Lion's mane mushroom has a large market and good returns; cultivation requires meeting six major conditions

Lion's mane mushroom

   1. Nutrition

    Lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) is a wood-rotting fungus with a strong ability to decompose wood. It uses carbon sources, nitrogen sources, mineral elements, vitamins, and so on. In artificial cultivation, the most economical and excellent carbon source is sawdust from suitable tree species. Bagasse, cottonseed hulls, and similar materials are also fairly ideal as carbon sources. Good nitrogen sources are wheat bran and rice bran; urea, peptone, ammonium salts, nitrates, and so on are also usable nitrogen sources.

    2. Temperature

     The mycelial growth temperature range of lion's mane mushroom is 6-34°C, with an optimum of about 25°C. Below 6°C, the mycelium temporarily suspends metabolic activity; above 30°C, the mycelium grows slowly and ages easily; at 35°C, growth stops.

    3. Water and humidity

    The suitable moisture content of the culture substrate is 60-70%. When it is below 50% or above 80%, the number of lion's mane mushroom primordia differentiated decreases, the fruiting bodies mature late, and the yield decreases. As for relative humidity, 70% is suitable during the mycelial culture and development stage; the fruiting body formation stage requires 85-90%, at which time the fruiting bodies grow rapidly and are pure white.

   4. Air

    Lion's mane mushroom is an aerobic fungus and is sensitive to carbon dioxide concentration. When the carbon dioxide concentration in the air is higher than 0.1%, it stimulates the stipe to branch continuously, forming coral-like deformed mushrooms, so having fresh air in the mushroom house is extremely important.

    5. Light

    Lion's mane mushroom basically needs no light during the mycelial growth stage, but primordia cannot form in the absence of light; 50 lx of scattered light is needed to stimulate primordium differentiation.

   6. pH

    Lion's mane mushroom prefers acidity. During the mycelial growth stage, it can grow within the range of pH 2.4-5, but pH 4 is suitable. When the pH is above 7, the mycelium grows poorly and the colony appears irregular. During the fruiting body growth stage, pH 4-5 is suitable.