Shiitake - Lentinula edodes - "Cold"-strain - pure culture for organic mushroom cultivation, AT-BIO-301 Strain No.: 106003

Shiitake "Cold"- Lentinula edodes - Pure culture

Synonyms: Lentinus edodes, Agaricus edodes, Shii-Take, Shaingugu, Hua Gu, Qua Gu, Chinese black mushroom, black forest mushroom

This Strain is a cold weather Shiitake. The main characteristic of Shiitake 'Cold' is the low fruiting temperature, it bares fruiting bodies at around +5 to +15 °C (optimum +8 to +10 °C), but it also has to be considered that at such low temperatures the growth is slower and the harvest yield is lower in comparison with other Shiitake strains. This Shiitake is proved for outdoor cultivation to extant the harvest season some weeks in spring and fall. Also for cultivation at higher attitudes Shiitake 'Cold'-strain is the best choice.

Shiitake has originally been domiciled in Japan, Korea and China and his special characteristics are known by the people for more than 2000 years. The smell of this special mushroom is very similar to garlic and is due to an ingredient called Lenthionine. Shiitake counts to the most popular gourmet-mushrooms in the world.

Production time: The culture is made fresh after ordering, production time 2 to 3 weeks.
This product is fresh produce and should be processed immediatly after delivery.
If the product cannot be processed immediatley, it can be stored in the fridge at 4° Celsius for a maximum of two weeks.   

Shiitake 'Cold'-strain - Lentinula edodes - pure culture
Living Shiitake fungi culture in cell culture flask for further multiplication and professional spawn production, refined to highly productive strains by natural selection.
Filling volume: 15 ml culture medium, Growth area: 25 cm², Measurements: L x W x H = 79,7 x 42,6 x 26,53 mm
Certified for organic mushroom cultivation
(Organic control station: AT-BIO-301, Austria Bio Garantie)

Living, actively growing, axenic Lentinula edodes cell culture, entirely free of other strains or contaminating organisms, for further multiplication. Our pure cultures are custom-made and produced fresh after ordering in a class 100 clean room environment on a solid culture medium (MEA) based on vegetable raw materials, it needs around 2 to 3 weeks until the culture is mature enough for shipping. The culture is supplied in special cell culture flasks (Filling volume: 15 ml culture medium, Growth area: 25 cm², Measurements: L x W x H = 79,7 x 42,6 x 26,53 mm) with breathable, hydrophobic membrane. This special design prevents introduction of contaminants and enables optimum gas exchange thanks to the high air flow rate of the membrane. In this packaging the mushroom culture can also survive longer shipping distance and time without loss of quality or germinative ability.

This product is intended for professional Shiitake 'Cold'-Strain mushroom spawn production or further multiplication of this fungi strain. Working with pure cell cultures requires detailed mushroom cultivation skills. For beginners and hobby growers working with grain spawn or sawdust spawn is recommended.

We also offer further literature to gain detailed cultivation knowledge, one of the following books is highly-recommended for successful cultivation:
- Growing Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms, Dr. Paul Stamets, ISBN: 978-1580081757
- Mushroom Cultivation IV - appropriate technology for mushroom growers, Peter Oei, ISBN 978-90-8251290-8

Suitable Substrate:
hardwood (most suitable: oak, beech, birch, alder, chestnut, pasania)

Suitable method of cultivation:
wood logs, mushroom bed / patch, indoor mycelium bags for cultivation in a greenhouse

Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Agaricomycetes
Class: Agaricomycetidae
Order: Agaricales
Family: Marasmiaceae
Genus: Lentinula
Species: Lentinula edodes
Spores: white, ovoid to ellipsoid, 5 - 6.5 x 3 - 3.5 µ


Growing conditions:
Phase 1: Mycelium growth
Temperature: 21 - 27°C
Humidity: 95 - 100%
Duration: 35 - 70 days
CO2: >10,000 ppm
Fresh air exchange: 0 - 1 per hour
Light: 50 - 100 lux

Phase 2: Primordia formation / Fruiting initiation
Temperature: +5 to +15 °C (optimum: +8 to +10 °C)
Humidity: 95 - 100%
Duration: 5 - 7 days
CO2: <1,000 ppm
Fresh air exchange: 4 - 7 per hour
Lght: 500 - 2.000 lux

Phase 3: Fruiting and harvest
Temperature: +5 to  +15 °C (optimum +8 to +10 °C)
Humidity: 60 - 80%
Duration: 7 days
Co2: <1,000 ppm
Fresh air exchange: 4 - 8 per hour
Light: 500 - 2,000 lux
Cropping cycle: 2 - 3 crops, about 2 weeks apart