Soulshine Earth’s Lion’s Mane totem method

We are proud to share with you our version of the totem method of growing Lion’s Mane mushrooms. After much scientific testing, this is the most effective and efficient method we have found for growing Lion’s Mane mushrooms on logs. Inoculations with the totem (or stacked log) method are less labor intensive than the drill-and-fill (or bolt) method. The totems also consistently produce larger mushrooms than the bolts, and generally have a longer life span. For these reasons, we plan to only use totems for future Lion’s Mane inoculations.

The totem method which we originally learned about suggested using plastic bags to incubate the logs, which worked really well. We decided that we needed to eliminate the use of plastic on our farm, wherever possible, so we made the switch to paper bags. Paper bags were extremely prone to drying out and we couldn’t find any information on how to prevent this, so we decided to run a bunch of experiments to try to find a solution for this. After testing many different ideas, and eliminating a lot of them, we developed a method based of what worked the best for us. Here is our method, we hope it can work for you too!

Soulshine Method for Lions Mane Totem Cultivation     Southern Ohio Forest Farming Conference- September 25th, 2025    Andy Gedeon & Anna Kelly       

Cut a healthy living tree at the end of February, we have had success with Sugar Maple, Beech and even Red Maple.  Totems should be a minimum of 8” diameter for stability, so choose a tree with a large trunk.  Cut the trunk into 28” long segments (any branches smaller than 8” can be inoculated drill & fill style).

·        Stack the log segments on bricks, in a cris-cross pattern.  Don’t lay the logs on the ground or cover them with a tarp or anything that would trap moisture.  Let the logs rest for 2-4 weeks.

·        Find a place for your totems to live.  Ideally, they would be under a full forest canopy, so consider adding an 80-90% shade cloth canopy as well, for winter months or if summer shade is not complete.  Put groups of totems in rows, with a minimum 12” spacing between any two totems.

·        On inoculation day: Use a chainsaw to cut a ½-1” disc off each end of each log.  This removes wood which likely has mold or other spores which have germinated on it. Cut the remaining log into 3 segments.  Cut the first two segments at 12” long and cut a disc at 1 ½ -2” long.  Mark the segments in a way that maintains the original order and orientation of the log, so that the totem can be rebuilt in the same way. 

·        Flatten and tamp down ground in each totem location as necessary.  Cut a 12” square out of cardboard and place on ground.  Cut the top 1/3 off of a paper lawn and leaf bag, open bag and set on cardboard.  Layer ¼” of Lion’s Mane sawdust spawn in the bottom of the bag in the shape of the log. 

·        Place the first 12” segment on top of the spawn.  Layer a ¼” of spawn on top of the first log.  Pack down the spawn evenly, flat, and to the edges of the log.  Set the second log segment down onto the spawn, maintaining orientation.  Toenail the upper log to the lower log with three 3” deck screws placed equidistant around the circumference of the log. Pack down another ¼” layer of spawn on top of the second log segment.  Place the third (disc) segment on top of the spawn.  Drive a single screw into the center of the disc to fasten the disc to the second log segment.

·        Wrap each spawn layer with 2 passes of parafilm grafting tape.  Stretch tape to break and press down to seal to itself.  

·         Label the top of each totem with mushroom species, tree species, date, and totem number.

·        Cut the top 1/3 off of a second lawn and leaf bag and place over top of the first bag.  Tent the top of the bag up to shed water during rain.

·        Leave the logs inside of the bags during incubation, except to make observations.  Hang a shade cloth canopy above the totems to shade logs from the sun until tree leaves open up.  Avoid opening the bags to let them get rained on and avoid irrigating them during incubation.

·        Remove parafilm after 3-4 months.  There should be white mycelium underneath.  Remove the parafilm sooner if you notice a lot of mold growing underneath.

·        In August you can start removing the top bag as needed.  By the end of summer, the spawn run through the log should have had a chance to make some good progress. If it has been very dry, remove the bag to allow the totem to get rained on and replace it after it rains, to hold in moisture.  If it has been very wet, remove the lower bag to allow airflow and keep the upper bag on the totem to help shed water.  

·        In September, be on the lookout for fruits, although they are much more likely by the following spring.  Look for white or yellow mycelium on the tops of the totems as a sign of a strong spawn run.  Remove both the upper and lower bags from the totems so that they can receive natural rainfall or irrigate as necessary with non-tap water. During the winter, loosely drape frost blankets over the rows of totems to prevent them from drying out from the sun or the wind.  Take down any shade cloth canopies during snow. We use frost blankets during the warmer months as well, as they prevent the logs from drying out and especially protect the pinning mushrooms from drying out and aborting during a dry spring or fall.  Be careful not to completely restrict airflow to the pinning mushrooms as they will grow “leggy” as they try to escape the high CO2 levels.  The blankets also help to shed water off of fruiting bodies during a rainy fruiting season, preventing soggy mushrooms.  Additionally, they allow water to wick through into the tops of the logs, watering them every time it rains.