Growing Lion's Mane Mushrooms: The Beginner’s Guide
Currently, one of the most popular mushrooms worldwide is Lion's Mane.
Known as the shaggy white pom-pom of the forest, Lion’s Mane is teeming with bioactive compounds like beta-glucan that may offer a variety of potential benefits. Furthermore, because of its superb flavour and texture, Lion's Mane is a gourmet mushroom that is gaining popularity among chefs.
For those interested in cultivating Lion's Mane mushrooms at home, you've come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll cover everything from its unique and interesting properties, possible benefits, cultivation techniques, and storage and extraction methods.
So, without further ado, let's get started!
What is Lion’s Mane Mushroom?
Since Lion's Mane is a tooth fungus, it grows in clusters from a single central point rather than the typical stem and cap found in most other mushroom species.
Lion’s Mane mushroom grows in temperate climates but is located throughout the world (North America, Europe, Asia, and down to Australia).
Lion's Mane is a saprophytic fungus that serves an important role in breaking down organic matter on the forest floor. The fungus uses specialised enzymes to extract nutrients from decomposing hardwood trees, which helps drive the natural recycling process. Often found in mature forests, it feeds on hardwood trees, like beech, oak, and elm. From late summer through the autumn, it can be seen growing on fallen logs or even on vertical dead standing wood.
You now know where it is and what it looks like - but what's it like to eat? It has a unique structure, which makes it a great absorber of flavours. Lion's Mane, however, has a fibrous, meaty texture that only a mushroom can replicate, and its umami and subtle sweet flavour mean it's likely to fit into most meals or as a meat replacement.
Functional Benefits of Lion’s Mane
In Eastern traditions, Lion's Mane, also called Yamabushitake or Monkey Head Mushroom, has a long history of being used to support general vitality and cognitive wellbeing.
Some cutting-edge research suggests that Lion's Mane contains special compounds (hericenones and erinacines) that could potentially contribute to the body's synthesis of nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF is a signalling molecule known to play a role in the maintenance and development of neurones in the brain.
Studies are looking into the potential effects of Lion's Mane on brain plasticity, cognitive performance and the maintenance of healthy cognitive function throughout life.
Additionally, Lion's Mane has traditionally been used to promote overall wellness and immune system performance. We suggest reading this blog if you're curious about Lion's Mane in order to gain a better understanding of its intriguing history and potential benefits.
Why Grow Lion’s Mane at Home?
If you don't happen to live close to a farmers' market, finding fresh Lion's Mane can be challenging.
Lion’s Mane is also currently on the red list of threatened species in the UK and much of Europe. This means that under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), Lion’s Mane is legally protected and must not be harvested.
Therefore, it’s generally recommended to grow them at home. Plus, growing them at home gives you access to the freshest produce. From one grow kit, you can expect a generous harvest of fresh Lion's Mane, at least enough for a few meals.
Beyond the practical benefits, once you start growing, you may find a fulfilling and interesting hobby that many others have stumbled upon. Watching the mushrooms grow from primordia to full, fluffy fruiting bodies is a rewarding journey that can also help connect you to your food. Once you get the bug for growing mushrooms, there’s no going back!
Mushroom Cultivation Basics
For those of you that are new to mushroom growing, some words may be unfamiliar but are easy to learn. Although similar to plants, mushrooms grow in their own unique way. Spores are like seeds, and substrate is the growing medium, like compost for plants.
Fungi reproduce by incredibly tiny spores that germinate to form an interconnecting web of threads, known as mycelium. This mycelium creates the fruiting bodies, which are the mushrooms we all know and consume.
There are two key stages of the mushroom's growth:
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Spawn Run: The mycelium colonises the substrate, increasing its nutrient uptake.
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Fruiting Stage: The mushrooms are starting to develop, from primordia (baby mushrooms) to matured mushrooms, and they will be ready for harvest.
How Do You Grow Lion’s Mane?
