Description
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a nutritious medicinal mushroom that produces plump white clusters with icicle-like teeth. When cooked, it has a consistency and flavor similar to crab meat. Though slightly harder to get flushes than oysters or shiitake, lion’s mane fruiting blocks are still a great mushroom for confident beginners. They colonize quickly and are relatively reliable producers. Note that Lion’s mane can be prone to drying out if the ambient humidity is too low, so we recommend that you water it generously or grow your fruiting block in a humidity-controlled chamber.
Our mushroom fruiting block kits are fully colonized and ready to grow.
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Your fruiting block kit is an amended sawdust block that has been colonized by mushroom mycelium. Mushrooms need adequate humidity and ventilation to survive and thrive, so proper care is important.
1. Leave the block inside the bag, and do not open it. To activate your block, place it on its side, exposing an area where the block presses right up against the plastic. Take a sharp knife or razor blade and make a 5-to 6-inch cut along this part of the bag, then gently squeeze out any remaining air. Finally, take the loose bag flap, and fold it underneath the kit.
2. Place your sliced bag in the most humid part of your home (like next to the sink) or in a humidity-controlled grow chamber. Make sure it is kept away from direct sunlight, and keep it well hydrated. Do this by spraying the outside of your block, over the sliced area, with water at least once per day.
3. If your home is very dry, and you do not have a humidity-controlled grow chamber, you may need to make a humidity tent to place over the over fruiting block. To do this, find a loose-fitting plastic bag and make plenty of ½-inch holes all over it. Then place it over the fruiting block (that is still inside it’s original bag.) Once you’ve made the humidity tent, be sure to spray the inside of it a minimum of once per day.
4. Within 1-2 weeks of first slicing open your fruiting block bag, the mushrooms will sense the oxygen in the air and begin to produce mushroom “pins,” or little baby mushrooms. When you spot your first mushroom pins, keep a close eye on them. After 5 to 10 days of pin formation, your mushrooms should be ready to harvest.
5. Harvest your mushrooms when they resemble the mushrooms in the photographs — large clusters of plump, dense, shaggy mounds.
Each subsequent harvest will be smaller in size, but can still produce a nice flush. Before trying for another flush, give your block a one-week break from spraying, then soak it in cold water for 20 minutes, and re-start daily water spraying.
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Fruiting temps 15-25 degrees F Humidity 80-90% CO2 Sensitivity <1,000 ppm - Fruiting – The phase of growth in which visible mushrooms begin to appear.
- CO2 sensitivity – When CO2 levels are too high, yields will decrease, stems will become long and stringy, caps will be small, and/or growth will halt.
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If you don’t plan to use immediately, you can refrigerate your block for up to 6 months.
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