Reishi Cultivation in Northern Climates

Hello Peter and All,

Last year I started a little hobby mushroom venture by inoculating shiitake and oyster logs/totems.
This year I am continuing with those species, but also expanding to Lions Mane(H. erinaceus and H. americanum), Reishi, Wine Cap and trying my luck at some Hen of the Woods.

I have read quite a lot online(including Cornell studies) and also in books including Paul Stamets work and Farming the Woods by Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel.

From all of the literature, I have decided the species of wood, the timing of cutting trees, inoculation techniques, log maintenance etc....

However, there is still one question that I am left scratching my head with. That is: what is the best innoculation technique for my northern climate in Ontario, Canada for growing Resihi? I know in moist southern states, laying logs on the ground directly is good enough. Some people bury the logs. Some put small length logs in nursery pots with soil or sand. The challenge seems to be keeping Reishi humid enough.

Could anyone help me to decide both the inoculation technique(drill and sawdust spawn fill) or totem(with sawdust spawn) then into nursery pots? Or then buried?

Peter, perhaps you have suggestions in your new book, in which case I also need to add to my library. Congrats on the release.

Thanks very much
I appreciate the experience.

Hi Brian,
You are thinking correctly. For your colder climate I would not think the warm weather preferring Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) would be ideal outdoors it prefers to fruit around 75ºF (24ºC) and needs weeks to fully mature. If you can maintain these temps in a greenhouse, you might do OK. See this video for some ideas. If you have the means, it does quite well indoors year-round.

Peter

Thanks Peter for the information and the link to that video. I cannot believe my eyes with the quantity of spores produced from those reishi mushrooms!
One last point of clarity....If going with the nursery pot in a small hoophouse, would go recommend a drill and fill approach, or a totem approach?

Thanks