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Hemlock Reishi Mushroom Outdoor Log Growing Kit














Skill level | Advanced |
Grow location | Outdoors |
Incubation | 12-24 months |
Spawn shelf life | 6 months (refrigerated) |
Flavor profile | Bitter, woody; recommended for stocks, tinctures, and teas |
Hemlock reishi or "hemlock varnish shelf" (Ganoderma tsugae) produces beautiful shelf-like fruiting bodies with a shiny brownish-orange varnish and white margin. In the spring, when the fresh growth is still white with no hint of pores or lacquered color showing, many growers collect the marshmallow-y fruiting bodies to eat as fresh mushrooms. Others will allow their hemlock reishi to grow into large waxy caps, at which point they become too bitter to consume. At this stage, they are ideal for drying and making into medicinal powders, extracts, tinctures, and teas. Hemlock reishi is great for advanced and enthusiast growers who have had some success growing other mushrooms.
NOTE: Hemlock reishi (Ganoderma tsugae) is a species of reishi that only grows on hemlock. It will not grow on hardwoods.
Each outdoor kit contains:
- A drill bit
- Log sealing wax
- A wax applicator
- 100ct plug spawn or voucher
- Instruction guide
That's not mold, it's mycelium!
Your kit includes plug spawn colonized with mushroom mycelium. It may appear covered with a soft, white, mold-like substance - that's the mushroom mycelium! It is completely normal. The mycelium of some species is more prominent than others.
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Ordering a log kit with a voucher allows you to redeem your plug spawn at a later date. Vouchers make a great gift and are good for projects beyond a 3 month start date.
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Ordering a kit with live spawn is best for projects that will be done within 3 months of ordering.
Plug spawn is living and perishable. It can live unrefrigerated for up to three months or refrigerated for up to 6 months.
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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.
For our complete plug spawn pamphlet, click here.
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If you don't plan to use immediately, you can refrigerate your spawn for up to 6 months.
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Reishi is bitter with a tough texture. 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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The spawn used in our mushroom plugs is grown on USDA certified organic grain and made with organic cultures from our own culture bank. Our plugs are handmade from a blend of locally sourced, all-natural, organic, and non-GMO woods 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.