Lion's Mane Colonized Black Agar Plate
Lion's Mane Colonized Black Agar Plate is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
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Lion's Mane Colonized Black Agar Plate
Description
Description
Fully colonized Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) agar plate, grown on our specialty black agar in a 90mm polystyrene Petri dish. Made from our master culture and 1st-generation isolated genetics — the same strain we use in our Lion's Mane liquid culture syringes and grow kits. Each plate is produced fresh at our Illinois lab, fully colonized before it ships, and ready to use the moment it arrives.
Unlike most agar plate sellers who make plates to order with 2–4 week lead times, our plates are colonized and ready to ship from inventory. Order by 2 PM CT, ships the same business day.
Why Black Agar for Lion's Mane?
Lion's Mane mycelium is notoriously difficult to photograph and evaluate on standard amber-colored MEA — the white, cottony growth blends into the medium and makes it hard to spot contamination or assess vigor. We solved this by formulating a specialty black agar (our standard MEA recipe with food-grade activated carbon added). The pitch-black background makes the white Lion's Mane mycelium pop visually, so you can:
- Easily inspect for any sign of contamination (it shows up immediately against black)
- Evaluate growth vigor and rhizomorphic patterns at a glance
- Photograph your cultures clearly for documentation or sharing
- Identify and isolate the strongest sectors when expanding to new plates
This is the same black agar formulation used by serious cultivators and research labs working with light-colored mycelium species — and it's why we chose Lion's Mane as the flagship species for the format.
What You'll Receive
- One 90mm polystyrene Petri dish, parafilm-sealed for sterility during transit
- ~18mL black agar — our MEA formulation enhanced with food-grade activated carbon
- Fully colonized with healthy, white Lion's Mane mycelium (typically 90–100% coverage at ship time)
- 1st-generation isolated genetics from our master culture — the same strain in our Lion's Mane LC syringes and grow kits
- Lab-inspected for contamination before ship
- Produced fresh at Myco Labs (Illinois, USA)
How to Use Your Agar Plate
A single colonized agar plate is one of the most versatile tools in mushroom cultivation. From one plate, you can:
- Transfer to grain — cut a small wedge of colonized agar and place it onto sterilized grain (rye, our 5-grain blend, etc.) to create grain spawn
- Create liquid culture — transfer agar wedges into sterile liquid media to produce your own LC syringes
- Expand to more plates — divide one plate into 5–10 fresh plates to build a long-term genetic library
- Isolate strong sectors — pick the most vigorous growth and transfer it to a fresh plate to refine your genetics over generations
Lion's Mane Growing Characteristics
| Latin name | Hericium erinaceus |
| Mycelium appearance | White, cottony, coral-like rhizomorphic growth |
| Colonization speed on agar | Moderate — typically 10–14 days at 70–75°F |
| Preferred grain | Rye, our 5-grain blend, or hardwood-supplemented grain |
| Fruiting substrate | Hardwood sawdust + bran, supplemented hardwood pellets |
| Fruiting temperature | 60–70°F |
| Difficulty | Beginner-friendly |
| Use category | Gourmet + functional (nootropic compounds) |
Plate Specifications
| Plate size | 90mm Petri dish |
| Plate material | Polystyrene (clear, for maximum contrast against black agar) |
| Agar type | Black agar — MEA + food-grade activated carbon |
| Agar volume | ~18mL |
| Seal | Parafilm M, lab-grade |
| Sterility | Poured and inoculated under HEPA-filtered laminar flow |
Sterility & Quality Standards
Every plate is poured, inoculated, and inspected at Myco Labs under HEPA-filtered laminar flow. Plates are sealed with parafilm immediately after inoculation and incubated in a dedicated clean room until fully colonized. Each plate is visually inspected against the black background — where contamination is unmistakable — before being approved for shipment. If it doesn't look right, it doesn't ship.
Shipping & Handling
Plates ship in insulated, padded packaging. In summer months (May–September) or to hot-climate destinations, we include a cold pack at no additional cost. Inspect your plate within 24 hours of arrival — minor condensation on the lid is normal and harmless. Store in a cool, dark place (55–70°F) until ready to use; an unopened, sealed plate stays viable for 60–90 days at room temperature, or 6–9 months refrigerated at 35–40°F.
Recommended Companion Products
- Lion's Mane Liquid Culture Syringe — same genetics, ready-to-inject format
- Grain Spawn Bags — for transferring your colonized agar to bulk
- Lion's Mane All-in-One Grow Kit — for fruiting from the same strain
- Agar Supplies — sterile plates, scalpels, parafilm
Frequently Asked Questions
What is black agar and why do you use it for Lion's Mane?
