Cultivation of oyster mushrooms at home is carried out according to the established process. In this case, you will not need to spend money on buying mushrooms, and besides, it will not be scary to eat them, since you definitely won’t get poisoned by them.
Before proceeding with the procedure, for starters, it is advisable to study the technology of growing oyster mushrooms at home. In this article, we will study it in detail.
First of all, you need to prepare two rooms. In one, oyster mushrooms will be grown at home, the second is intended for the incubation period. It is perfectly acceptable to use the same room for this. In this case, it is worth adhering to a certain level of microclimate and adjusting the degree of air humidity.
What will come in handy
- Nutrient medium. Ready-made, packaged for sale.
- Mushroom seeds - mycelium. Importantcheck the expiration date.
- Fan. Suitable household.
- Antiseptic. Rubbing alcohol or chlorinated solution.
- Protective gloves, gauze mask, pointed knife, strong plastic bags.
Of course, you need to have perseverance (the process is quite long) and the desire to try personally obtained oyster mushrooms.
Important criteria for placement
For growing oyster mushrooms at home, a separate room should be allocated. It is not necessary to allocate a room in the house. Cellar, basement, shed will fit perfectly. For the incubation stage, the microclimate should be maintained at about 26 degrees Celsius, the degree of air humidity should not exceed 70%.
Especial care must be taken to cleanliness. You should not wash everything around with bleach, you can use a sulfur-smoke bomb or simply cover all vertical surfaces with whitewash with the addition of copper sulfate. In this case, foreign mold will not form.
The most important condition when growing oyster mushrooms at home is that all ventilation holes must be closed with a network with small cells. Otherwise, the flies may flock to the smell of mycelium and ruin the mushroom plantation.
For the time of germination and picking of mushrooms, the moisture content in the indoor air is necessary in the region of 80-95%, the temperature is not more than 18 degrees Celsius.
Important! Basement or cellar - the most suitable place. These rooms are constantlyincreased humidity, and a warm microclimate can be created using a household radiator.
Substrate preparation
As a nutrient substance for growing oyster mushrooms at home from scratch, you should choose any substrate containing cellulose. It is she who creates a nutrient medium for the mycelium. Experienced mushroom growers use sawdust, small twigs or shavings. Beginners can try the substrate, consisting of:
- from barley straw;
- husks of sunflower seeds;
- corn shoots, leaves;
- wheat straw;
- buckwheat husks;
- husked corn.
First, you need to carefully sort out the raw material produced. The substrate must be clean and dry. The formation of mold or a rotten smell indicates that the raw material is not suitable for the propagation of fungi.
After selecting the substrate, it is necessary to boil the raw materials. This will make it possible to protect itself from harmful microorganisms, insect larvae, and at the same time saturate it with moisture. To do this, raw materials are placed in a metal pan, clean water is poured. Then bring to a boil and cook for about 40 minutes. Then let it cool for three hours.
After that, the excess water is poured out, the raw material is placed under the press or hung in a cloth bag.
When the mixture cools down to a temperature of 24-26 ° C, it is worth starting planting.
Important! For a better effect, on the eve of planting, they add to the raw materiala small amount of fresh yeast. Approximately 50g per 15kg total weight.
Planting stock
Growing oyster mushrooms at home for beginners is a fascinating and interesting business. First you need to buy "seeds" - mycelium. To date, it is much easier to purchase them - there are many online stores with delivery to any city. But there are also local firms. For beginners in mushroom cultivation who are afraid of failure, it is enough to purchase 1 kg of mycelium. As a result, it will be possible to get approximately 3 or 4 kg of mushrooms. Prepare raw materials in advance. Mycelium can be stored in a cooling chamber for up to 2 months; it is forbidden to store in a freezer. Also, do not allow mycelium to get on the skin, so it is better to open the package with protective gloves.
When buying, you need to be guided by these appointments:
- Study supplier reviews.
- It is worth buying a trial amount of planting raw materials from a new supplier.
- Study all the information about the selected variety, mycelium germination time, mold resistance.
- Check expiration dates.
- After delivery, check the temperature of the mycelium - it should be approximately +20 degrees Celsius.
- There should be no black or green spots on the mycelium. Seeds should be light orange with yellow in color.
Important! If planting material is purchased long before disembarkation, then it can be stored inrefrigerator for 9 days. Acceptable temperature is in the range of 3-5 degrees.
Important points before boarding
The substrate has been prepared, the seeds have been purchased and have already rested for a day at room temperature.
The most important thing when growing oyster mushrooms at home is that air should not blow from anywhere in the room. Mushroom spores are almost weightless and will scatter instantly.
