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 can be difficult to cultivate and is ideal for advanced and enthusiast growers who have had some success growing other mushrooms. NOTE: Hemlock reishi (Ganoderma tsugae) will only grow on hemlock. It will not grow on hardwoods.

Aside from being kiln dried, our wooden dowels are not treated in any other way. 

Ideal project size:

Plug spawn is ideal for smaller projects of 1-10 logs, though some log cultivators will use them for larger projects. 

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.