Key Techniques for High-Yield Bottle Cultivation of Reishi Mushroom at Home

Reishi mushroom is a precious medicinal fungus. Through the ages, medical experts both in China and abroad have believed that it has effects such as strengthening the body's resistance, supporting vitality, strengthening the heart, and benefiting the brain, and that it has a certain therapeutic effect on diseases such as high blood pressure. At present, the new anti-cancer drug made from wall-broken reishi spore powder has pushed this miraculous fungus to a new peak in pharmacology.

Because wild reishi mushroom is scarce, it cannot meet people's needs. If this miraculous fungus is cultivated in bottles in one's own courtyard, it can satisfy people's curiosity.

1. Growth and development conditions of reishi mushroom. Reishi mushroom is a high-temperature type fungus, and its mycelium can grow at 12-36°C, with the fastest growth at 27°C. The fruiting body can differentiate at 18-32°C, but a normal cap and fruiting body can only form when the temperature is above 20°C. It is relatively sensitive to light; when the fruiting body forms, scattered light is needed, and the air must remain fresh. It grows best at a pH value between 5-6.

2. Preparation of the culture medium and selection of cultivation bottles. For bottle cultivation of reishi mushroom, generally 750 ml wide-mouth bottles with a diameter of 3 cm are used; at home, 500 ml cans may sometimes also be used, and it is best to choose ones with a smaller diameter. Bottle cultivation of reishi mushroom generally uses the spawn directly for fruiting. The main thing is to minimize artificial contamination during inoculation. Culture medium composition: fresh cottonseed hulls of the current year, sun-dried for 2-3 days; for 50 kg cottonseed hulls, 1 kg superphosphate, 1-1.5 kg gypsum powder, and 1 kg quicklime to adjust the pH value to 5-6. At a material-to-water ratio of 1:1.4, that is, 65% water content, squeeze the mixed material tightly by hand; it is ready when 1-2 drops of water seep out between the fingers. Then fill the bottles promptly, pressing the culture medium in the bottles firmly with a small wooden stick while filling. To facilitate inoculation, after filling the bottles, use a small wooden stick to poke a small hole from top to bottom in the center of each bottle, then wash the debris around the bottle mouth clean, plug the bottle mouth tightly with a clean cotton plug, wrap the outside with moisture-proof paper, and place it in a 1.5 kg/sq cm high-pressure steam cooker to sterilize for 1 hour. If conditions do not permit, use an atmospheric pressure cooker with a steaming barrel placed on top, boil continuously for 10 hours, and then let it sit for 1 day.

3. Inoculation. Put the sterilized culture bottles one by one into the inoculation box. Half an hour before inoculation, disinfect the inside of the box with formaldehyde plus potassium permanganate solution; during inoculation, disinfect the person's arms with alcohol and carry out the inoculation inside the inoculation box. Open the cotton plug, use sterilized tweezers to pick up spawn about the size of a broad bean and place it into the inoculation hole, then seal the cotton plug well. After all the culture bottles in the inoculation box have been inoculated, take the culture bottles out.

4. Mycelium cultivation. According to the needs of mycelium growth, try to choose a dry, clean, uncontaminated room for mycelium cultivation, and maintain the humidity at around 25°C. In summer, pay attention to ventilation and cooling. Check every day for contamination by foreign fungi. Generally, bottles contaminated by foreign fungi have green or yellow-green mycelium growing inside and must be removed promptly. After about 20 days of mycelium cultivation, mushroom buds appear on the surface of the culture medium, and then the cotton plug can be loosened to allow better air exchange and accelerate the growth of the stipe. At this time, the air humidity should be increased to 80-90%, but water must not be sprayed directly toward the bottle mouth.

5. Cap growth stage. At this stage, the top of the stipe expands and forms layer after layer of flat caps growing in the horizontal direction.

6. Harvest stage. When the cap color changes from milky white to rice yellow, and then from rice yellow to reddish brown, the spores of the fruiting layer have also matured. At this time, use a sharp knife to cut it off with one cut along the base of the stipe, and promptly clean up the remaining mushroom roots, trying not to damage the mycelium. Cover the top with moist newspaper and re-enter the stage of mycelium growth and recovery, so as to produce mushrooms a second time.

During the fruiting stage of reishi mushroom, scattered light is needed. If only stipes grow and no caps appear, this is often caused by insufficient light.