Lions Mane
(Hericium Erinaceus)

Lions Mane is native to North America, Europe and Asia, it can be identified by its long spines, occurrence on hardwoods, and tendency to grow a single clump of dangling white spines. It’s flavor and texture is similar to Lobster.

Patience & Waiting Stage - Spawn Run/Colonization

1. Spawn Run (Colonization) – allow inoculated mushroom grow kit to incubate at room temperature. This will take 2 to 3 weeks. Move onto next stage once grow kit is dense and uniformly covered with white mycelium. Lions Mane Mycelium tends to be very wispy and thread like, usually it will appear like a faint white tint. As the mycelium colonizes the hardwood substrate/material it will tend to create a loose sawdust like material with random balls or clumps.

Observation Stage - Primordial/Pinhead Formation

2. Pinning (Initiate Mushroom Formation) – Drop Temperature, increase Relative Humidity. Watch for mycelium to form Pin like growths and small mushrooms. Move onto the next stage once mushrooms are visible. Lions Mane Mycelium tends to look like coral

Action Stage - Fruiting

3. Cut small x or poke 1/8” holes in the side of the bag for mushrooms to grow through. Alternatively, with the gusseted plastic bags simply cut off the top of the bag and gentle roll/fold the bag down to the top of the mushroom block. Make sure which ever method you decide to choose to grow the Lions Mane it is in a clean environment with a low airborne mould count (HEPA filters help).

Figure 2. utilizes a plastic container with a tight fitting lid and several 1/4” holes drilled throughout to provide Free Air Exchange (FAE) and plenty of oxygen to the Fruiting Bodies. A base of large perlite or vermiculite is used to provide Relative Humidity as water evaporates out of the porous rock like material. As the water evaporates it generates small convection currents that will draw additional FAE into the plastic “monotub” container.

4. Fruiting (Mushroom Formation) – Adjust Temperature and Relative Humidity. Provide plenty of Fresh Air (Oxygen). First harvest of Ready-To-Fruit Kits will occur within 1 to 2 weeks. As the mushroom grows, free air exchange (ventilation) becomes increasingly important. Not enough air and Lions Mane mushrooms will look more like a branching “coral” than a fluffy “pom pom”.

Figures 3 and 4 show how the Lions Mane fruiting body will develop if there is insufficient Free Air Exchange (Fresh Air), it is critical to provide enough Fresh Air Exchange (FAE) and Humidity to develop properly. Lions Mane mycelium will develop a thick white layer once the fruiting body has began to develop. Aim for a minimum of 75% Relative Humidity, ideally it needs to be around 90% RH and 20°C to 23°C.

Yummy Stage - Harvest

5. Lions Mane are at their prime when they’ve developed little spines on their “pom pom” shown bellow by the red arrows. Sometimes due to growing conditions at home the Mushroom might not fully get to develop and might start turning slightly brown/tan color show by the Yellow Arrow, you will need to quickly harvest the Mushroom or it will continue to mature and become acrid.

Renew/Flushing Stage - Crop Cycle

6. You can expect about two harvests before you need to regenerate/rehydrate the wooden block. Our Grow Kits are made with premium blend of Hardwood and added nutrients. By taking proper care of your grow kit in terms of cleanliness and care (Humidity and Temperature) you can expect 4 to 5 bountiful harvests.

7. In order to renew the Lions Mane Grow Kit, we will have to take a different approach as the mycelium is quite loose and wispy. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and let it cool down. Gently pour some cooled water over the top of the substrate and allow to soak for 3 to 4 hours. Poke a small hole at the bottom of the bag to allow water to drain out. Wrap up or Tape up any holes and repeat the entire growing process. Refer to Figure 6 on how we taped up the bag to allow the Lions Mane mycelium time to regrow.

Refer to Grow Guide for more details if you decide to submerge the grow kit in water instead.

Health Benefits:

Lion’s Mane contains many bioactive substances that have beneficial effects on the brain, heart, and gut. Early studies of Lion’s Mane has found to protect against Dementia, relieve mild symptoms of depression/anxiety, help recovery of nervous system, protect against ulcers in intestinal tract, reduce heart disease risk, help manage diabetes symptoms, help fight cancer, reduce inflammation, lastly can boost your immune system.

Summary:

Texture/Flavor: Meaty (Lobster, crab), Chewy, Sweet.
Difficulty: Easy
Growing Conditions: 10-26°C, 85-90% humidity Nutrients: phytochemicals, Anti-Oxidants, β-glucan, Fiber, Protein, and lots of Essential Oils.
Common Uses: Pastas, Stir Fries, Sautéed, or substituted as Seafood.