ShroomSpy

ShroomSpy

Background

How To Grow Reishi at Home

Cultivation Supplies
Welcome to ShroomSpy's ultimate guide on growing reishi mushrooms! Dive into the world of mycology and unlock the secrets of cultivating these potent fungi in the comfort of your own home. From boosting your immune system to reducing inflammation, reishi mushrooms offer a myriad of health benefits. Join us on this exciting journey and start growing your own reishi mushrooms today!
Mushrooms

Natural Habitat

• Ecosystem:

Deciduous forests

• Locations:

Asia, North America, Europe

• Seasons:

Throughout the year

• Climate:

Temperate

• Substrate:

Wood logs or wood chips

Growing Params

• Difficulty:

Moderate

• Total Time:

39 - 137 Days

• PH Range:

6 - 7

• Pref Suppl's:

Wheat Bran

Yield Performance

• Units:

% Weight of Substrate

• Poor:

10

• Average:

20

• Good:

30

• Excellent:

40

Culture Instructions

Agar Cultivation

Supplies Needed

  • • Agar Powder: Cellular medium for agar plates.
  • • Petri Dishes: Containers for pouring agar medium.
  • • Agar Jar: Narrow Mouth Jar with Sealing Lid is optimal.
  • • Parafilm: For Sealing the agar after innoculation. Grafting Tape is also sufficient.
  • • Scissors: Tool for cutting sealing tape to length.
  • • Stir Plate: Optional: Thorough mixing with sagenetic stirrir improves results by distributing nutrients evenly
  • • Nutrient Medium: Nutrition can be Light Malt Extract, Honey, Karo ext. For Mycelial Expansion.
  • • Suppliments: Suppliments not required, but can sometimes be added to the liquid culture medium to increase growth rates.
  • • Clean Environment: Flow Hood is optimal, but a still air box can be used.
  • • Pressure Cooker: Equipment for sterilizing agar mixture and Petri dishes.
  • • Scalpel or Innoculation Loop: Tool for transferring mycelium to agar plates.
  • • Alcohol Lamp or Burner: Sterilization tool for flame sterilizing instruments.

Growing Params

Recipe: MEA

Temperature Range:70 - 80 °F

CO2 Range:5000 - 10000 ppm

Growth Duration:4 - 7 Days

Cultivation Notes: Keep in dark and humid environment

Liquid Culture

Supplies Needed

  • • Sterile Jar: Clean container for liquid culture inoculation.
  • • Modified Lid: Lid should have a filter port for gas exchange. Syringe Port Optional.
  • • Clean Environment: Flow Hood is optimal, but a still air box can be used.
  • • Nutrient Medium: Nutrition can be Light Malt Extract, Honey, Karo ext. For Mycelial Expansion.
  • • Suppliments: Suppliments not required, but can sometimes be added to the liquid culture medium to increase growth rates.
  • • Pressure Cooker: Equipment for sterilizing liquid culture medium.
  • • Scalpel or Syringe: Tool for transferring mycelial mass to growth medium.
  • • Alcohol Lamp or Burner: Sterilization tool for flame sterilizing instruments.

Growing Params

Recipe: KDLC

Temperature Range:70 - 80 °F

CO2 Range:20000 - 40000 ppm

Growth Duration:7 - 14 Days

Cultivation Notes: Maintain sterile conditions during liquid culture. Stir Daily

Agar Cultivation
  1. Prepare the agar medium by mixing water, agar powder, and malt extract in a flask.
  2. Autoclave the agar medium to sterilize it and let it cool to around 50°C.
  3. Pour the agar medium into petri dishes, leaving some space at the top for inoculation.
  4. Inoculate the agar plates with reishi mushroom spores or mycelium culture using a sterile technique.
  5. Seal the petri dishes with parafilm or tape and incubate them in a dark, warm place for 7-14 days.
  6. Check the plates regularly for contamination and growth of the reishi mycelium.
  7. Once the mycelium has fully colonized the agar plates, you can use them 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 laminar flow hood or a still air box.
  2. Gather all necessary materials including reishi mushroom spores, liquid culture medium (such as malt extract agar), sterile syringes, and sterilized containers.
  3. In a clean environment, flame sterilize the needle of the syringe and allow it to cool before drawing up the liquid culture medium.
  4. Inject the liquid culture medium into the sterilized container, ensuring that the container is sealed properly to prevent contamination.
  5. Incubate the liquid culture at the optimal temperature for reishi mushroom growth, typically around 75-80°F (24-27°C).
  6. Monitor the liquid culture for signs of growth, such as mycelium forming in the medium. This process can take several weeks.
  7. Once the liquid culture is fully colonized with mycelium, it is ready to be used to inoculate substrate for fruiting reishi mushrooms.

