Growth regulation and craft-shaping induction techniques for lingzhi (Ganoderma)
1. Characteristics of induced craft shaping. Unlike traditional handcrafted shaping, induced craft shaping relies on artificial regulation of the materials used so that they grow as naturally as possible.
For example: fish require smooth, flat lingzhi pieces bearing wing-shaped fins; birds require feather-like, elongated lingzhi caps as the main body. To make lingzhi grow into such a myriad of forms, one must master the environmental conditions that affect lingzhi morphology.
2. Lingzhi morphology and environmental conditions. The environmental conditions that affect lingzhi morphology are mainly meteorological factors such as light, air, humidity and temperature.
(1) Light. Lingzhi is sensitive to light, mainly in 3 respects:
① The intensity of light markedly affects the formation and expression of lingzhi pigments. Accordingly, by supplying different amounts and qualities of light, lingzhi specimens of varying depth of colour and shifting hues can be obtained.
② Lingzhi has phototropism; by changing the direction of the light source, the fruiting body will twist and turn toward it. Accordingly, fruiting bodies extending in any direction can be obtained.
② Under weak light or dark conditions, lingzhi will not form a normal cap. Accordingly, club-shaped lingzhi with long, yellow-white stalks can be cultivated. Special correspondent of this publication.
(2) Oxygen. Lingzhi is aerobic; under good aeration conditions it can form large caps. If aeration is controlled so that the carbon dioxide concentration in the air rises to 0.3%, then primordia develop at multiple points, the stalk elongates and produces multiple branches. The tips of the branches are club-shaped and lighter in colour.
(3) Humidity. The air humidity suitable for lingzhi fruiting body growth is 90%-95%; if the humidity drops at this time, the white growth ring quickly turns yellow and growth stops.
(4) Temperature. The temperature suitable for lingzhi growth is 26 0°C, and it can be carried out under constant temperature conditions.
3. Growth characteristics and craft shaping. During the growth process, lingzhi possesses many characteristics. These characteristics are of great use for craft shaping.
(1) Young tissue has strong healing ability. When a white growth ring still exists at the tip of a primordium or at the edge of a young cap, if they are placed against each other, they will soon grow together, and the union will be very firm.
(2) The underside of the cap has strong geotropism. After the cap has grown out, turn the cultivation bag over so that the originally upward upper surface faces down and the porous underside faces up. Before long, what was originally the upper surface grows out again and becomes the underside, while what was originally the underside expands to produce an upper surface.
(3) It is sensitive in reaction to certain chemical agents. Some chemical agents can affect lingzhi morphology. For example, a certain dehydrating agent, smeared sparingly on a young cap, can inhibit cap expansion and dehydrate it, thereby deforming it as one wishes. Also, if alcohol is applied to the tip of a growing stalk, a thick stalk, offset branches and a scarred cap appear.
(4) The cap frequently undergoes distortion. Lingzhi caps often become distorted as ecological conditions change, whether greatly differing in size, differing in form, or varying in depth of colour. Such distortion precisely provides convenience for artificial shaping; as long as we are good at controlling ecological conditions and pay attention to discovering useful abnormalities, we can obtain more beautiful processing materials.
4. Cultivation of several special forms
(1) Thick cap. For growing lingzhi, control the aeration conditions so that the carbon dioxide concentration rises to 0.5%; then an additional growth layer appears beneath the cap, thus forming a cap 1 times thicker than a normal cap.
(2) Cap on the mother cap. When the growth ring of lingzhi is close to stopping, continue to maintain suitable conditions, and at the same time use a sterilised inoculation needle to prick open the cap surface near the growth ring, forming several scars; on continued cultivation, short stalks are drawn out from the scars and small caps form.
(3) Double cap. On a vigorously growing young cap, fit a paper tube so that light enters from the top; then the cap stops horizontal growth, and small protrusions grow from the cap and extend into stalks; after the stalks emerge from the paper tube, caps differentiate, forming double lingzhi.
5. Processing and decoration. As described above, after obtaining many fine lingzhi materials, one can, according to the design requirements, carry out trimming, polishing and gluing, then fix them on a simple, elegant tray or inside a refined glass display case, and attach beautiful poems, affix a trademark, pack them well, and they are ready for market.