Shiitake Culture Slant

Product Overview

The Shiitake Culture Slant is a high-quality, sterile culture of the Lentinula edodes species, known for its earthy flavor, nutritional benefits, and medicinal properties. This culture slant is ideal for mycology enthusiasts, researchers, and educational purposes, providing a stable and reliable foundation for propagation and study.

Key Features:

• Sourced from premium Shiitake mushrooms.
• Prepared in a sterile environment to ensure purity and viability.
• Ideal for research, propagation, and educational purposes.

Instructions for Use

Understanding the Culture Slant

A culture slant is a test tube containing nutrient agar inoculated with mushroom mycelium. It is used to propagate and preserve fungal cultures over extended periods.

Propagation from the Shiitake Culture Slant

1. Prepare a Sterile Work Environment:
2. • Use a glove box or laminar flow hood to prevent contamination.
   • Sterilize tools such as scalpels, tweezers, and containers with heat or alcohol.
2. Inoculating Agar Plates:
3. • Open the culture slant carefully and sterilize the mouth of the tube with a flame.
   • Use a sterile scalpel to carefully scrape a small amount of the mycelium from the culture slant.
   • Transfer the mycelium onto pre-sterilized agar plates.
   • Seal the plates and store them at 75–80°F (24–27°C) for colonization.
3. Grain Spawn Preparation:
4. • Once the agar plates are colonized, cut small sections of the mycelium-covered agar.
   • Transfer these pieces to sterilized grain jars (rye, millet, or oats work well).
   • Allow the mycelium to colonize the grains at room temperature. Shake the jars occasionally to distribute growth.
4. Substrate Transfer:
5. • Once the grain spawn is fully colonized, transfer it to a bulk substrate such as hardwood sawdust supplemented with bran. Shiitake mushrooms thrive on hardwood-based substrates.
5. Fruiting Conditions:
6. • After colonization, expose the substrate to fruiting conditions:
   • • Temperature: 55–65°F (13–18°C)
     • Humidity: 85–95%
     • Light: Indirect light for 12–14 hours per day.
   • Shiitake mushrooms will begin to pin within 7–14 days and mature into their iconic umbrella-shaped caps.

Care & Storage

• Short-Term Storage: Keep the culture slant at room temperature for up to 1–2 weeks.
• Long-Term Storage: Store the culture slant in a refrigerator at 35–40°F (2–4°C) to maintain viability for 6–12 months.
• Sterile Handling: Always handle the culture slant in a sterile environment to prevent contamination.

Warnings

• For Research and Educational Purposes Only: The culture slant is intended for microscopy, taxonomy, and learning purposes.
• Sterile Practices: Contamination can compromise the viability of the culture. Always use sterilized tools and surfaces.
• Legal Compliance: Ensure adherence to local regulations regarding mushroom propagation and cultivation.

Why Choose Our Shiitake Culture Slant?

• Premium Quality: Prepared in a sterile environment to ensure purity and reliability.
• Educational Value: Perfect for researchers and enthusiasts looking to propagate or study Shiitake mushrooms.
• Long-Term Viability: Properly stored culture slants offer an extended shelf life for ongoing propagation.

About Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) are revered for their rich, umami flavor and powerful medicinal properties. Traditionally used in Asian cuisine and medicine, Shiitake mushrooms are valued for their immune-boosting compounds and nutritional content. They are a favorite for both culinary enthusiasts and mycologists due to their versatility and growth on hardwood substrates.