How To Grow Maitake at Home

Agar Cultivation

1. Prepare the agar medium by mixing agar powder with water according to the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Autoclave the agar medium to sterilize it and let it cool to around 50°C.
3. Pour the agar medium into sterile petri dishes, filling them about halfway full.
4. Allow the agar to solidify in the petri dishes in a sterile environment, such as a laminar flow hood.
5. Using a sterile technique, transfer a small piece of maitake mushroom tissue onto the agar surface in each petri dish.
6. Seal the petri dishes with parafilm or tape to prevent contamination.
7. Incubate the petri dishes at the optimal temperature for maitake mushroom mycelium growth, typically around 25-30°C.
8. Check the petri dishes regularly for signs of contamination or growth of maitake mycelium.
9. Once the mycelium has fully colonized the agar medium, you can use it to inoculate your substrate for fruiting.

Liquid Culture Cultivation

1. Prepare a sterile work area by cleaning all surfaces with a disinfectant and using a flow hood or still air box.
2. Gather all necessary materials including a maitake mushroom liquid culture syringe, sterile liquid culture medium, and sterile containers.
3. Heat the liquid culture medium in a pressure cooker or autoclave to sterilize it and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Inject the maitake mushroom liquid culture syringe into the sterile liquid culture medium using aseptic techniques.
5. Seal the containers with breathable lids or micropore tape to allow for gas exchange while preventing contamination.
6. Incubate the liquid culture containers in a dark, warm area with temperatures around 75-80°F (24-27°C) for 2-4 weeks.
7. Check the liquid culture containers regularly for signs of growth such as mycelium growth or cloudiness in the medium.
8. Once the liquid culture is fully colonized with mycelium, it is ready to be used to inoculate substrate for fruiting.

Substrate Prep and Innoculation

1. Prepare the substrate by mixing hardwood sawdust and wheat bran in a ratio of 5:1.
2. Moisten the substrate mixture until it reaches a field capacity moisture level.
3. Fill autoclavable bags with the substrate mixture, leaving some room at the top for expansion.
4. Sterilize the substrate bags in an autoclave at 121°C for 2-3 hours to kill any competing organisms.
5. Allow the substrate bags to cool down to room temperature in a clean environment.
6. Inoculate the cooled substrate bags with maitake mushroom spawn using a sterile technique.
7. Seal the inoculated bags with a filter patch or micropore tape to allow for gas exchange.
8. Incubate the inoculated bags in a dark, warm (around 24-27°C) environment for 2-3 weeks.
9. Monitor the bags for signs of mycelial growth, which should appear as white, fluffy patches.
10. Once the substrate is fully colonized with mycelium, move the bags to a fruiting chamber with high humidity and indirect light.
11. Maintain humidity levels around 90% and temperatures around 18-22°C for optimal fruiting conditions.
12. Harvest the maitake mushrooms when they reach the desired size, typically within 1-2 weeks of initiating fruiting conditions.

Fruiting Preparation and Conditions

1. Prepare a fruiting chamber by cleaning and sanitizing it thoroughly to prevent contamination.
2. Fill the fruiting chamber with a substrate such as sawdust or wood chips that have been inoculated with maitake mushroom spawn.
3. Maintain the fruiting chamber at a temperature of around 55-65°F with high humidity levels (around 90%).
4. Provide indirect light to the fruiting chamber, as maitake mushrooms prefer low light conditions.
5. Mist the substrate regularly to keep it moist, but be careful not to oversaturate it.
6. Monitor the growth of the mushrooms and harvest them when they reach the desired size, typically within 1-2 weeks.