To start with, you’re going to need to acquire Lion’s Mane genetics, which can come in the form of either spores, liquid culture, grain spawn or on agar.
Spores are a bit like plant seeds. They contain all the genetic material needed to produce a new generation of fungi. It is possible to cultivate Lion's Mane from spores, but doing so can be slightly more difficult and may not give reliable results every time. Spores sexually reproduce and make a new generation of mushrooms that are more genetically diverse.
A more common and superior way to grow Lion's Mane is using liquid culture. With this method, the root system of the mushroom (mycelium) is placed in a broth high in nutrients that allows it to replicate very rapidly and without too much difficulty. This means that the genetics can be selected by the supplier and replicated at home.
The other way uses a jelly-like material made from seaweed which is called agar. This lets you grow identical copies of a mushroom from a piece of an adult mushroom.
Another option is pre-colonised grain - which is basically just sterilised grain that has already been colonised with mycelium. This means you can get your mushrooms even quicker! If you want to produce a large quantity of mushrooms with as little hassle as possible, colonised grain is probably your best option. To grow mushrooms, the grain spawn is transferred to a substrate for fruiting.
Growing Conditions for Lion’s Mane
Unlike us humans, Lion's Mane mushrooms don't consume pizza or burgers. They get their nutrients from decaying hardwood trees.
This type of mushroom can be cultivated on a diverse range of substrates:
Log Cultivation: This method is ideal for outdoor cultivation and yields mushrooms over a multi-year period.
Hardwood-Based Substrates: Either straight hardwood sawdust or hardwood supplemented with bran or soy hulls for extra nutrients
Straw: Straw is really inexpensive, but you might not get as high of a yield.
In terms of environmental conditions, Lion’s Mane requires the following in order to grow healthily:
Temperature: Keep the temperature consistently warm, 20-25°C (68-77°F) for the mycelial colonisation, then slightly cooler, 18-24°C (65-75°F), for primordia formation during the fruiting stage.
Humidity: High humidity (85-95%) should be preserved so that the mushrooms never dry. Mist them daily when fruiting. You can even use an electric humidifier for larger grow spaces.
Light: Give indirect light for 8-12 hrs a day; keeping the fruiting block near a window will be sufficient.
Fresh Air Exchange (FAE): Mushrooms need good air flow to get the oxygen they need. If growing Lion’s Mane in a fruiting chamber, fanning 2-3 times a day should be enough; an electric fan can also be used. It may dry out the substrate, so make sure the moisture content of the substrate is consistent.
Pre-Colonised Lion’s Mane Mushroom Growing Kits
These kits come ready to fruit and harvest, meaning there’s no need to faff around inoculating and colonising your own substrate; you can get straight to the fun part.
Kits ready for growing mushrooms just need to be cut open and placed in the right conditions. This is the easiest way to grow Lion's Mane at home.
These kits usually come in two formats, a spray and grow version with a cut-out panel or a fruiting block.
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
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Simplest Method: These kits come with everything you need, including the growing substrate and the mushroom mycelium. Minimal Effort: Just cut the top of the bag open or make a slit in the side, maintain the right humidity and temperature, and wait for the mushrooms to grow. |
Potentially Smaller Yields: These kits are usually fairly small, which might limit the total yield. Less Involved: You don’t get to learn as much of the mushroom growing life cycle, as you’re not colonising your own substrate. |
Lion’s Mane mushroom growing kits are perfect sat near a windowsill with ambient light. Just make sure to mist 2 or 3 times a day!
How to Use a Pre-Colonised Growing Kit
These kits can be fruited in several ways:
Top Fruiting: If you’re using a fruiting block kit, you can simply cut the top off the bag just below the seal, opening it up to the air. Mist once or twice per day and watch as the mycelium begins to produce large fruiting bodies on top of the block.
