Efficient Cultivation and Planting Techniques, Methods and Latest Tutorial for Reishi Mushroom
Reishi mushroom, also known as Lingzhi herb, divine ganoderma, ganoderma herb, immortal herb, and auspicious herb, is the whole plant of Ganoderma lucidum or Ganoderma sinense, a polypore fungus. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica: “Reishi is neutral in nature, bitter in taste, non-toxic, governs accumulation in the chest, benefits heart qi, supplements the middle, increases wisdom, prevents forgetfulness, and with long-term use lightens the body and prevents aging, granting longevity like an immortal.”
Cultivation Techniques
1. Production of spawn for cultivation
The raw material formula is 60% cottonseed hulls, 20% mixed wood sawdust, 20% wheat bran, plus 1% sugar, 2% soybean cake, 1.5% each of gypsum and lime, and 0.4% magnesium sulfate. When preparing, first dry-mix the main ingredients evenly, then dissolve the sugar, lime, and magnesium sulfate in water, spray onto the main ingredients and turn and mix again; when the moisture content is uniform (60-65%), it is ready for inoculation. The spawn bags should preferably use 17×35CM polypropylene tubing, tied at both ends, with inoculation at both ends. Each bag can hold 0.5 kg of dry material. When filling, keep the tightness consistent, and tie both ends of the bag tightly.
After the bags are filled, carry out atmospheric (or high-pressure) sterilization in a timely manner; when the temperature reaches 100°C, maintain it for 8-9 hours, then after stopping the fire, let it sit for another 5-6 hours before taking it out to cool the bags. When the temperature of the material bags drops below 30°C, inoculation can be carried out. During inoculation, strict control is required, achieving sterile operation to reduce contamination. During the mycelium growth stage, keep the light dim, control air humidity below 70%, and maintain the temperature at 24-28°C. Turn the bags once every 7-10 days, and promptly remove and handle any contamination found. Generally after 25-30 days the mycelium will have fully colonized the material bags, and after 5-7 days it can be expanded for spawning; during expansion, mycelium cultivation is the same as for cultivation spawn.
2. Management of fruiting body formation
Fruiting can be scheduled from late April to mid-October. When the reishi spawn bags are fully colonized by mycelium and begin to show primordia, fruiting management can begin. Because Ganoderma sinense has a short stalk or even no stalk, the bags cannot be completely removed when casing with soil; 2-3CM of the bag should be left at one end, and the rest completely removed, then cased with soil. The soil should be applied to 0.5CM below the bag opening to prevent the reishi layer from touching soil and affecting quality. About 50 bags per square meter, with about 2CM between bags; after casing, sprinkle water with a watering can to wash away excess soil at the bag ends, and after two days cut off the bag openings. The reishi bed should not be too wide; 80CM is suitable. After casing and leveling, begin temperature control. Keep it between 22-30°C, control air humidity at 85-90%, increase light, and ventilate to promote early formation and rapid differentiation of mushroom buds.
Under suitable conditions, it generally takes about 40 days from cultivation to harvest. The sign of maturity in reishi is that the cap changes from thin to thick, the color changes from light yellow to reddish-brown, the white growth ring around the edge of the cap has disappeared, and a small amount of spore powder is released inside the tubes. The cap becomes lacquer-glossy. Mature reishi has stopped growing, and its resistance to stress and contaminating fungi weakens; moreover, because the temperature and humidity in the reishi shed are relatively high, it is susceptible to contaminating fungi.
Therefore, it should be harvested in a timely manner. When harvesting, use a sharp knife to cut from the base of the stalk or directly twist off the stalk by hand. The harvested reishi should be promptly placed on a clean cement yard to dry in the sun, strictly preventing foreign matter from adhering, or it can be dried at 40-60°C to reduce the moisture content to 12%.
Pest and Disease Control
1. Trichoderma green mold (Penicillium) and Neurospora
On the culture material, the growing points of the reishi stalk and the hymenium beneath the cap are both easily damaged. In the early stage of Penicillium, the mycelium is white and loose and cottony; after producing conidia, it becomes light green or blue-green. In the early stage of Trichoderma, the mycelium is gray-white or white and densely cottony, and soon produces yellow-brown, black, or dark green conidia. Green mold has strong reproductive capacity; after infection during the mycelium growth stage of reishi, mycelial growth is inhibited, and in severe cases no fruiting bodies can be produced. After the fruiting body is infected, it may rot and die in severe cases. Neurospora is rampant in the hot, humid summer, mainly spreading extremely quickly at the openings of culture bags and at the base and edges of fruiting bodies, producing large amounts of orange-red powdery spores. For the control of contaminating fungi, Kemeling injection can be used; for fruiting bodies, Kemeling plus lime can be used to wipe or cover; in severe cases, they can be removed, burned, or deeply buried.
2. Fungus gnats
Fungus gnats lay eggs on the surface of the culture material, and after a few days they hatch into maggots; the maggots burrow into the culture material and destroy the mycelium, and in the later stage harm the fruiting bodies by feeding on the tissue. For fungus gnats and other pests, prevention must be the main approach; before the culture bags are brought into the shed, spray inside and outside with 0.2% dimethoate or 0.2% deltamethrin to thoroughly kill the insects.