How to Grow Polyporus umbellatus for High Yield? Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial

Polyporus umbellatus, also known as wild boar dung, Diwutao, powder Polyporus umbellatus and so on, is the sclerotium of the fungus Polyporus umbellatus in the family Polyporaceae, genus Polyporus. As a medicinal herb it has the functions of promoting urination and draining dampness, and in recent years it has also been found to have anti-cancer effects. It is widely distributed in China, being produced in Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Liaoning, Jilin, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Gansu and other provinces. Now let us take a look at the high-yield cultivation techniques for Polyporus umbellatus!

Growth Characteristics

Polyporus umbellatus prefers fertile, moist, humus-rich, well-drained sunny slope mature land. It begins to grow when the temperature 5 cm below the ground surface is 8-9°C, grows best at 15-20°C, and at 25-30°C the mycelium stops growing and enters a short-term dormancy or produces fruiting bodies, surviving adverse conditions and reproducing by spores. In late autumn and early winter, when the temperature 5 cm below the ground surface falls below 8°C, it again enters winter dormancy. During the year, April to June and September to October are the active growth periods of Polyporus umbellatus mycelium.

Material Preparation for Cultivation

For Polyporus umbellatus cultivation, select hard broadleaf wood logs such as oak, birch, maple, Acer, alder, mulberry and willow, about 10 cm in diameter, sawed into 60 cm lengths, and sun-dried for 10-15 days to bring the moisture content to about 70%. Then drill three rows of holes every 3-5 cm in a triangular arrangement, and fill the holes completely with Polyporus umbellatus spawn.

Site Selection and Land Preparation

For Polyporus umbellatus cultivation, choose moist, well-aerated, slightly acidic sandy loam with a soil moisture content of 30-50%. A southwest- or northwest-facing half-sunny slope is best, with a gradient of 20-30 degrees. After selecting the site, dig pits down the slope for cultivation, with a pit depth of 50 cm and a length and width of 70 cm each.

Cultivation Time

The best time to cultivate Polyporus umbellatus is March to April in spring or July to August in autumn, when Polyporus umbellatus is passing through its dormant period and entering its growth period, and Armillaria mellea is also in its growth period, so the two can establish a good symbiotic relationship with each other.

Pit Cultivation

Loosen the bottom of the pit by 7-10 cm, place 1/3 humus soil in it, and after leveling, spread a layer of soaked dried oak leaves and place the Polyporus umbellatus logs flat on the leaves with a spacing of 6-10 cm. Place some Armillaria mellea branches between the logs, then scatter the Armillaria mellea spawn on the leaves and branches. Press small Polyporus umbellatus tightly beside the Armillaria mellea logs. Then fill with humus soil and press gently, leaving no gaps, with moderate firmness, and do not press too firmly. Finally, cover with 10-15 cm of fine soil, and cover the top of the pit with dead branches and fallen leaves, slightly higher than the ground surface, forming a turtle-back shape to facilitate drainage.

Post-Planting Management

Polyporus umbellatus cultivation requires no fertilizer and no weeding; let it remain in a wild state, but keep the pit soil appropriately moist at all times, and prevent trampling by people and livestock and damage by rodents. Do not turn it over and inspect it arbitrarily either, so as not to destroy the symbiotic relationship between the two.

Harvesting and Processing

Polyporus umbellatus is a perennial by habit; the yield is not high within one or two years, and it is only in the third or fourth year of cultivation that it reaches its vigorous reproductive period. During harvest, pay attention to the sclerotia in the surface soil layer. It can be harvested throughout the year, with summer and autumn being the best. Those that are black in color and hard in texture are called old sclerotia; these are the commercial Polyporus umbellatus, that is, the first- and second-generation Polyporus umbellatus. At harvest, remove the old and keep the young. Clean the harvested Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia by removing impurities and scrubbing them thoroughly, then dry them naturally in sunlight; once dry they can be packed and shipped for sale, packed in gunny bags or bamboo baskets and stored in a dry place.