Black agar is our standard malt extract agar (MEA) recipe with food-grade activated carbon added, which gives it a deep black color. We use it specifically for Lion's Mane because the species' white, cottony mycelium is very difficult to see and evaluate on standard amber-colored MEA. Against a black background, the mycelium stands out clearly — making it dramatically easier to spot contamination, assess vigor, and isolate strong sectors. The activated carbon is inert and doesn't affect mycelium health.
How fast do these ship compared to other agar plate sellers?
Same or next business day. Most agar plate sellers (including the larger names in the industry) make plates to order, meaning you wait 2–4 weeks after ordering for the plate to be poured, inoculated, and colonized. Ours are produced on a rolling schedule and held in inventory fully colonized, ready to ship the moment you order.
Are these the same genetics as your liquid culture syringes and grow kits?
Yes. Every agar plate we sell is grown from our master culture and 1st-generation isolated Lion's Mane strain — the same genetics in our LC syringes and grow kits. Lab-tested, commercial-grade, and refined over multiple generations for vigor and yield.
Why 90mm plates instead of 100mm?
90mm is the global standard for mycology agar work and provides the same working surface and yield as 100mm for all practical cultivation purposes. It also ships more efficiently and is the format used by most professional labs.
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. For longer storage, transfer the culture to a refrigerated plate at 35–40°F, where it can stay viable for 6–12 months.
Can I use this plate to make grain spawn directly?
Yes — that's one of the most common uses. Under a still-air box or laminar flow hood, cut a small wedge (about the size of a pencil eraser) from the colonized plate and drop it into a sterilized grain spawn bag or jar. Colonization typically completes in 14–21 days.
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.
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Let customers speak for us
Fast and easy colonization! These grain jars showed growth after just 10 days. My previous efforts with the all-in-one bags are taking MUCH longer but also working. Thank you Midwest Grow Kits 🙏
I love the people and the products. The people at MWGK clearly care about the integrity of the community they serve.
The monotub works amazing only had it a couple of weeks and about to have second harvest I used AIO grow bag for first flush and move to tub for second and its great not having to watch 24/7. Thanks Midwest
Four days after mixing grain, Select substrate, and the Midwest horse manure booster - the results speak for themselves.
It has everything you need for a fast, large flush success with fewer moving parts than a standard monotub. It is a surprisingly versatile option for more advanced students. Pic is 5 grain jar at 8 days. GT LM This is where I shop, now.
Rich, perfectly field-wet, sterile and it is perfect for those many varieties that won’t thrive quite as well in Bulk Substrate and Casing Mix, which I’ve seen as best for psilocybes/cyanescens. I’m using it for the first time with Lions Mane and King Trumpets. So far so good, 7 days and primordial and pins are starting to flourish. It drains better and is lighter than MGK’s Bulk Casing and Substrate. Great product.
Love the heater and how even and exact it heats. I set mine to 76 degrees and my room fluctuates from 64-75 and it holds solid at 75 degrees. I used a probe thermometer to double check the substrate level temp and its exactly 1 degree less than the heater setting. Another tip, I only needed to use the round monotub thermometer to check my humidity levels every so often. I would leave a filter disk on that hole instead of the thermometer. The only time it came in handy was after my first flush when humidity started to drop. I was able to use that gauge and check whether I needed to mist. Overall great kit and worth the money!
Ive bought mutiple jars before i came up with my own recipe, every jar produced healthy cultures, even if ones damaged in shipping they replace immediately, highly recommend
Very small chance that you get a contaminate you already had it and you’re either culture spores etc. their stuff is 100% sterile every time 100% of the time everything is viable never had a problem been shopping with them for sometime
It’s very good product and I highly recommend it to everyone.👏👏👏
I love my magnetic stir plate it works great for Liquid culture jars.
My bag had a slow start, but excellent finish. Oak Ridge.
Great product for my cannabis best deal around arrived fast thank you Midwest grow kits definitely will be purchasing again
So far it seems very sturdy and I will give another review after I fill her up. Im just getting started with this life changing hobby and this will hold up strong
It was a price commitment, however it equated to less than I would spend on most any DIY project. I decided to purchase it and have since done spore work, agar transfers to agar and grain, culture to spawn bag inoculations, cloming and prints all with a 0% contamination rate. I practice about as good a sterile technique as I can mustard, considering I perform all my work on my kitchen table. Im consistently amazed by how flawless everything has turned out since adding this to my operations. I consider it indispensable. Instead of the double sided tape provided, i purchased some plastic velcro tape from the Gnome Depot and use it to affix the pvc guards to the sides. When i am done, i have also made it so i can sandwich them together and store them one the front to protect that precious filter when not in use. If you can swing it, buy it. Takes the risk out of procedure. Im bummed i cheaped out on the stainless riser offered at a discount with purchase of the LFH. That would have been exceedingly useful, but I have since utilized a baking drying rack to much success. Now go forth and frolic in the dung!
