Organic Red Reishi Mushroom Plug Spawn
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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.
Red Reishi is widely cultivated on logs commercially in Asia. However, most commercial producers in North America grow reishi indoors.
Red reishi can be difficult to cultivate and is ideal for advanced and enthusiast growers who have had some success growing other mushrooms.
Note: 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.
Inoculation: 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.
Cooking: 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.
reshi, lingzi, lingzhi, ling chih, bracket, bracket fungus, bracket fungi, ganoderma
Tools you'll need
To grow on logs using plug spawn, you will need a Drill Bit, Log Sealing Wax, and Wax Daubers.
Cultivation
Click here to download our pamphlet on using plug spawn.
Inoculation
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.
Storing
If you don’t plan to use your reishi sawdust spawn right away, store in the refrigerator. Use within 6 months of receipt.
Cooking
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.
Cautions & considerations
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.
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