This is a growing guide. It covers substrates, spawn rates, colonization, and fruiting conditions. For Lion’s Mane benefits, dosage, and supplement guidance, see: Lion’s Mane Mushroom Benefits + How to Use It.
To grow Lion’s Mane successfully, most growers use supplemented hardwood sawdust (often with wheat bran at ~10–20%). Higher spawn rates can improve the odds of full colonization. Many also use a “master’s mix” (hardwood sawdust + soy hulls) hydrated to the right moisture level.
Different Methods of Growing Lion's Mane Mushroom
Lion's Mane Mushroom differs from the "normal" mushrooms you'll find in your meals, in the sense that it offers nootropic benefits.
However, you'll be glad to hear that it does grow similar to any other type of edible mushroom.
For Beginners to Lion's Mane Mushroom Growing:
Those experienced in mushroom growing recommend beginners to start with a home kit. You'll be able to achieve basic results using a home kit and gain some experience right away.
After cutting your teeth with this basic method of growing Lion's Mane Mushroom, you may be comfortable progressing to a more experienced method.
For Those Experienced at Lion's Mane Mushroom Growing:
Those more experienced tend to start from commercially made Lion's Mane Mushroom spawn; although this will require you to own more tools (and be more experienced in order to succeed), you'll ultimately achieve better results than what is possible with a home kit.
For Lion's Mane Mushroom Growing Experts:
If you're not "wet behind the ears" and have grown many mushrooms, then you'll be comfortable making your own Lion's Mane Mushroom spawn from a pure culture on agar.
On agar, you'll achieve very unique growth that forms little glacier formations emerging from the initial wedge.
The obvious caveat to this growing method is that it is much more complex and difficult to achieve optimal growth of this fungi.
More Detail on Starting Your Growth with Lion's Mane Mushroom Spawn
We mentioned that hardwood sawdust supplemented with bran can be an optimal substrate for growing Lion’s Mane Mushroom.
A more complex substrate available to fungi growers for best results is the masters mix (50-50 solution of hardwood sawdust and soy hulls, hydrated to 60%).
If you want the most simple substrate to grow Lion’s Mane Mushroom on, then straw is a respectable option – although, a wood based substrate is known to be more reliable in yielding better results than straw.
Summary of Lion's Mane Mushroom Growing Instructions
Growing Lion's Mane Mushroom is a complex process that's not easy to understand. So we'll give you a summary in bullet points below...
- Add the Lion's Mane Mushroom spawn (at a spawn rate of between 10-15%) to sterilized substrate. Preferably in a Laminar Flow Hood or other clean environment.
- After inoculation, you should see a fruiting block be fully colonized between 1-2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Lion's Mane take to grow?
After inoculation with spawn, a Lion's Mane fruiting block typically becomes fully colonized within 1-2 weeks. The total time from spawn to harvest depends on your growing method, with home kits providing the quickest results for beginners.
Is Lion's Mane difficult to grow?
Lion's Mane is moderately challenging to grow, with difficulty depending on your experience level. Beginners should start with home kits for basic results, while experienced growers can achieve better yields using commercial spawn and substrates like supplemented hardwood sawdust or master's mix.
Where does Lion's Mane grow naturally?
While this guide focuses on cultivation methods, Lion's Mane naturally grows on hardwood trees, which is why hardwood sawdust makes an optimal growing substrate. For more information about Lion's Mane's natural habitat and foraging, see our complete Lion's Mane guide.
Can you grow Lion's Mane mushrooms at home?
Yes, you can grow Lion's Mane at home using various methods from beginner-friendly kits to advanced techniques using commercial spawn or pure cultures on agar. Home growers typically use sterilized substrates like supplemented hardwood sawdust or master's mix (50-50 hardwood sawdust and soy hulls) with spawn rates of 10-15%.
What is master's mix, and when should you shake it during colonization?
Master's mix is a 50-50 solution of hardwood sawdust and soy hulls, hydrated to 60% moisture, which provides optimal nutrition for Lion's Mane growth. While some growers shake grain spawn at 30-50% colonization, the article notes you can simply mix any tiny fruits that form with your grain spawn before adding it to the substrate.
How do you grow Lion's Mane mushrooms from scratch?
To grow Lion's Mane from scratch, start with a culture on agar, which forms unique glacier-like formations, then create grain spawn, add it to your chosen substrate at a 10-15% spawn rate, and fruit. This expert method is complex but yields the best results compared to home kits or commercial spawn.
What's the best substrate for growing Lion's Mane?
The best substrate for Lion's Mane is supplemented hardwood sawdust with 10-20% wheat bran or master's mix, which reliably produces better yields than simpler options like straw. For detailed information on Lion's Mane's nutritional benefits once grown, visit our Lion's Mane benefits guide.
