Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Ganoderma Harvesting and Processing

1. Harvesting and drying

Under normal conditions, it takes about 20 days from the appearance of the primordium to the maturation of the cap. When the cap is fully expanded, releasing a large number of spores, the white edge has disappeared, the thickening is not obvious, and the cap color is crimson red (red Ganoderma), with uniform color, it can be harvested.

After harvesting, promptly cut off the culture medium adhering to the base of the stipe from the fruiting body, dry it in sunlight, or place it in a drying room for drying, with the temperature controlled at 55-65°C, until the moisture content of Ganoderma is about 12%. The moisture content of fresh Ganoderma is usually 63%, and the drying ratio is generally 40%-45%. Sun-dried or oven-dried Ganoderma is packed into double-layer bags (one layer of plastic bag, one layer of woven bag), stored in a dry warehouse, and inspected at any time to prevent mildew and insect damage.

2. Deep processing

Dried Ganoderma products can be made into various new products according to different uses. For medicinal purposes, they can be made into syrup, tablets, injections, granules, medicinal liquors, etc. For health food purposes, they can be made into various beverages, oral liquids, tea bags, etc. For cosmetic purposes, they can be made into shampoo, beauty cream, etc. For ornamental purposes, they can be made into various bonsai crafts. Deep processing requires certain supporting equipment and technology. The following only introduces some simple and feasible reprocessing methods related to medicinal and ornamental uses.

(1) Medicinal preparations

Modern medical research has proven that the medicinal value of Ganoderma includes the following aspects:

① It can resist the formation of blood clots (it can dissolve newly formed blood clots and aged blood clots);

② It normalizes blood pressure;

③ It improves hyperlipidemia;

④ It prevents arteriosclerosis;

⑤ It keeps the central nervous system and other bodily functions in balance;

⑥ It enhances the body's immunity;

⑦ It has an analgesic effect and can reduce pain caused by cancer or other diseases;

⑧ It delays aging.

The simplest method of use is to brew 10 grams of Ganoderma as tea daily and drink it, persisting for 2 months, which can achieve good results. However, for treating various diseases, it is necessary to make various preparations, including syrup, tablets, injections, etc. The following introduces a simple method for making tablets:

Remove impurities from Ganoderma and Ganoderma root bark, wash clean, decoct in water twice, 3 hours each time, take the liquid and let it stand for precipitation for 6-8 hours, filter, concentrate the filtrate to an extract with a specific gravity of 1.26-1.28 (measured hot at 90-95°C with a Baume meter), add an appropriate amount of excipients and mix evenly, dry and make into granules, then press into tablets, and coat with sugar. The requirement is to produce sugar-coated tablets each equivalent to 1 gram of crude drug. This tablet is suitable for neurasthenia and can also be used as adjuvant treatment for coronary heart disease and chronic bronchitis. The dosage is 3 times a day, 3 tablets each time, taken after meals, with 10 days as one course of treatment, generally taking two courses.

(2) Ornamental bonsai crafts

① Shaping cultivation

According to the biological characteristics of Ganoderma, by changing conditions such as light, temperature, water, and air, effects of inhibiting growth, promoting growth, and shaping can be achieved. For example, when cultivated under poor ventilation (CO2 concentration reaching 0.1%) and low temperature (<22°C), only the stipe grows without forming a cap, and the stipe branches into an antler shape. If ventilation is good and the temperature is 25-28°C, the elongated stipe will quickly grow a cap again. The two-layer cap shape is cultivated by repeatedly changing the cultivation conditions based on this characteristic. Another example is that Ganoderma fruiting bodies have strong phototropism. By using four-sided shading, the stipe and cap can be made to grow vertically. If unilateral light is used, the stipe and cap can be made to grow toward the light source, thereby achieving various shapes as needed.

② Bonsai arrangement

The shaped and cultivated Ganoderma, after slight manual trimming and embellishment, and paired with rocks, sand grains, tree stumps, as well as sun-dried moss, fruticose lichens, Selaginella, and other plants that are not easily broken or rotted, can be made into various Ganoderma bonsai of different shapes and brilliant colors. When arranging bonsai, attention should be paid to the following aspects:

First, the colors and layout of the Ganoderma materials and ceramic pots should be coordinated and beautiful. If red Ganoderma and Ganoderma tsugae are used as bonsai materials, brown or purple-clay-colored ceramic pots can be selected to show a simple and elegant effect with coordinated colors. If purple Ganoderma and black Ganoderma are used as materials, white porcelain pots can be selected, using strong contrasting colors to highlight the beautiful colors and postures of purple Ganoderma, etc.

Second, the Ganoderma materials and accessories must be firmly fixed in the pot. For long-term preservation, latex, glass glue, or gypsum can be used to fix the Ganoderma materials and accessories in the pot. Quartz sand particles or sand grains can also be used as filler to fix Ganoderma in the pot. In addition, fine iron wire can be woven into a net, and Ganoderma can be inserted into the mesh, with both fixed together in the pot. Many Ganoderma with very short or even no stipes, such as Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma applanatum with white crust, and Ganoderma tenue, have large caps and can have their bases cut flat and adhered to a shallow pot.