"Paul" wrote
We have a very shaded part at the back of our allotment, not much will
grow, so we are thinking of try to grow oyster and shiitake mushrooms. Has
anyone in the group tried this? What type of dead wood is best eg oak. We
have some 2-year-old apple trunks quietly rotting away, would they be any
good?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Yes, at the moment I have logs that I impregnated with Oyster, Shitake and
Lion's Mane and am awaiting the first mushrooms.
Old wood is certainly out, it's already infected with fungus which will
probably outcompete with the cultivated stuff you use and you could poison
yourself easily if it is one of the nasty ones that fruits and you thought
it a Shitake....
You have to use very freshly cut logs that still have moisture and are not
already infected with a fungus. Any hard wood will do just fine, Oak, Beech
etc. Some hard woods take longer to get thoroughly infected but this is a
long process anyway.

Most people that supply the impregnated pegs also send instructions.
You have to drill holes that are a tight fit for the plugs, bang them in at
regular intervals, and then pour melted wax over the pegs to stop any nasty
fungus from getting in. You then seal the logs in plastic for some 6 months
or more so the logs don't dry out. When you see the ends of the logs going
black all over you uncover them and await the fruit bodies. Can take from 6
to 18 months but you may then crop every few months for up to 5 years.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden