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Red Reishi Mushroom Plug Spawn










Skill level | Advanced |
Grow location | Outdoors |
Incubation | 12-24 months |
Spawn shelf life | 6 months (refrigerated) |
Flavor profile | Bitter, woody; recommended for stocks, powders, tinctures, and teas |
Bag sizes | 100, 500 & 1,000 count |
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. These mushrooms are great for enthusiast growers who have had some success growing other mushrooms. This is a species that is cultivated on logs commercially in Asia. However, most commercial producers in North America grow reishi indoors. NOTE: Ganoderma lucidum is a species of reishi that only grows on hardwoods. It will not grow on hemlock.
Plug spawn is ideal for smaller projects of 1-10 logs, though some log cultivators will use them for larger projects.
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To grow on logs using plug spawn, you will need a Drill Bit, Log Sealing Wax, and Wax Daubers.
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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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Red 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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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.