Detailed Explanation of Key Points for High-Yield Cultivation Techniques of Red Reishi Mushroom

I. Preparation of the Reishi Mushroom Shed According to the biological characteristics of reishi mushroom, select a dedicated reishi mushroom shed or civilian house with good insulation, moisture retention, ventilation, appropriate light, and smooth drainage, with a clean floor and smooth, moisture-resistant walls. Before reishi mushrooms are brought into the shed for cultivation, the shed must be strictly disinfected; for every cubic meter of space, use 5 ml of formaldehyde and 10 g of potassium permanganate for sealed fumigation for 24 hours before use. II. Selection of Cultivation Substrate Formulas Each region can adapt to local conditions and use local materials, choosing a formula suitable for its own area. 1. Cottonseed hulls 77%, bran 10%, cornmeal 10%, sugar, phosphorus, fertilizer and gypsum 1% each; 2. Cottonseed hulls 89%, bran 10%, gypsum 1%; 3. Sawdust 70%, bran 25%, soybean powder 2%, phosphate fertilizer 1%, gypsum 1.5% and sugar 0.5%; 4. Corncobs 50%, miscellaneous wood sawdust 35% and bran 15%. III. Making the Cultivation Substrate For the cultivation spawn medium, sawdust from pine, cypress, fir, camphor and other trees cannot be used, because they contain harmful substances that are unfavorable to the growth of reishi mushroom. When preparing the cultivation substrate, first mix the cottonseed hulls, sawdust, bran, gypsum powder and other materials evenly, with a moisture content of 60%-65%. Once the material is mixed, it can be bagged. Each bag holds about 400 g of dry material. Polyethylene bags are sterilized at normal pressure for 10 hours, and polypropylene bags are sterilized at high pressure for 2 hours. Wait until the material cools to below 30°C before moving it into a sterile box or sterile room for inoculation. Before inoculation, fumigate and disinfect with formaldehyde and potassium permanganate, and at the same time turn on the ultraviolet lamp and keep it on for 40 minutes, then inoculate under aseptic operation. Generally, one bottle of wheat-grain mother spawn can inoculate about 40 bags, and one bottle of cottonseed-hull mother spawn can inoculate about 30 bags. Move the inoculated spawn bags into a disinfected culture room and arrange them in layers; generally 6-7 layers per row, with walking aisles left between the shelves. IV. Management Techniques 1. Mycelium Growth Stage During the mycelium growth period, keep the culture room at 20-30°C, with relative air humidity of 40%-60%, ventilate for half an hour every day, and move the spawn bags up and down once every 3-4 days to keep the bag temperatures at the top and bottom balanced, and check for and control contamination by competing microorganisms. When the mycelium has filled 2/3 of the bag, move it into the cultivation shed, untie the bag opening, lift and loosen it by hand once, leaving a small gap. Diffused light indoors is sufficient; avoid strong light exposure. Generally, after about 25-30 days, the mycelium can fully colonize the spawn bag. 2. Fruiting Body Management During reishi mushroom fruiting, keep the shed temperature at 26-30°C, raise the relative air humidity to 90%-95%, and provide diffused light and sufficient oxygen; keep a shallow layer of water on the ground, and spray water onto the walls and into the space 3-4 times a day. Exchange air once before 10 a.m. and once after 4 p.m.; when the temperature is low, ventilate and exchange air from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The primordium expands for 3-5 days and gradually forms a cap; when the cap grows 2-3 rings, increase the amount of water sprayed. The cap changes from white to light yellow to yellow to reddish brown. When the white edge of the cap disappears, the edge turns red, and reddish-brown spore powder is released from the underside, it indicates that the fruiting body is mature and can be harvested in time. 3. Harvesting and Post-Harvest Management Stop spraying water 5-7 days before harvesting reishi mushrooms, close the ventilation openings, and lay plastic film over the floor passages so that the released spore powder can be collected. When harvesting reishi mushrooms, cut them off from the base of the stipe with scissors or gently pick them by hand, sun-dry until the moisture content is 10%-12%, bag them and store them in a dry indoor room or sell them. After harvesting the first flush of reishi mushrooms, remove the old mycelial skin at the mouth of the substrate bag, stop spraying water for 2-3 days, then raise the humidity to about 90%-95%, while keeping the temperature at 26-29°C. After 7-10 days, fruiting bodies can grow again from the original stipe location, and cultivation and management are carried out according to the previous stage's methods. After about 25 days, the second flush of reishi mushrooms can be harvested; generally 2-3 flushes can be harvested. The first flush has the best growth, and later flushes grow somewhat worse. Climate and temperature vary from place to place; using natural temperatures, North China is suitable for planting in April and May and finishing in July and August, planting once a year.