Side Fruiting: Alternatively, if you’re using a spray and grow type kit, you can remove the panel from the front of the box and cut a small “X” or slit in the side of your bag, allowing the mushrooms to grow out from the sides of the block. Make sure to spray twice a day to keep the cut area moist.
Humidity-Controlled Chamber: Finally, you can place the fruiting block in a chamber such as a MonoTub or Martha tent for optimal growth, as this will help maintain ideal fruiting conditions.
When the Lion's Mane mushrooms are harvest-ready, give them a gentle twist and pull to detach from the substrate.
After harvesting, soak the fruiting block overnight in water to rehydrate it, then return the kit to fruiting conditions. You can expect to harvest 2 to 3 more flushes of mushrooms before the substrate is depleted of nutrients.
All-in-One Mushroom Growing Bags
Featuring a blend of grain and substrate within a single, sterilised grow bag, all-in-one mushroom grow bags minimise the steps to grow mushrooms and reduce the risk of contamination.
Their ease of use makes them one of the most popular and easiest ways to grow Lion’s Mane at home.
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Disadvantages |
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Ease of Use: Just requires inoculation, a thorough mix, and then fruiting Accessibility: Anyone can do this with little experience. |
Requires Sterile Technique: Inoculation of the substrate still requires some work and careful sterile technique to ensure a successful harvest. Fixed Size: The kits come in fixed sizes, which can be limiting to the total yield. |
How to Use All-In-One Mushroom Growing Bags
1. Firstly, wipe down the work area with isopropyl alcohol or another disinfectant.
2. Attach the needle to the syringe (don’t unsheathe).
3. Wipe down the injection port with isopropyl alcohol.
4. Unsheathe the needle and insert it into the bag. Angle the needle towards the front of the bag (this allows for you to see the initial growth of the culture) and inject 5 ml of the solution into the bag.
5. Within a couple of weeks, you should have around 20/30% growth. Mix up the bag thoroughly (making sure to break up any clumps of substrate), and gently press the top down so you get a nice square block.
6. You will now start to see the mycelium rapidly grow, and in a couple of weeks, you should have a fully colonised block.
7. Once fully colonised, cut the top off the bag. Primordia (baby mushrooms) will begin to form on top of the substrate block.
8. It is advisable to mist the inside of the bag. As for fruiting Lion’s Mane, a humidity range of 75-90% is optimal. Another option is to put the bag in a chamber with a humidifier, allowing for constant humidity.
9. Mushrooms are like humans; they require oxygen to live, so it is critical for them to get fresh air; fanning them 1 to 3 times a day will be enough. Placing it near a window may eliminate the need for fanning, but it will increase the risk of contamination.
10. So, you now have Lion’s Mane growing, but how do you know when the mushrooms are ready to harvest? Fully matured Lion’s Mane has a white/cream appearance to it. If it is slightly pink or a darker colour, make sure airflow and humidity are sufficient, then give it a couple of days and it should mature.
11. When the Lion's Mane mushrooms are mature, gently twist and pull them from the growing medium.
Watch as the ends of the spines start to go yellow and crisp, as the Lion’s Mane is ready to harvest.
12. After harvesting, soak the block overnight in water, then put it back into fruiting conditions and wait for more mushrooms to appear. This can be repeated a few times, 2 or 3, before the growing substrate becomes exhausted of nutrients.
Inoculating Substrates with Lion’s Mane Grain Spawn
One of the most common methods for large-scale cultivation of Lion’s Mane is to inoculate substrate with pre-colonised grain spawn. The grains used for the spawn can vary from rye to millet. For the substrate, hardwood pellets supplemented with soy hulls, also known as master's mix, are very popular and produce high yields.
This cultivation method gives you the most amount of control over your yield and growing conditions.
