REISHI CULTIVATION

Ganoderma lucidum: Beautiful, waxy, reddish-brown shelf-like fruit bodies are a highly prized immune-boosting medicinal used to treat a long list of ailments. 

Check out our Spawn FAQ to figure out what type of logs you can use!

Plug Spawn - Great for first time mushroom log growers. Your spawn package can inoculate 1-2 4ft by 5 inch diameter logs.

Inoculation: Reishi likes any of the three methods and colonizes in 12-24 months. It prefers oak and fruits in the summer. After a 1-year colonization period above ground, Reishi logs may be buried under 2 inches of top soil to mimic its natural method of production. Mushrooms will fruit from the logs and emerge from the soil. *NOTE: This species of Reishi grows on hardwoods and is genetically different from the species that grows on H=hemlock trees. This spawn will not work in hemlock wood!

Difficulty: Advanced

Reishi mushrooms are great for enthusiast growers who have had some success with other species. Reishi works best when fully colonized logs are buried underground. This is a species that is cultivated on logs commercially in Asia. 

Cooking:  Not for culinary use but recommended for teas and tinctures. To make a tea, break Reishi into pieces and simmer in water for two hours.

Properties: Known commonly as the 'Mushroom of Immortality' in Chinese, Reishi is a highly esteemed medicinal mushroom thought to promote longevity and overall health. Studied most for its ability to boost the immune system, Reishi extracts stimulate T-cell action, Natural Killer cell activity, and Dendritic cell maturation (Gao, 2004). Other pharmacological effects of Reishi extract include the following: anti-infammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, reduces blood pressure, lowers cholesterol levels, promotes anti-tumor activity, and acts as a central depressant to relax muscles (Hobbs, 1995; Gao et al., 20014).