Detailed Explanation of Grafting and Cultivation Techniques for Lingzhi (Reishi) Fruiting Bodies

The grafting technique for lingzhi fruiting bodies is a forced “strain drift” technique used when lingzhi buds in a field are locally too dense or too sparse. Especially for directionally cultivated lingzhi bonsai, it is a method to quickly achieve the desired effect.

Selection of scions: lingzhi fruiting bodies have strong regenerative healing capacity, but those whose caps have not yet differentiated are superior to those whose caps have already differentiated. For this reason, when selecting scions, choose thick, antler-shaped fruiting bodies with undifferentiated caps from the fungal logs that need bud thinning, cut them off flat along the base with a sterilized blade, wrap them in paper, and set them aside for use.

Selection of weather: whether lingzhi grafting survives is closely related to the weather. Among these factors, air humidity and temperature are the most critical. Therefore, when grafting, the weather should preferably be an overcast day or the evening after the first clear skies following rain, because relatively high air humidity (85%-95%) and suitable temperature (26-28 degrees C) are key to rapid healing of the fruiting body wounds. Grafting is prohibited at noon on sunny days and on rainy days.

Grafting technique: at the grafting point, choose a place where mycelium is dense or where primordia have already formed. First use a sharp blade to shave the fungal skin or primordium flat with 1 cut, align the cut surface of the scion with the cut surface of the primordium, and then fix the scion in place with moist soil. If grafting onto miscellaneous wood, also choose a place where mycelium is densely growing as the grafting point. First use a sharp knife to split open 1 slit in the bark, then insert the scion cut into a wedge shape into the slit, and likewise fix it in place with moist soil.

Management after grafting: after grafting, lingzhi must strictly not be sprayed with water before it survives. Generally, the film over the bed can be tightly covered so that the small environment within the bed forms relatively high air humidity. After 3-4 days, the scion and the mycelium at the grafting point will twist and connect firmly, and the growth point of the scion will resume growth, which counts as survival. If within 3-4 days there are scions that do not survive, they can be grafted again. As long as suitable air humidity and temperature are properly controlled, the success rate of grafted lingzhi is very high. Once the scions survive, they can be managed according to conventional methods.