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
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Substrate Customisation: With this method, you can customise the grain and substrate types to suit different growing conditions or requirements. Genetic Customisation: By carefully choosing high-yielding genetics, you can achieve great yields and fruiting bodies. |
Higher Maintenance: This process has extra steps compared to using all-in-one kits, and it does need monitoring to prevent contamination or aborted fruiting. Higher Initial Cost: The materials and equipment required for this method can be more expensive compared to pre-colonised kits. |
How to Inoculate a Substrate with Grain Spawn
1. Firstly, wipe down your work area with isopropyl alcohol or another disinfectant.
2. Attach the needle to the syringe (don’t unsheathe).
3. Wipe down the injection port of the grain spawn bag with isopropyl alcohol.
4. Unsheathe the needle and insert it into the injection port. Angle the needle towards the front of the bag (this allows for you to see the initial growth of the culture) and inject 5 ml of the solution into the bag.
5. Store the bag somewhere dark and warm, ideally between 20 and 25°C.
6. Within a couple of weeks, you should have around 20/30% mycelial growth, at which point you can mix up the bag thoroughly (making sure to break up any clumps of grain). Gently press the top down so you get a nice rectangular block.
7. You will now start to see the mycelium grow rapidly, and in a couple of weeks, you should have a fully colonised grain spawn block.
8. Break the spawn and mix it with the hydrated and sterilised hardwood substrate inside the fruiting bag.
Adding grain spawn to a bag of wood-based substrate. The grain spawn will fully colonise the substrate and can then be fruited to grow mushrooms.
9. Wait 2 weeks to allow the grain spawn to fully colonise the substrate.
10. Once fully colonised, primordia (baby mushrooms) will begin sprouting. Cut a hole where the primordia are growing to expose them to more oxygen.
11. Move the block to a fruiting room with high humidity, ventilation and lighting. If you don’t have a fruiting room, you can also keep the block somewhere near ambient light, like a windowsill, but you will need to mist regularly to maintain humidity.
12. Ensure the fruiting block stays humid (80-85%) and fan it 2-3 times a day; this will help develop the fruiting body.
13. Once the fruiting body has matured and the spines begin to elongate, it's ready to harvest. Gently pull and twist the mushroom from the substrate (make sure to not break up the substrate).
14. After harvesting, put the substrate back into fruiting conditions. You can harvest 2 or 3 more flushes from the same fruiting block!
Lion’s Mane Log Cultivation
If you have the outdoor space, growing Lion's Mane on logs is a slow but rewarding method that allows for long-term cultivation.
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
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Long-term Cultivation: Mushroom logs can fruit for months or even years after inoculation, providing long-term harvests with little hassle beyond the initial setup. Natural Look: Logs blend into a garden or natural habitat, providing an interesting and bountiful addition to the natural landscape. |
Patience: It's a slow process – it may be many months until the mushrooms emerge. Challenging: With outdoor growing, you have to be more cautious about contamination, and environmental conditions will dictate the success of your harvest. |
How to Inoculate Lion’s Mane Logs
1. Choose freshly cut hardwood logs, such as oak, beech, cherry, rosewood, mahogany, ash, hickory, elm, teak, balau, poplar, alder, pecan, walnut, birch or maple. The log should be a minimum of 5 inches in diameter, but up to 10 inches provides higher yields.
2. Drill holes into the logs, spacing them about 4 inches apart. The holes should be deep enough to accommodate at least 40g of grain spawn or a colonised wooden dowel.
3. If you are using grain spawn, break it apart into smaller pieces.
4. Pack the grain spawn/colonised dowel into the drilled holes.
5. (Optional) Seal the holes with beeswax or a similar substance to prevent contamination.
6. Once colonised, you are now ready to move onto fruiting.
7. To initiate the fruiting process, you need to create a humid and well-ventilated environment for the mushrooms to grow. Autumn is the best time for log cultivation, as the natural conditions are just right for mushrooms to grow.
8. Once the mushrooms have developed, it is time to pick them, making sure to not rip the mycelium out of the log.
9. Once the fruits have been picked, leave the logs in their humid environment and wait for them to fruit again. Logs may produce many flushes over a period of months or even years!
