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- Lion’s Mane helps Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), which helps brains and nerves grow back.
- Master’s Mix, made of sawdust and soybean hulls, helps you grow lots of Lion’s Mane mushrooms.
- If you grow them inside, they'll be ready in 3–6 weeks. Outside on logs, they can grow every year for up to 5 years.
- Lion’s Mane needs lots of humidity and fresh air to grow right.
- It's very important to keep things clean, because Lion’s Mane gets ruined by dirt easier than some other mushrooms for beginners.
Lion’s Mane mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus) are special because of how they look, taste like seafood, and might be good for your brain. Before, only people who foraged or fancy markets had them. Now, you can grow Lion’s Mane at home in different ways. If you want to try mushrooms for health, want to think better, or just want a new hobby, this guide will tell you how to grow Lion’s Mane mushrooms at home. You can use easy kits or grow them completely on your own.
What Are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?
Lion’s Mane mushrooms are a type of fungus that's good for you. They come from North America, Europe, and Asia. They are white and shaggy, like a lion's mane, so they are easy to spot in nature and on your plate. Scientists call them Hericium erinaceus. You can eat them and they can be good for you.
Lion’s Mane is known for possibly helping your brain. Studies say it can help nerves grow back by helping make Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). This could help how you think, with brain problems, and make your mind clearer (Friedman, 2016). People in Chinese medicine have used this mushroom for a long time to help with digestion, the immune system, and focus.
Nutritionally, Lion’s Mane has
- 2.4g of protein in 100g
- Only 35 calories in a normal serving
- Iron and potassium
- Compounds that fight damage to your body
For taste, Lion’s Mane is a bit sweet and tastes like crab or lobster. This makes it a good meat swap in vegan meals.
Is Lion’s Mane Mushroom Easy to Grow?
Yes, Lion’s Mane mushrooms are not too hard to grow, especially if you have the right stuff and conditions. They do need more specific conditions than really easy kinds like oyster mushrooms, but Lion’s Mane isn't too hard.
If you get a lion's mane mushroom growing kit, it's even easier. The stuff they grow in and the mushroom bits are already ready, so there's less chance of getting it dirty. If you are doing it all yourself, you must be careful to keep things clean and control the humidity and air.
Things to know about growing Lion’s Mane
- They grow slowly: Slower than oyster mushrooms.
- They don't like too much CO₂: They need fresh air.
- They like lots of humidity: Over 90% when they are growing mushrooms.
- They grow well in sterilized mixes like Master’s Mix.
For beginners, kits are best. If you like to do things yourself, growing them from scratch is a good way to learn more about growing mushrooms.
Growing Lion’s Mane: Indoor Bags vs. Outdoor Logs
You can grow Lion’s Mane mushrooms inside or outside. Each way has good and bad things.
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor Bags | You can control everything, faster, all year long | You have to spray them every day, can get dirty easily |
| Outdoor Logs | Looks natural, they grow back every year (up to 5 years) | Takes a long time to start growing (6–18 months), only grows in certain seasons |
Indoor Bags (or Kits)
Growing in plastic containers, bags, or tubs is good for people in cities or who don't have yards. If you set things up right, you'll see mushrooms in 3 to 6 weeks.
Outdoor Logs
This old way is good for growing mushrooms for a long time, not fast. Logs can grow mushrooms a few times a year for up to five years after the mushroom stuff grows all through the wood. But, it can take up to 18 months for that to happen.
Pick the way that works for you based on how patient you are, where you can grow them, and what you want to get out of it.
Step 1: Preparing Your Supplies & Growing Space
Before you begin, clean where you will work really well. Dirt like mold bits, germs, or even just dirty hands can mess up your grow. Get these things
Essential Supplies
- Gloves and face mask
- 70% rubbing alcohol to clean surfaces
- Spray bottle to spray water every day
- Hygrometer to check humidity
- Humidity tent, grow container, or small greenhouse
- LED light that looks like daylight if you don't have some sunlight
- Keep the temperature steady at 64–75°F (18–24°C)
Recommended Location
Put your grow in a quiet corner, on a shelf, or in a cabinet away from vents or heat. Make sure air can move around but not right on it.
If you are using a lion’s mane mushroom growing kit, you don't have to do much of the next two parts — your kit is ready to start growing.
Step 2: Making and Preparing the Substrate
Lion’s Mane mushroom stuff grows best on wood from hardwood trees that has lots of food in it. The best mix to grow them in is called Master’s Mix.
Recommended Substrates
- Hardwood sawdust: Sawdust from oak, beech, or maple is best.
- Master’s Mix: Half hardwood sawdust + half soybean hulls.
- Gypsum or wheat bran: You can add these for more food.
Don't use pine or other softwoods, because they have stuff in them that stops mushroom stuff from growing.
Hydration: Field Capacity
Wet your mix until it's just right. To check
- Squeeze a handful hard; one to three drops of water should come out.
- If lots of water comes out, it's too wet.
- If nothing comes out and it's dusty, it’s too dry.
Get this right so it doesn't get dirty and the mushroom stuff grows evenly.
What Is Master’s Mix and Why Use It?
Master’s Mix is the best mix for growing lion’s mane mushrooms because it has the right amount of food and holds water well.
- Sawdust: Gives it shape and is the main carbon food.
- Soybean Hulls: Has lots of nitrogen and proteins that mushroom stuff uses to grow.
This mix helps make
- Mushroom stuff grow faster
- Bigger mushrooms
- More mushrooms
Actually, mushroom expert Paul Stamets says Master’s Mix is good for growing fancy and healthy mushrooms ([Stamets, 2005]).
Sterilizing Your Substrate Mix
Lion’s Mane needs very clean mixes because it grows slower than oyster mushrooms. This means dirt has more time to grow before the Lion's Mane does. Oyster mushrooms can grow in straw that is just heated up a bit, but Lion's Mane needs mixes that are completely sterilized.
Sterilization Process
- Put your wet mix in special bags or glass jars that can handle heat.
- Put them in a pressure cooker or autoclave.
- Pressure cook at 15 PSI for at least 2.5 hours.
- Let it cool all the way before you add the mushroom spawn.
After sterilizing, keep everything very clean. Only open bags in clean places — best in a still-air box or under a laminar flow hood.
Step 3: Inoculating the Substrate
Now you add your mushroom spawn
Tools You’ll Need
- Lion’s Mane liquid culture or grain spawn
- Clean gloves, alcohol spray
- Mixing tub or spawn bag
- Still-air box (SAB) or laminar flow hood
How to Inoculate
- Shake your spawn to break it up.
- Mix spawn well into the cooled mix.
- Close the bag or container with a filter to let air in and out, then put it away to grow.
Use more spawn to make it grow faster, usually 5–10% of your mix by weight.
Step 4: Incubation – Colonization Period
Put the bags with spawn in a dark or dim place that is 65–75°F. For 14–21 days, the mushroom stuff will make a thick white layer inside the bag.
Monitoring for Colonization
- All of the mix should turn white with mushroom stuff.
- Watch for colors that are not white: green (mold), yellow (bacteria), or black (bad stuff).
- How long it takes to grow depends on the temperature and how much spawn you used.
Let it keep growing until the mix is all white and starts to make little bumps or “pins” — the first tiny mushrooms.
Step 5: Fruiting Conditions for Lion’s Mane
When your block is all white, it's time to make mushrooms.
Triggering Fruiting
- Cut an “X” or a rectangle in the plastic bag to open up the mushroom stuff.
- Make the humidity very high, 90–95%, using a tent or humidifier.
- Spray water twice a day, but not right on the small mushrooms.
- Give it 12 hours of soft light every day.
Airflow Tips
Lion’s Mane doesn't like too much carbon dioxide. If it doesn't get enough air
- The spines will be weirdly shaped and short
- Mushrooms will stay small or too fuzzy
Either wave air at it every day or put in a small air pump (like for a fish tank) to keep air moving.
Harvesting Your Homegrown Lion’s Mane
You'll know your mushrooms are ready when
- The spines are about 0.5 inches long
- Mushrooms feel firm but not squishy
- The tips of the cap turn yellow if you wait too long (means it's a little late)
Cut it off at the bottom with a clean knife. Don't pull it off, because that can hurt the mushroom stuff and you won't get as many more mushrooms later.
One bag can grow mushrooms 2–3 times over a few weeks if you add water after each time you pick them.
Growing Lion’s Mane on Logs: A Long-Term Option
If you have a yard or are very patient, growing on logs gives you mushrooms for a long time and doesn't need much work after you set it up.
Choosing the Right Log
- Pick hardwood trees: oak, birch, maple, beech.
- Logs should be 3–4 feet long, 4–8 inches around.
- Cut logs and put in spawn within a month.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Drill holes every 6 inches in a pattern that crisscrosses.
- Put plug spawn or sawdust spawn in using a tool.
- Cover holes with food-safe wax to keep water in.
- Stack them in the shade or lean them against something outside.
- Water them when it's dry.
Logs usually grow mushrooms once or twice a year when it's warm, for up to five years depending on how big the log is and the weather.
Storing and Using Your Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
After you pick your mushrooms, store them right to keep them fresh and good.
Fresh Storage
- Keep them in a paper bag in the fridge in the crisper drawer.
- Use them in 7–10 days for best taste and feel.
Dried Storage
- Dry them at low heat (104–113°F or 40–45°C).
- Store them in closed, waterproof containers.
- Use them for teas, soups, or make them into powder for pills.
To make them taste better when cooking:
- Slice fresh mushrooms into ¼-inch pieces.
- Cook them in a dry pan until the water is gone.
- Add oil or vegan butter and cook both sides until brown.
Fresh vs. Dried: What’s the Difference?
| Form | Pros | Best Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh | Better taste and feel | Cooking (cook in a pan, roast, grill) |
| Dried | Lasts longer, good for health stuff and concentrates | Teas, liquid extracts, soups, powder |
Drying makes the good stuff stronger but changes how they feel. Use both kinds depending on what you need.
Consider a Lion’s Mane Mushroom Growing Kit for Beginners
For easy and fast growing, a lion's mane mushroom growing kit is a great way to start. Kits do the sterilizing, adding spawn, and making the mix for you.
What’s in a Kit
- Mushroom block that is ready to grow (already has spawn in it)
- Humidity tent or small greenhouse
- Easy steps to show you what to do
Why Choose a Kit?
- They usually work well and don't fail much
- Grows inside and doesn't need much room
- Good for kids and people who are new to this
Final Tips and Troubleshooting
Here’s how to stop common problems:
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Mushrooms don’t form | Not humid enough, not enough light or air | Open bag, spray water every day, give light and air |
| Fuzzy appearance | Too much CO₂ when making mushrooms | Get more air in by opening tent or getting better air flow |
| Bad smell or mold | Dirt got in because things weren't clean | Throw away bad blocks; be cleaner next time |
| Small harvests | Weak spawn, bad mix, or old kit | Use good mixes like Master’s Mix |
Be patient. Growing mushrooms is a bit of science and a bit of just doing it — you learn each time you grow them to get better.
Whether you decide to grow lion's mane mushrooms with a kit or do it all yourself, success is about clean ways of doing things, the right growing conditions, and being a little patient. Over time, you’ll be picking tasty fancy mushrooms to eat fresh, dry for health, or give to friends and family. Ready to start? Look at our best mushroom kits and supplies to start your grow now.
Citations
- Stamets, P. (2005). Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.
