Shaggy Mane
Coprinus comatus
Shaggy mane grows quickly on composted straw, giving a harvest within a week of spawning, but the mushrooms turn into black ink within hours, so it is a crop for people who can eat it fresh.
Coprinus comatus is a saprotroph that appears in late summer and autumn on grass, rubbish heaps and freshly disturbed soil. In Thailand it is grown indoors on shelves all year or outdoors in straw bales on a composted substrate of rice straw or soybean pod hulls. The straw is composted for five to eight days with fertiliser, lime and bran or manure, pasteurised at 65–70 °C for four to six hours, cooled to 35 °C and spawned at 2.5–3% of its dry weight. The room is then held at 35–45 °C for five or six days; primordia appear on the surface about five to six days after spawning.
Cultivation parameters
Climate
| Colonization temperature | 35–45 °C |
|---|---|
| Air / CO₂ notes | In Thailand, composted straw beds were pasteurised at 65–70 °C for 4–6 hours, cooled to 35 °C and spawned at 2.5–3% of the compost dry weight; the room was then held at 35–45 °C for the 5–6 day spawn run with no light or water but with some aeration; primordia appeared on the bed surface after five to six days, after which ventilation and moisture were increased. |
| Cold shock | Not required |
Timing & substrate
| Colonization | 5–6 days |
|---|---|
| Time to first flush | About 5–6 days after spawning; the whole crop takes 1–2 months from substrate preparation to the end of harvest. |
| Primary substrate | Composted rice straw or soybean pod hulls |
| Substrate options | Rice straw, Soybean pod hulls, Maize stalks and cobs, Sorghum stalks, Banana leaves, Water hyacinth, Sawdust |
Practical literature-range
| Best methods | Composted beds on shelves indoors, Straw bales outdoors |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate — Easy to grow on composted straw, but the mushrooms turn to black ink within hours, so they must be eaten within about two days |
Taxonomy & ecology
| Scientific name | Coprinus comatus |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Shaggy ink cap, Lawyer's wig, Chicken-leg mushroom |
| Family | Agaricaceae |
| Order | Agaricales |
| Genus | Coprinus |
| Lifestyle | Saprotroph |
| Natural habitat | Grass at roadsides, rubbish heaps, lawns and freshly disturbed soil; late summer and autumn in temperate regions |
| Cultivation status | Commercially cultivated |
How to grow Shaggy Mane, step by step
- Compost the straw. Soak fresh rice straw or soybean pod hulls, then compost them for five to eight days with fertiliser or manure, lime and bran.
- Pasteurise. Fill the beds and steam the room at 65–70 °C for 4–6 hours, then cool to about 35 °C.
- Spawn. Add sorghum-grain spawn at 2.5–3% of the compost dry weight.
- Run the spawn. Hold 35–45 °C for five to six days with some aeration and no light or water.
- Fruit and harvest. Increase ventilation and moisture when primordia appear, and pick at least daily, before the gills darken.
Growing notes
The whole production cycle is short, one to two months from substrate preparation to the end of harvest, and the harvest itself lasts 20–30 days. Mushrooms are picked at least daily, in the afternoon, only one to two days after tiny fruit bodies appear, and before the gills begin to blacken. Picked at that stage, they keep four to five days in the cold, or can be kept in cold water at 8–10 °C. The handbook reports a biological efficiency of 66.7% for bales and 75% for shelves, with about 10–12 crops a year. Its authors note that commercial cultivation is limited by the mushroom's tendency to disintegrate into an inky mass; this is a crop for fresh sale or home use. This page covers cultivation only and cannot help identify wild mushrooms or tell you whether a mushroom is safe to eat.
Questions about growing Shaggy Mane
How fast does shaggy mane grow?
Primordia appear about five to six days after spawning at 35–45 °C, and mushrooms are ready one to two days after tiny fruit bodies appear. The whole cycle takes one to two months.
What substrate does shaggy mane use?
Composted rice straw or soybean pod hulls; the handbook also lists maize stalks, sorghum stalks, banana leaves, water hyacinth and sawdust. Soybean pod hulls gave about three to four times the yield of rice straw.
How much spawn does it need?
2.5–3% of the compost dry weight, which can be adjusted to the grower's preference.
How long do shaggy mane keep?
Picked before the gills blacken, they keep four to five days in the cold, and the handbook says they are best eaten within two days of harvest because they disintegrate into an inky mass.
How much does it yield?
A biological efficiency of 66.7% for bales and 75% for shelves was reported in Thailand, and 600 kg of mushrooms from 900 kg of dry straw.