shitake mushrooms. A stack of inoculated logs just requires a bucket of water once in a while. So you can harvest a crop after the figs are gone in the fall and before they come on in the spring. The mushrooms are really good broiled in olive oil.

I saw logs available from Gurney's. How do these work out? Once you have a log with a crop will it spread to other logs? I have no shortage of logs available.

I use 5-8" diameter oak (there are other types that can be used) logs that I cut into 4' lengths, usually in the early spring (February-March). I paint the ends of the logs to keep other fungal spores from colonizing them, rick the logs up and let them rest for a few weeks. When the weather warms, I order dowels inoculated with Shitake from Fungi Perfecta (there are other places), let the dowels rest a week or so in the fridge, drill holes in the logs and pound the dowels in. Sometimes I seal over the top of the dowels with wax.

Then let them grow for 6 months to a year and they begin to produce. For me, the logs produce 5-6 years. This year I also have Oyster mushrooms. They need a really shady, damp spot. This is where the figs come in. When I dump a bucket of water on the logs, some runs off for the fig tree.

Thanks Scott. It looks like something I might give a try. Thanks for the advice on technique. One question - what do you mean by "rick" the logs?

Just basically stack the logs on top of each other with each layer perpendicular to the one below it and an air space between the logs (I put the bottom logs on some treated wood). Once they begin to "fruit" you can lean the  logs vertically up against a wall or fence or place the bottom of the log in shallow hole so it stands vertically (like a fence post). I usually don't bother, just leave them in the rick and pluck the mushrooms from between the logs. Check out the pics on this page..

http://www.fungi.com/plugs/index.html

Got it now, thanks. I may try this in the spring.