What are the latest cultivation conditions needed for lion's mane mushroom?
Lion's mane mushroom is also called Hericium erinaceus, because its surface is covered with yellow fuzzy fleshy spines. It used to be a precious dish and has the reputation of being a mountain delicacy, the lion's mane. Lion's mane mushroom is a tender and delicious edible fungus with certain effects of strengthening the spleen and calming the mind. Artificial cultivation of lion's mane mushroom has been carried out for a long time, and we also have a certain understanding of its native environment. The conditions that artificial cultivation should provide are also very clear. So let us learn about them together next.
1. Native environment
The natural growth environment is mainly in broad-leaved forests in temperate regions, or coniferous forests, and also mixed forests. The main representative environments in China are the Greater Khingan Mountains and Lesser Khingan Mountains in the northeast; the Tianshan Mountains and Altai Mountains in the northwest; and the forest regions in the southwest. There are also Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hubei, Guangxi, and Fujian. In these places there is natural growth, and the environments will have certain differences, but they must be places with similarities for growth.
2. Temperature
The mycelium is most suitable for growing at around 25 degrees, but it can still grow above 6 degrees and above 34 degrees. If it is below 6 degrees or above 34 degrees, growth will stop, but exceeding 30 degrees will affect mycelial growth, causing slow growth and aging. Generally, around 20 degrees makes it easy to form mushrooms, and fruiting bodies formed from 16 degrees to 20 degrees are the best. Below 14 degrees, the fruiting bodies have an unattractive color and low use value.
3. Moisture
Generally, sawdust needs to maintain a moisture content of 55%, cottonseed hulls 60%, and sugarcane bagasse about 65%. But generally the moisture content should not exceed 65%. It is generally between 60% and 65%. Of course, there are exceptions, for example sugarcane can have a slightly higher moisture content. If the moisture content is too high, there is no oxygen, growth will slow down, and it is easy to age; if the moisture content is low, growth is affected and the water needs cannot be met. Therefore, moisture must be balanced.
4. Air
For edible fungus cultivation, unlike growing vegetables in open fields, the environment is generally relatively closed, and a good air environment is needed. More oxygen is absorbed, and carbon dioxide is released. After a period of time, carbon dioxide must be released and oxygen absorbed. Frequent ventilation is needed to keep the carbon dioxide content in the air below 0.1%.
5. Light
No light is needed; it grows in darkness and can also grow well under weak light. After light intensity increases, growth slows down. However, scattered light is needed to form fruiting bodies, and some scattered light is also needed when the fruiting bodies expand. If the light is too strong, growth will slow down and yield will decrease. So although it can grow in darkness, according to the stage, some scattered light is very good.
The artificial cultivation environment for lion's mane mushroom cannot compare with the natural environment; this is inevitable, but artificial cultivation of lion's mane mushroom should try as much as possible to provide conditions that do not affect growth. It can ensure good growth, as well as yield.