Red Reishi Colonized Agar Plate
Red Reishi Colonized Agar Plate is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
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Description
Description
A fully colonized Red Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) agar plate, grown from our master culture and 1st-generation isolated genetics — the same strain we use in our Red Reishi liquid culture syringes and grow kits.
Each plate is produced at our Illinois lab on standard malt extract agar (MEA), fully colonized before it ships, and held in inventory rather than made to order, so it ships within 1 business day. Multi-item orders may take an additional 1–2 business days so we can pack everything together.
- 90mmPolypropylene dish
- ~18mLMEA agar
- 14–21 daysColonizes agar
- 75–85°FFruiting temp
- 1 dayShips within
Why growers pick Red Reishi
Red Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is one of the most revered mushrooms in traditional herbal practice, known in Chinese as lingzhi and in Japanese as reishi. This lacquered-red polypore is prized for its compound profile:
- Triterpenes (including ganoderic acids) – the bitter compounds behind Reishi's distinctive flavor, concentrated in the fruit body
- Beta-glucans – complex polysaccharides found throughout the mycelium and fruit body
- Ganoderma-specific proteins and peptidoglycans
Reishi is a wood-decomposing fungus that grows on hardwood stumps and fallen logs. The fruit body is woody and not eaten as food — it's prepared as a tea, tincture, or extract — so you grow Reishi for the fruit body as raw material, or for the mycelium itself.
Many "Reishi" products on the market are actually closely related species such as G. sessile, G. resinaceum, or G. tsugae. Our master culture is Ganoderma lucidum, the species with the longest history of traditional use and the most extensively studied compound profile.
Working with Reishi on agar
- Slow but steady growth – colonizes agar in 14–21 days at 75–80°F
- Yellow-orange exudate – bright white mycelium often develops metabolic droplets as it matures; this is healthy, not contamination
- Dense, felt-like texture – Reishi mycelium is one of the densest in cultivation
- Heat-loving – prefers warmer temperatures than most species, for both colonization and fruiting
- Antler or conk – CO₂ levels during fruiting decide the form: antler-like branches at high CO₂, classic flat conks at low CO₂
What's included
- One 90mm polypropylene Petri dish, parafilm-sealed for sterility during transit
- ~18mL malt extract agar (MEA)
- Fully colonized with Red Reishi mycelium (typically 90–100% coverage at ship time)
- 1st-generation isolated Ganoderma lucidum genetics from our master culture
- Lab-inspected for contamination before it ships
When your plate arrives
- Inspect it within 24 hours. Minor condensation on the lid is normal and harmless.
- Store it cool and dark. Keep the sealed plate at 55–70°F until you're ready to use it.
- Work clean. Open the plate only under a still-air box or laminar flow hood.
- Make your transfer. Cut a small wedge, about the size of a pencil eraser, and move it to grain, sawdust, liquid media, or fresh agar.
Shipping and storage: plates ship in insulated, padded packaging via USPS Priority Mail (typically 2–4 days in transit), with a cold pack included at no additional cost in summer months (May–September) or to hot-climate destinations. A sealed plate stays viable for 60–90 days at 55–70°F, or 6–9 months refrigerated at 35–40°F.
What you can do with one plate
- Transfer to grain – place a wedge onto sterilized grain (rye or our 5-grain blend); Reishi colonizes grain in 21–28 days at 75–80°F
- Transfer to supplemented hardwood – Reishi fruits on supplemented hardwood sawdust, hardwood pellets, or oak, maple, or beech logs, and many growers skip grain entirely
- Make liquid culture – drop agar wedges into sterile liquid media to produce your own LC
- Expand to more plates – divide one plate into 5–8 fresh plates for a long-term genetic library
- Isolate strong sectors – move the most vigorous growth to a fresh plate to refine your genetics over generations
Shatterproof polypropylene plates
Every Red Reishi plate ships in a 90mm polypropylene Petri dish rather than the standard polystyrene. Polypropylene flexes under impact instead of cracking — and a cracked plate isn't just damaged, it's a contamination risk, since the crack breaks the parafilm seal. Our Lion's Mane plate is the one exception: it uses clear polystyrene for contrast against black agar.
Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species | Ganoderma lucidum (Red Reishi, Lingzhi) |
| Genetics | 1st-generation isolate from our master culture |
| Plate | 90mm polypropylene Petri dish, parafilm-sealed |
| Agar | ~18mL standard malt extract agar (MEA) |
| Sterility | Poured and inoculated under HEPA-filtered laminar flow |
| Mycelium appearance | Bright white, dense, felt-like; often develops yellow-orange exudate at maturity |
| Colonization speed on agar | Moderate — typically 14–21 days at 75–80°F |
| Preferred grain | Rye or our 5-grain blend |
| Fruiting substrate | Supplemented hardwood sawdust, hardwood pellets, oak/maple/beech logs |
| Block colonization time | 30–60 days on sawdust blocks before fruiting initiation |
| Fruiting temperature | 75–85°F (warm-loving — unusual among cultivated species) |
| Fruit body | Lacquered red-to-mahogany conks with a white margin; antler forms at high COâ‚‚ |
| Culinary use | Not eaten as food — woody and bitter; prepared as tea, tincture, or extract |
| Difficulty | Intermediate — needs warm temps and CO₂ control for the best fruit form |
| Shelf life (sealed) | 60–90 days at 55–70°F; 6–9 months at 35–40°F |
| Ships | Within 1 business day |
Sterility and quality
Every plate is poured, inoculated, and inspected at Myco Labs under HEPA-filtered laminar flow, sealed with parafilm immediately after inoculation, and incubated in a dedicated clean room until fully colonized. Each plate is visually inspected before it's approved for shipment, and for Reishi our inspectors are trained to tell healthy yellow-orange exudate from contamination.
Same genetics, other formatsWant the strain ready to inject? The Red Reishi liquid culture syringe carries the same genetics, and the Red Reishi grow kit lets you fruit the same strain without any lab work.
FAQ
Is this true Ganoderma lucidum, or a related species?
Our master culture is Ganoderma lucidum, the species with the longest history of traditional use and the most extensively studied compound profile. Many "Reishi" products on the market are actually related species (G. sessile, G. resinaceum, G. tsugae) that grow on different hosts and have different compound profiles.
What's the difference between antler and conk Reishi?
Both forms come from the same mycelium — the difference is environmental. Under high CO₂ (poor air exchange), Reishi grows antler-like branched forms. With low CO₂ and good fresh air exchange, it forms classic flat lacquered conks with white margins. Many growers start with high CO₂ to encourage antlers, then drop CO₂ to cap them with flat tops.
My Reishi plate has yellow-orange droplets — is that contamination?
No — this is healthy mycelial exudate, a normal byproduct of vigorous Reishi growth. The droplets are amber, clear, or yellow-orange and sit in specific spots on the surface. True contamination looks like green or black fuzzy mold, a pink or orange bacterial sheen with a sour smell, or wet, slimy patches that spread quickly.
Can I make Reishi tea or tincture from what I grow?
Yes — that's one of the most common reasons home growers cultivate Reishi. Mature fruit bodies are usually harvested once the white margin closes up, then sliced and dried. Dried Reishi is typically prepared as a long-simmered decoction, a dual-extraction tincture, or ground into powder. It isn't eaten as food because of its woody texture and bitter taste.
Are these the same genetics as your liquid culture syringes and grow kits?
Yes. Every Red Reishi plate is grown from our master culture and 1st-generation isolated Ganoderma lucidum strain — the same genetics in our Red Reishi LC syringes and grow kits.
How fast do these ship compared to other agar plate sellers?
Within 1 business day. Most agar plate sellers make plates to order, which can mean waiting 2–4 weeks for a plate to be poured, inoculated, and colonized. Ours are produced on a rolling schedule and held in inventory fully colonized. Multi-item orders may take an additional 1–2 business days so we can pack everything together.
Why do you use polypropylene plates instead of polystyrene?
Polypropylene flexes under impact instead of cracking. A cracked plate isn't just damaged — it's a contamination risk, since the crack breaks the parafilm seal and exposes the culture. Our Lion's Mane plates are the one exception: they use clear polystyrene for maximum contrast against black agar.
How long will the plate stay viable?
An unopened, parafilm-sealed plate stored at 55–70°F in a dark place stays viable for 60–90 days. Refrigerated at 35–40°F, it stays viable for 6–9 months. Reishi tolerates refrigeration well, which makes it suitable for long-term library storage.
What if my plate arrives contaminated or damaged?
We guarantee every plate ships in clean, fully colonized condition. If you receive a contaminated or damaged plate, contact us within 5 days of delivery with a photo and we'll replace it free of charge. Yellow-orange exudate droplets on Reishi are normal and not a defect.
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