A Detailed Guide to the Artificial Cultivation Techniques of Lion's Mane Mushroom

The lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) has tender flesh and a fragrant flavor, and is one of the four famous dishes; when fresh it is white, and after drying it turns light yellow to light brown. Nowadays the techniques for cultivating lion's mane mushroom are fairly well developed. What are the lion's mane mushroom cultivation techniques?

Lion's mane mushroom cultivation techniques

1. Build a greenhouse with good ventilation and insulation in a place with flat terrain and an unpolluted environment, to serve as the cultivation room. Its size depends on the scale of cultivation. Since lion's mane mushroom likes warmth, the greenhouse must have good insulation measures; a double-layer hollow wall can be used, ventilation measures should be done well, dig 50cm down into the ground, and cover the top of the greenhouse with drip-free film for insulation.

2. To grow lion's mane mushroom, the culture material must be mixed properly: take 90% cottonseed hulls, 8% wheat bran, 1% gypsum, and 1% superphosphate, add water at a material-to-water ratio of 1:1.4-1.5, let it sit for 2 hours to fully absorb water, and finally adjust it to a moisture content of about 65%. Use 15cm×32-34cm×0.04cm polypropylene double-tube plastic bags, fill each bag with 1kg of culture material, press the culture material down moderately, and then tie the bag opening tightly.

3. After the culture bags are made, carry out high-temperature sterilization; you can choose either normal-pressure sterilization or high-pressure sterilization.

4. After the culture bags cool down, send them into the inoculation room for mycelium inoculation; both the workers and the culture bags need to be disinfected.

5. Place the inoculated bags into the greenhouse for mycelium cultivation; keep the cultivation shed dry and ventilated, avoid direct sunlight, do a good job of disinfection and sterilization inside the shed, and keep the temperature inside the shed at 18-25°C.

6. When the mycelium grows to the fruiting body stage, lower the temperature by a few degrees appropriately and keep the temperature at around 18°C. The most suitable relative air humidity for lion's mane mushroom production is between 85%-95%. In addition, it should also be decided according to the actual growth and development state of the fruiting bodies; as the number and volume of lion's mane mushrooms increase, the water they need also increases. Generally, water should be sprinkled 3-4 times a day, and on rainy days there is no need to spray water.

7. If the indoor air is stale and too much carbon dioxide accumulates, it will inhibit their growth and development, so pay attention to ventilation and air exchange in the mushroom house; open the vents regularly every day for air exchange, 3-4 times a day, about 30 minutes each time.

8. Although the fruiting bodies of lion's mane mushroom can grow under dark conditions, deformed mushrooms easily appear; we should use scattered light, creating the most suitable light for fruiting body formation through shade nets and fluorescent lamps.

9. Lion's mane mushroom should be harvested when the fruiting bodies are eight-tenths ripe. Harvesting too late will make the color turn yellow and lose water, affecting the growth of the next batch of mushrooms.

Lion's mane mushroom is a fungus used both as medicine and food; it can strengthen the spleen and nourish the stomach. Friends who are interested can give it a try.