Scientific name Hericium Erinaceus.
Lion’s Mane prefers temperatures lower than 24 degrees. They start colonising around February and grow well until November. It is an edible mushroom belonging to the tooth fungus group. Lion’s Mane has been known to protect against dementia, reduce mild anxiety and depression symptoms and help repair nerve damage. It has strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-boosting properties. It has been shown to lower heart disease, cancer, ulcers and diabetes. Lion’s Mane is known to increase mental focus, aiding memory and protecting the digestive tract.
Lion’s Mane must only be opened in a small section. Look for the thickest and whitest part and open it there, the tumour-like (white growth) inside the plastic bag is primordia, once you open that area it grows pins quickly. It needs about one month to harvest.
Best to always keep high moisture, ca. 95% RH, otherwise the baby will die when too dry.
It can keep up to 5 days when properly stored in the refrigerator.
Special instructions:
Lion’s Mane requires very different growing instructions. DO NOT open at the top of the log. It dries out too quickly and easily.
To prevent this from happening, take a good look at the log and find the area with the thickest, most active growth showing under the plastic.
At that point, very carefully cut an “X” in the plastic. The cut should be with a serrated knife about 3mm deep and each line between 2 and 2,5cm long. Open the cut plastic only.
Water this small exposed area four to five times a day – it must remain moist at all times!
A stalk will grow in the opened area and the mushroom will develop from this. DO NOT enlarge the hole any further once the stalk starts to grow! (This will damage the substrate and the stalk will dry out and that section of the substrate will die.)
You MUST keep the pin very moist!
Once harvested, remove any remaining stalk and cover the open area with a patch of cling film to seal it.
Allow the log to rest for two weeks before opening the next section and following the same procedure.
Lion’s Mane is a slow grower, but very delicious and worth the wait! In Taiwan, it is used as vegetarian steaks.
Frequently asked questions with Lion’s Mane
My Lion’s Mane has turned a brown colour, what went wrong?
If it is brown it became too dry. The brownish colour of Lion’s Mane fruiting body indicates it was too dry, even if you spray well with water after, it cannot reverse to normal colour.
The Lion’s Mane was doing well and now seems to have stopped growing and dried out?
Under the plastic there is quite a lot of thickish growth must I open it on the sides anywhere?
You need to have only a small cut on a Lion’s Mane log. Select a thick and white part and cut it there to let the pins grow. You cut a small portion on the white and thickness part, just cut “X” about 1.5cm in length. Keep wet when pins appear, if it gets too dry the pin or baby or so-called “primordia” will die. For Lion’s Mane, the substrate will be damaged if you open it to too much oxygen, that area of the substrate will “die” and that area will not grow again.
How many places can I open the Lion’s Mane kit at once?
You can cut one, not more than two small areas marked “X”, always keep moisture until the primordia appear and grow.
If you open the Lion’s Mane too much and the mushroom dies, is there a way of still growing from that log?
Yes, cut the dead fruiting bodies away. Cut it in another area and the Lion’s Mane will grow again. Keep it moist, but also gentle spraying. A humidifier can also be used. Too dry or too wet will make the fruiting bodies die.
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