Organic Red Reishi Mushroom Sawdust Spawn
Skill level | Advanced |
Grow location | Outdoors |
Spawn shelf life | 6 months (refrigerated) |
Bag weight | 5.5 lbs |
Incubation | Logs: 12-24 months |
Fruiting temps | 65-80°F |
Best log type | See wood chart below |
Red reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is an edible medicinal mushroom known as “Ling Zhi” in China and “Reishi" or "Manetake” in Japan. It produces beautiful, reddish-brown, shelf-like fruiting bodies that are highly prized for their wellness properties.
When fresh, the flat cap of red reishi is soft and cork-like. And because it releases spores via pores, it lacks gills on its underside. Depending on the age of the mushroom, the pores may appear brown, cream, or white.
Because red reishi can be difficult to cultivate, it is recommended for advanced and enthusiast growers. However, it can be extremely rewarding for those who have had some success growing other mushrooms.
Recommended use:
- Red reishi sawdust spawn is only recommended for use in log projects.
- If growing on logs, one bag of sawdust spawn will reliably inoculate up to 20 logs. (You can calculate how much you'll need here.)
Red Reishi log chart:
BEST WOOD SPECIES* | Hard Maple, Sweetgum |
OTHER SUITABLE SPECIES | Alder, Beech, Elm, Soft Maple, Mimosa, Mulberry, Oak, Peach, Sycamore, Willow |
AVOID | Hemlock, Pine |
Upon receiving your spawn:
Remove it from the shipping box as soon as possible. Then, unfold the top of the bag, making room for air space. It's also important to check and confirm that the filter patch is not obstructed. This will help the organism breathe and continue to thrive!
Scroll down for cultivation, inoculation, and storage guides.
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To grow on logs using sawdust spawn, you will need a Log Inoculation Tool, Log Sealing Wax, and Wax Daubers.
For larger log projects you may also want to purchase an Angle Grinder Adapter and specialized 12mm drill bit.
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Click here to download our pamphlet on growing mushrooms on logs and totems.
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This species of reishi mushroom grows well on oak, maple, and other hardwoods. Reishi works best when fully colonized logs are buried underground. Reishi likes any of the three log methods and colonizes in 12-24 months. It prefers oak logs and fruits in the summer. After a 1-year colonization period above ground, Reishi logs may be buried under 2 inches of topsoil to mimic its natural method of production. Mushrooms will fruit from the logs and emerge from the soil.
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If you don’t plan to use your reishi sawdust spawn right away, store in the refrigerator. Use within 6 months of receipt.
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Reishi is tough, woody, and bitter. For this reason, we don’t recommend it for culinary use. However, it can be dried and made into teas or powders. It can also be extracted to make tinctures.
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All our spawn is made using organic cultures from our own culture bank. Our sawdust spawn is handmade from a blend of locally sourced, all-natural, organic, and non-GMO woods and supplements from farms and forests in New England and North America.
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If you’re going to consume home-grown mushrooms, make sure to cook your fresh mushrooms thoroughly with heat. If it is your first time eating this species, it is best to start with a small amount to check for allergies, even if cooked.
*Wood recommendations are based on our own testing. You may have different results experimenting with other wood species.