Lion’s Mane Troubleshooting
Slow or Stunted Growth
Photo by u/TheSmilingShroom on Reddit
| Low Humidity: It is important to keep humidity levels high for Lion's Mane mushrooms, within the range of 85-95%. If the area surrounding the kit is too dry, then you will find mushrooms growing slowly or not at all. | Solution: Mist the inside of the bag or place it into a humid fruiting tent. |
| Lack of Fresh Air Exchange: It is important to have enough airflow for the mushrooms, since mushrooms breathe in oxygen and expel CO₂, just like humans. Too little airflow will drastically slow growth. | Solution: It is best to open the grow bag a little for more air exchange or fan the substrate once or twice daily. However, be careful not to have too much airflow – this could dry the mushrooms out. |
| Fluctuating Temperature: Lion's Mane likes it around 15-24°C, and if your grow space is too hot or cold, they may stall at best or completely abort their fruiting cycle at worst, especially if the temperature fluctuates a lot. | Solution: Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature in the growing area and make necessary adjustments. |
| Improper Lighting: Lion's Mane mushrooms do not require direct sunlight but will benefit from indirect light exposure, as this provides a signal for growth. | Solution: Move the kit out of direct light. Excess light could lead to overheating and drying of the substrate, leading to slow growth. |
| Nutrient Depletion of Substrate: The substrate in your kit (the soil-like material that mycelium grows on) will be depleted after several harvests (flushes). This will lead to slower growth of the mushrooms over time. | Solution: Time for a new kit! |
Abnormal Fruiting Bodies
Photo by u/OneLessThought on Reddit
| Stringy Fruiting Bodies: This is usually caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide in your grow bag or insufficient space for growth. | Solution: Expose it to more fresh air by fanning it a couple of times a day. Ensure there is enough space for the fruiting body to grow. |
| Discoloured Fruiting Bodies: Yellow, brown, or pink fruiting bodies are typically a result of too much moisture, not enough fresh air, or overheating. | Solution: Move it to a cooler location, fan it a couple of times a day, and only mist if there is no visible moisture on the inside of the bag. |
| Mushy Fruiting Bodies: These fruits are very distinctive; they are very squishy to the touch and may easily break from a light squeeze. | Solution: Stop misting as much and increase airflow by fanning 2-3 times a day. The fruits may recover if this is caught early on. |
Unwanted Growth or Contamination
Photo by u/JCEstevez on Reddit
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Bacterial Growth: Unwanted growth can be either bacterial or fungal. Bacterial contamination can be difficult to identify, as they are normally transparent. They can show up as dark spots or form a slime. A good way to tell is if the substrate or mycelium smells off; the smell can range anywhere from sweet to a horrible rotting smell. Fungal Growth: More detectable and common is fungal growth. Check for the formation of white or green mycelium growth that is separate from your Lion's Mane. This form of growth can propagate swiftly and will be almost impossible to curtail. |
Solution: Clean growing practices are a must to avoid contamination. These clean growing practices will help ensure unintentional growth is kept to an absolute minimum:
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How to Harvest & Store Lion’s Mane
Knowing When to Harvest Lion’s Mane
Timing is everything when it comes to harvesting Lion's Mane, and it makes a big difference in the flavour and texture. An ideal fruiting body is round and full, measuring 3–6 inches in diameter. The fruiting body should be bright white colour. If you see them start turning yellow or brown, then they are overripe.
How to Harvest Lion’s Mane
Harvesting is done in two ways: cutting or twisting and pulling.
Cut: This method reduces mycelium damage and is more conducive for making future flushes (harvests). Using a sterile blade or clean knife, slice at the base of each mushroom.
Removal by Twisting and Pulling: Twist and pull the mushroom at its base in order to separate it from the substrate. When harvesting the mushroom from the substrate, you need to be careful, because removing larger bits of substrate can slow down the next flush and deplete the substrate of nutrients.
