Hello, mushroom lovers!
I just want to share my journey of growing amazing medicinal mushrooms — Ganoderma — aka Reishi in Japan, aka Lingzhi in China. Actually, my species is Ganoderma multipileum, also called Antler Reishi because it produces beautiful, deer antler-like mushrooms.
The very first steps for almost ALL mushroom species are the same. We need initial genetics (spores, liquid culture, or mycelium on agar) and sterile grain jars or bags.
You can follow this grow report and use some tips and tricks for growing magic mushrooms; and for other wood loving species like Lion's Mane, Shiitake etc.
Let's get started!
Starting materials and equipment:
Agar culture (Ganoderma Multipileum)
Whole unpeeled rice
Grain bags, polyfill (or cotton), filters, rubber bands
Hardwood sawdust
Rice bran (or wheat bran)
Bulk bags, filters and rubber bands
Pressure Cooker
Still Air Box
Gloves, Face mask, 70% alcohol
Day 1 (Part 1). Grain and Bags preparation.
I prepared whole rice bags. To do this I soaked the grain in water overnight and boiled it for 30 minutes. Drain, let it dry for another 30 minutes. Then, I filled autoclavable bags and made air filters for better steam sterilization and gas exchange during the colonization period.
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Day 1 (Part 2). Grain and Bags preparation
This is actually how whole, non-peeled rice in husks looks. Nothing else is added to the grain substrate.
To make these bags, I used an autoclavable bag. For the air filter needed for gas exchange (and better steam sterilization), I used a plastic autoclavable cylinder plug, cotton or polyfill fiber, a protective filter paper-cloth cover, and rubber bands.
I fill the bag with grain (up to 1/3 of the volume) and wear cylinder plug on a bag.
Then I fill the plug with a synthetic fiber like polyfill (or cotton).
After that, cover it with filter cloth (folded twice to create 4 layers) and secure it tightly with a rubber band on top.
For sterilization in a pressure cooker, I cover the filters with aluminum foil to keep them dry.
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Day 2. Grain Bags Sterilization
I sterilized the bags in a pressure cooker for 2.5 hours and let them sit until they cooled down to room temperature. The next day, my bags were ready for inoculation. Actually, I inoculated them 3 days later after sterilization, and it's totally fine!
Pro tip: You can use sterilized grain within 3-4 weeks of storage.
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Day 5. Inoculation
My inoculation method is an agar sample.
In the photo below, you can see an agar slant with mushroom culture.
I mainly use this method for long-term mycelium storage, as well as for multiplying mycelium through agar-to-agar transfers and further inoculation. By the way, agar slants are the best method for preserving genetics for years. From my experience—at least 3 years for sure!
If you are interested in this technique, check out the detailed guide here: Agar Slants
Since I had to open the bags for agar inoculation, I proceeded in the Still Air Box.
All tools, agar and grain bag inside SAB. I inoculated only one grain bag with Ganoderma Multipileum also called Antler reishi (it produces deer antler-like mushrooms).
After inoculation, I placed the bag in a dark closet and left it to incubate at room temperature. During the colonization period, temperatures fluctuated between 70–77°F (21–25°C).
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Day 7. Colonization period and first signs of mycelium
Two days after inoculation, visible signs of mycelium growth can be seen on the top of the rice grain. Unfortunately, it's hard to capture in a photo how the mycelium from the agar sample comes down and spreads onto the grains.
During the colonization period, I don’t do anything extra — just stay patient and wait for the mycelium to spread.
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Day 19. Colonization Period Updates
In just two weeks (actually, in 10 days) after inoculation, the grain bag with my Antler Reishi was fully colonized.
Reishi is considered a slow-growing mushroom (especially during the fruiting stage), but colonization was surprisingly fast. The mycelium was very hungry, aggressive, and rapid — it’s one of the fastest genetics I’ve ever grown! For comparison, here’s my bag with Antler Reishi and Lion’s Mane. Both were inoculated two weeks ago, but the difference is incredible!
It’s time to take the next step!
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Day 20 (Part 1). Bulk Bags and Spawn Transfers in a Still Air Box
It was a busy day because I wanted to divide this one spawn bag into several different transfers:
Grain to Agar (G2A) - need to prepare agar
Grain to Grain (G2G) - need to have grain bags
Grain to Bulk (Spawn to Bulk - S2B) - need to prepare Bulk bags
So, I prepared three bags with a substrate mix of 95% hardwood sawdust and 5% rice bran. Gypsum is beneficial, but I didn’t add it.
The moisture level is around 60%. I used the traditional "field capacity" test to check:
grab a handful of the substrate, squeeze it as hard as you can, and only a few steady drops should come out—this means the moisture level is perfect!
For these bags, I used large heat-resistant grow bags, filled them with the substrate, and closed them with plastic cylinder plugs with caps. I then pasteurized them for 8 hours. Once they cooled to room temperature, they were ready for the Spawn to Bulk step. Each bag weighs about 3 lbs (1.5 kg).
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Day 20 (Part 2). Transfers
I set up a Still Air Box (SAB) and placed all the necessary stuff inside.
Then I made transfers in SAB one by one:
1) Grain Spawn to Agar
I prepared no-pour agar cups (5PP heat-resistant cups) and put grain spawn sample in each cup. This was mainly for demonstration—to show one of the ways to save mycelium.
Pro Tip: You can also inoculate an agar plate with grain spawn samples from a pre-made grow kit. This way, you can save the genetics for future attempts and save money! 😉
2) Grain to Grain Transfer I used the same spawn bag for Grain to Grain transfer, inoculating three more grain bags with Antler Reishi. This method speeds up colonization significantly.
Pro Tip: You can also multiply mycelium from pre-made grow kits using Grain to Grain transfers! Detailed process here: Grain to Grain Guide
At this stage, the mycelium is strong enough, reducing the risk of contamination. Colonization also much faster because you're using active mycelium, and each grain becomes a starting point for mycelial growth. If you introduce just 1 tablespoon of spawn, you’ll create at least 100 active points of mycelium growth!
3) Spawn to Bulk Finally, I did a Spawn to Bulk transfer (moving the spawn to the fruiting substrate) to prepare three blocks for mushroom fruiting.
Pro Tip: One grain spawn bag (about 300 g or 0.7 lbs) is enough to inoculate 20–30 grain or bulk bags. I only needed one tablespoon per bag, but of course I used much more.
The day was all about expanding mycelium and preparing for the main (fruiting) stage. Things are looking great, and I’m excited to see how these blocks develop!
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Day 23. Mycelium Run Update
Here are my fruiting blocks 3 days after the Spawn to Bulk transfer.
The grain has turned white again, and the mycelium has already spread onto the sawdust substrate.
It’s time to remove the caps and replace them with breathable filters (4 layers).
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Day 29. Mycelium run update
My fruiting blocks with Antler Reishi - 9 days after the Spawn to Bulk transfer.
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