Spawn Instructions

Supplies Needed

  • • Mason Jars or Bags: Containers for sterilizing and inoculating grains.
  • • Modified Lid: Lid should have a filter port for gas exchange. Syringe Port Optional.
  • • Grains: Substrate material for spawn inoculation. (e.g. Rye, Millet)
  • • Clean Environment: Flow Hood is optimal, but a still air box can be used.
  • • Suppliments: Suppliments not required, but can sometimes be added to the grain medium to increase growth rates.
  • • Pressure Cooker: Equipment for sterilizing grain substrate.
  • • Inoculation Tool : Tool for transferring colonized spawn to substrate. (e.g. Scalpel, Syringe)
  • • Alcohol Lamp or Burner: Sterilization tool for flame sterilizing instruments.

Growing Params

Spawn Material: Whole Oats

Temperature Range:70 - 80 °F

Moisture Content:49 - 55 %

Fresh Air Exchange:1 - 2 / Hour

CO2 Range:20000 - 40000 ppm

Growth Duration:7 - 14 Days

Grain Spawn Prep and Innoculation
  1. Prepare your grain substrate by soaking it in water for 24 hours.
  2. After soaking, drain the water from the grain substrate and fill your jars with the substrate, leaving some space at the top.
  3. Sterilize the jars with the grain substrate in a pressure cooker at 15 psi for 90 minutes.
  4. Allow the jars to cool down to room temperature in a clean environment.
  5. In a still air box or in front of a flow hood, inoculate the cooled jars with reishi mushroom spores or liquid culture.
  6. Seal the jars with a breathable filter, such as micropore tape, to allow for gas exchange.
  7. Incubate the inoculated jars in a dark, warm place (around 75-80°F) for 2-4 weeks, or until fully colonized with mycelium.
  8. Once fully colonized, the grain spawn is ready to be used to inoculate your fruiting substrate for growing reishi mushrooms.

Substrate Instructions

Supplies Needed

  • • Substrate Mix: Substrate material for mushroom growth. (e.g., Sawdust, Wood Chips, Fast Fruiting Mix, Brown Rice)
  • • Suppliments: Suppliments not required, but can sometimes be added to the grain medium to increase growth rates.
  • • Substrate Container: Polypropylene Bags or Plastic Containers for sterilizing and inoculating substrate.
  • • Mycelial Mass: Typically Colonized Grain Jars or Liquid Culture for inoculation.
  • • Clean Environment: Flow Hood is optimal, but a still air box can be used.
  • • Pressure Cooker or Steam Sterilizer: Equipment for sterilizing substrate.

Growing Params

Substrate: Hardwood Sawdust

Sub to Spawn Ratio: 3:1

Sub to LC Ratio: 4ml/qt

Temperature Range:70 - 80 °F

Humidity Range:95 - 100 RH

Fresh Air Exchange:1 - 2 / Hour

CO2 Range:20000 - 40000 ppm

Growth Duration:7 - 14 Days

Substrate Prep and Innoculation
  1. Prepare the substrate by mixing hardwood sawdust with wheat bran in a ratio of 5:1.
  2. Moisten the substrate mixture until it reaches a field capacity moisture level.
  3. Fill sterilized bags with the substrate mixture, leaving some space at the top for inoculation.
  4. Inoculate the bags with reishi mushroom spawn by evenly distributing it throughout the substrate.
  5. Seal the bags with a filter patch and incubate them in a dark, warm environment at around 75-80°F.
  6. Check the bags regularly for signs of colonization, such as white mycelium growth spreading throughout the substrate.
  7. Once the substrate is fully colonized, move the bags to a cooler environment with indirect light to induce fruiting.
  8. Maintain proper humidity levels and air circulation to encourage the growth of reishi mushrooms.
  9. Harvest the reishi mushrooms when they reach maturity, typically indicated by a reddish-brown color and a firm texture.