How to Store Lion’s Mane
Fresh Lion's Mane
Do not wash the mushrooms (too much moisture can ruin them).
Simply wrap them in paper towel to absorb moisture and keep them in the fridge in the fruit and vegetable drawer (it has a lower humidity).
Fresh lion's mane is the best way to eat it, as it's great at absorbing flavours and has the best taste.
Dried Lion's Mane
Put the Lion’s Mane in an oven or dehydrator at 30 degrees °C (above 30 degrees has the potential to destroy nutrients).
Once dried, place in an airtight zip-lock bag with silica gel to maintain dryness.
Making Extracts from Lion’s Mane
Extracts can be created from dried Lion's mane. First, powder the dried mushrooms and then extract the lipophilic substances (hericenones and erinacines) by soaking them in high-percentage alcohol, like whisky or vodka. If paired with water extraction, it creates a high-potency Lion's Mane extract that is rich in both alcohol-soluble (hericenones and erinacines) and water-soluble compounds (beta glucan).
Shroomex Extracts
If you want to skip the hassle of preparing extracts yourself, Shroomex provides some of the highest-quality dual-extracted Lion's Mane on the market. Their Lion’s Mane is a potent 15:1 extract ratio, so you can get your daily dose in one convenient serving.
How to Cook Lion’s Mane
So, you’ve successfully grown some Lion’s Mane; now it is time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Lion’s Mane is excellent to use in place of meat and easily takes on flavours. Here are some recipes you can follow to get the best out of your harvest.
Lion’s Mane and Steak |
Lion's Mane Meat Alternative Burger |
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Ingredients: Meat steak (steaks, rib-eye steak, sirloin or fillet) 500 g Sliced Lion's Mane mushrooms 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 clove garlic, minced Soy sauce (optional) - 1 tbsp 1 tablespoon honey (optional) 1 tsp rice vinegar, optional ¾ tsp - 1½ tsp red pepper flakes, to taste Salt and pepper to taste Instructions: Season the steak: Coat the steak with oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Preheat a cast-iron pan over high heat. Place the steak in and grill until it reaches your desired doneness. Take out of the skillet and allow to rest. Sauté the mushrooms: Into that same skillet, add some butter. Cook the lion's mane and garlic; the mushrooms should be cooked until they turn golden brown and soften. On the pan, pour in your soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and red chilli flakes (optional). Simmer and let it reduce a little. Voilà! You have now made a steak with the addition of tasty Lion’s Mane mushrooms. |
Ingredients: 1 pound of lion's mane mushrooms, grated 1/2 cup breadcrumbs ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder Salt and pepper to taste Burger buns Your favourite toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, cheese, condiments) Instructions: Making the patties: In a large bowl, add Lion's Mane mushrooms with the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, olive oil and seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper). Mix until well combined. Shape the patties: Divide the mixture into 4 equal balls, and form them into patties. Cook the patties: Heat up a grill or frying pan to medium-high temperature. Fry all patties for 4-5 min per side until golden brown and cooked through. Assemble the burgers: Put the cooked patties on burger buns and add any toppings you desire. |
Conclusion
Lion's Mane is an interesting mushroom that has been attracting more attention lately. Whether you are looking for a new adaptogen to support your wellness or are just interested in bizarre appearances or unique flavours, this is definitely a mushroom to consider growing.
Growing any mushroom can be a rewarding and cost-effective hobby. Growing Lion's Mane allows you to enjoy this nutritious mushroom with a unique range of benefits from the comfort of your own home.
The key points to remember when growing Lion's Mane include maintaining clean practices and monitoring the growth conditions such as temperature, humidity, light, and fresh air exchange.
Regardless of your level of expertise (seasoned mycologist or just interested in getting started), you can start growing Lion's Mane today. Martian Mushrooms carries everything you need to get started. If you are searching for Lion's Mane supplements, visit Shroomex.