Manual: Reishi Grow Kit
Manual: Ganoderma lingzhi (Reishi) Grow Kit
With this grow kit from Samzwam you grow Ganoderma lingzhi yourself, better known as Reishi. This is a wood-dwelling fungus known for its hard structure and slow growth. Unlike many culinary mushrooms, you do not eat Reishi fresh, but process it into tea or extracts after drying.
Preparation & hygiene
Hygiene is crucial. Always wash your hands well before you touch the grow kit. Are you using a knife or scissors? Make sure they are clean or disinfected to prevent contamination by other fungi.
The recovery period:
Transport often disturbs the mycelium (the white root network) a little. Put the box down with the top flap open, but leave the grow bag closed. Let the kit rest for a few days at room temperature (21°C - 25°C) until the mycelium on the block looks nice and white and recovered again.
Choose your growing method
There are two ways to grow Reishi. Your choice determines the shape of the mushroom and the amount of care it needs.
Method 1: The "antler" method (recommended)
This is the easiest method and needs almost no care, because the bag regulates the climate.
- Keep the bag closed: You do not open the plastic bag.
- CO2 concentration: Because the bag stays closed, CO2 builds up. As a result the Reishi does not grow outwards, but forms long, irregular branches that look like a deer's antlers.
- Humidity: The closed bag holds the moisture by itself. So you do not have to spray or use a damp cloth.
- Patience: Simply wait until the "antlers" reach the top of the bag or stop growing (when the white growing tips disappear). Only then do you open the bag to harvest.
Method 2: The "conk" method (classic cap shape)
Do you want the classic fan-shaped mushroom? Then you have to open the bag as soon as growth starts. This calls for more attention to the humidity.
- Opening the bag: As soon as you see the first white or yellow bumps appearing on top of the block, cut the top of the bag open. Leave about 10 cm of plastic sticking out above the block.
- Air supply: Thanks to the oxygen supply the Reishi forms a cap instead of an antler.
- Humidity (plate method): Because the bag is open, the block dries out quickly. Put the kit on a large plate. Lay a clean, soaking wet tea towel around the foot of the grow kit on the plate. The evaporating water creates a stable microclimate.
- Care: Make sure the cloth always stays moist. Add some water to the plate daily if needed.
The growing phase & harvesting
Put the kit in a spot with indirect daylight (no full sun) at a temperature between 21°C and 25°C. Reishi grows slowly; this process takes considerably longer than with oyster mushrooms.
When to harvest?
Look at the edges of the mushroom. While it grows you see a clear white or yellow rim on the outside or the top. This is the active growing zone.
- Harvesting moment: As soon as this white rim has disappeared completely and the mushroom is almost entirely red-brown or yellow-brown, growth stops.
- How: Use a sharp, clean knife to cut the mushroom off as close to the block as possible.
Storing
Storing the grow kit:
Do you not want to start straight after you receive it? Then keep the grow kit in the fridge (2°C - 4°C). It will keep for a few weeks there. Take it out of the fridge 24 hours before you start, so it can come to room temperature.
Storing the harvest:
Fresh Reishi has a limited shelf life in the fridge. Because the fungus is very tough, it is usually dried. Cut the mushroom into thin slices and let them dry completely in a warm, dry place or in a food dehydrator. Dried Reishi keeps for years in a sealed jar.