Manual: Lion's Mane Spawn

Lion's mane - Spawn

(Hericium erinaceus)

Use the spawn as soon as possible after you receive it, or keep it in the fridge for a few weeks at most.

What you need:

  • Lion's mane spawn
  • Substrate: hardwood sawdust with soy hulls or bran (Master's Mix)
  • A pressure cooker or another way to sterilise
  • A grow bag with a filter, or a clean container
  • A clean working area, gloves and alcohol

Preparing the substrate:

Lion's mane wants a nutritious substrate: hardwood sawdust supplemented with soy hulls or bran. Add water until the substrate just releases moisture when you squeeze it, without being soaked. A rich mix like that has to be sterilised, not pasteurised: 2 hours at 15 PSI in a pressure cooker. Otherwise bacteria take over. Let the substrate cool down completely.

Inoculation:

Work in a clean area, disinfect your work surface and wear gloves. Mix the spawn evenly through the cooled substrate, roughly 1 part spawn to 10 parts substrate. Close the grow bag with a filter or micropore tape.

Incubation:

Keep the bag in the dark at around 22 to 25 degrees. After about 20 days the substrate is fully colonised and white.

Growth and fruiting:

Cut one or two openings of about 5 cm in the bag. Put it somewhere with little direct light and a temperature between 16 and 21 degrees, at a humidity of 85 to 95 percent. Stand the bag on a wet cloth and mist the surroundings, but do not spray the mushroom itself. Fresh air matters: with too much CO2 lion's mane forms coral like runners instead of a compact ball with spines.

Harvesting:

Harvest when the spines have reached their full length and the mushroom is still bright white. Once it turns yellow or starts to drop spores it is past its best. Twist or cut the mushroom carefully off the substrate and leave as little behind as you can.

Storing:

Keep the harvested lion's mane in a paper bag in the fridge. It stays fresh for about a week.

Second harvest:

Expect two flushes, about two weeks apart. Keep the opening moist and a new ball will appear in time.

Cleaning up:

Once the substrate is exhausted you can compost it or use it as a soil improver in the garden.