Primordia Instructions

Supplies Needed

  • • Fruiting Chamber: Controlled environment chamber for pinning and fruiting.
  • • Control Automation: Optional. Controller and sensors for maintaining temperature, humidity, lighting ext.
  • • Casing Layer: Optional. Species Dependant. Humidification material for maintaining humidity in the fruiting chamber.
  • • Hygrometer: Instrument for measuring humidity levels.
  • • Humidifier: Optional. Could be spray bottle or humidifer. Tool for misting and humidifying the fruiting chamber.

Growing Params

Casing Layer: None

Temperature Range:65 - 75 °F

Humidity Range:95 - 100 RH

Light Wave Length:450 - 470 nm

Light Intensity:200 - 500 Lux

Light Duration: 12 Hours/Day

Fresh Air Exchange:0 - 1 / Hour

CO2 Range:20000 - 40000 ppm

Growth Duration:14 - 28 Days

Cultivation Notes: Maintain high humidity and proper lighting

Primordia Initiation
  1. Prepare a clean and sterile growing environment for the reishi mushrooms.
  2. Ensure the temperature is around 75-80°F and humidity is around 90-95%.
  3. Introduce the reishi mushroom spawn to the growing substrate, such as a mixture of hardwood sawdust and wood chips.
  4. Cover the substrate with a layer of casing material, such as peat moss or vermiculite, to help retain moisture.
  5. Place the growing containers in a dark and warm location to encourage primordia initiation.
  6. Monitor the moisture levels regularly and mist the growing containers if necessary to maintain high humidity.
  7. After 1-2 weeks, small pin-like structures called primordia should start to form on the surface of the substrate.
  8. Continue to maintain the temperature and humidity levels until the primordia develop into mature reishi mushrooms.

Fruiting Instructions

Supplies Needed

  • • Fruiting Chamber: Controlled environment chamber for fruiting.
  • • Temperature Control System: Equipment for maintaining optimal fruiting temperatures.
  • • Fresh Air Exchange System: System to provide adequate fresh air exchange in the fruiting chamber.
  • • Light Source: Light source to provide required illumination for fruiting. (e.g., LED Grow Light)
  • • Harvesting Tools: Tools for harvesting mushrooms without damaging the mycelium. (e.g., Knife, Scissors)

Growing Params

Temperature Range:70 - 80 °F

Humidity Range:90 - 95 RH

Light Wave Length:450 - 470 nm

Light Intensity:200 - 500 lux

Light Duration: 12 Hours/Day

Fresh Air Exchange:2 - 3 / Hour

CO2 Range:800 - 2000 ppm

Growth Duration:55 - 60 Days

Flushes:1 - 2

Flushing Schedule:90 - 120 Days

Cultivation Notes: Maintain high humidity and proper lighting for fruiting

Fruiting Preparation and Conditions
  1. Prepare a fruiting chamber by cleaning and sterilizing it thoroughly to prevent contamination.
  2. Fill the fruiting chamber with a substrate such as sawdust or grain spawn that has been inoculated with reishi mushroom mycelium.
  3. Maintain a relative humidity level of around 90-95% in the fruiting chamber to promote mushroom growth.
  4. Keep the temperature in the fruiting chamber between 70-75°F (21-24°C) to encourage fruiting.
  5. Provide indirect light or low-intensity light to simulate natural conditions for reishi mushrooms to grow.
  6. Monitor the moisture levels in the fruiting chamber and mist the substrate if it appears dry.
  7. Harvest the reishi mushrooms when they reach maturity, typically indicated by a reddish-brown color and a firm texture.