Cultivation
Cultivation
The cultivation process is fundamental to creating an effective medicinal mushroom product. Premium quality and effective medicinal mushroom products can only be achieved if the raw material, the mushroom, is of the highest quality, and this starts with its cultivation.
Key factors in mushroom cultivation include:
The location and quality of the soil
The growing material or substrate
The maturation time
The experience of the farmer
To meet our stringent quality standards, we do not source medicinal mushrooms from the open market but exclusively from our trusted partners.
We follow the time-honored practices of cultivating functional mushrooms in China
We place great emphasis on selecting the optimal growing regions for our medicinal mushrooms. Cultivating them in China allows us to take advantage of the ideal climate while incorporating the ancient knowledge of mushroom cultivation rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Many of our mushrooms come from Asia, where they have been cherished for their nutritional and medicinal benefits for thousands of years. The cultivation techniques were also developed here, making it a natural choice to grow our mushrooms in this region.
We have personally chosen experienced and reliable farmers in the pristine, untouched areas of the Chinese provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi, far from industrial zones and pollution sources.
We use specialized growing material tailored specifically for mushroom cultivation.
Selecting the appropriate growing material is crucial for ensuring that the mushroom develops all of its essential compounds.
We rely on the expertise of our Chinese partner farmers, who are knowledgeable about the specific substrate needs of each mushroom species.
The chosen substrate is first heat-sterilized, cut, and then carefully hand-packed into protective casings. This method allows us to cultivate the mushrooms without relying on pesticides.
Inoculated cultures are placed on long wooden shelves within greenhouses, where sunlight, air circulation, and temperature can be controlled.
For certain mushrooms, like chaga, we harvest them directly from trees.
Achieving quality in mushroom cultivation requires patience and time
Similar to fine wine or cheese, mushrooms require time to reach full ripeness, allowing their valuable ingredients to fully develop.
The ripening period differs depending on the mushroom species. For instance, maitake takes about three months to mature, shiitake about five months, and reishi up to eight months.
Once the mushrooms are fully ripe, the farmers carefully harvest the fruiting bodies. Only this part of the mushroom is used in our raw materials to ensure the highest concentration of beneficial compounds. We never use mycelium or growing material in our products.
Follow the journey of our mushrooms from cultivation to your product
Once harvested, the functional mushrooms are carefully dried and then either ground into a fine powder or processed into an extract.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our cultivation methods. If you don’t see your question answered here. Feel free to explore all our FAQs or contact us.
Why don't we cultivate functional mushrooms in Slovenia or Europe, but exclusively in China?
Thanks to the long-standing tradition of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), our Chinese farmers possess extensive knowledge of mushroom cultivation, which directly benefits our customers. In contrast, this expertise has largely been lost in Europe due to industrialization and the rise of modern medicine. Studies have even indicated that medicinal mushrooms from countries with a strong TCM production tradition, like China, tend to be of higher quality than those from regions without such a tradition. Therefore, importing medicinal mushrooms from China is a crucial factor in ensuring the superior quality and effectiveness of our raw materials.
Are the Chinese farmers compensated fairly?
Fair treatment of our Chinese partners is a top priority for us. This means ensuring they are paid fairly for their work, regardless of the harvest yield. This approach is also a key element of our quality system, as fair compensation helps maintain the loyalty and commitment of our farmers.