Tools are used only sterile. Disinfect a knife, tight bags, hands, for example, with a solution of laundry soap, or treat with an antiseptic. It is advisable to additionally protect your hands with gloves. Be sure to use a gauze bandage. Otherwise, the spores will be inhaled into the lungs, which may cause allergies.
Let's consider further growing oyster mushroom mycelium at home.
Landing
- Mycelium is crushed without opening the package.
- Raw materials are poured into a plastic bag.
- The vegetative body is laid on top with a thin layer.
- Repeat layers to top of bag.
- The package is tightly closed.
In order for the mushrooms to grow intensively, you need to lay the mycelium closer to the walls of the bag than to the middle.
An easier way to grow oyster mushrooms at home is allowed. The raw material is poured into bags prepared in advance, small holes are made in them with a knife. Mycelium is laid through them, then these holes are sealed.
Important! No need to use large bags. Mushrooms will still germinate only outside. Mostan acceptable volume should hold approximately 5-8 kg of ready mix.
Germination stage
After preparing the bags, an environment where it is dark, warm and calm is important for them. In the room for incubation, the air temperature should be 18-20 ° C. At high temperatures, the substrate will overheat, the vegetative body may die. It is forbidden to ventilate the room, the emitted carbon dioxide is exclusively necessary for the germination of oyster mushrooms. You can use a fan to cool the bags without creating drafts.
A day after the laying, the previously made incisions are opened. If the mycelium was laid in layers, then be sure to cut the bag with a sharp knife. The incisions should be vertical, 2-3 cm long, approximately 5 mm wide, with a gap of 10-12 cm between them.
Packages should not hang next to each other. You need to leave a gap of approximately 7-9 cm.
The duration of germination should depend on the species, ranging from 16 to 24 days. Detailed information is provided by the supplier-manufacturer.
The bags should be examined regularly. The formation of black spots, an unpleasant odor indicates that the instruments and materials have not been properly disinfected. The normal condition is a light, almost white color of the contents, a distinctive pleasant aroma of mushrooms.
Important! Inspections must be carried out as quickly as possible. Every hit of light during this period is harmful to the mycelium.
Highlights of First Fruiting
The most important thinggrowing oyster mushrooms at home in bags - do not miss the moment when the rudiments of mushrooms appear. You will notice them right away. Gray bumps appear on a white background. Then the packages with mushrooms are moved to another place or the conditions are changed in the same place:
- The temperature is lowered to 10-18 degrees.
- Increase air humidity up to 90-95%.
- Add artificial lighting for at least 8 hours a day.
- The room must be ventilated at least 4 times a day.
For the period of the first fruiting, the main factor is air humidity. But keep in mind that mushrooms cannot be subjected to direct watering. Otherwise, rot may form before the mushrooms grow. The ideal option would be spray irrigation of all surfaces of the room. At the same time, it is necessary to control that water does not get on mushrooms and bags.
Important! To get mushrooms with a light shade, set the indoor microclimate at 12 degrees Celsius. To obtain mushrooms with a dark tint, the microclimate must be warm, up to 18 degrees Celsius.
Second fruiting
After the first harvest, bags of soil are not thrown away. Oyster mushroom is capable of producing up to 5 crops from one planting. In this case, the mycelium must be given rest, the break is about two weeks, then it gives a new portion of the crop. It is important to keep the same conditions for the duration of the break. Thus, the mycelium will produce a crop for four months.
If it is not possible to allocate a room, there is anothertechnology of growing oyster mushrooms at home. A completely alternative option is the reproduction of mushrooms on stumps.
Growing oyster mushrooms on stumps at home
For this you will need:
- Even stumps of non-resinous trees.
- Planting material.
- Secluded dark place on the site.
- Bag, film.
- Passion for the process.
Wood material needs strong, with no signs of decay and drying out. Prior to use, it is necessary that it lie no longer than 10 months. Put the logs in water for three days, place under the press so that they do not rise to the surface. Further, holes are made in the wood, you can make them with a drill. Holes up to 1.5 cm wide, up to 7 cm deep. Planting material is rammed into them, plugged with moss from above. If a drill is not available, then you can remove the top layer of wood and distribute the mycelium on top. To keep it strong, it is allowed to nail carnations. The planting process is carried out in early spring. Before being transferred to the garden, the poles are stacked on top of each other and covered with cloth and polyethylene on top. It is important to regularly arrange ventilation and inspect to prevent mold. After some time, the mycelium will completely cover the stump. As soon as it gets warmer, around May, the logs are transferred to an open area. It is worth choosing a dark place: under the shade of trees, on the non-sunny side of the building. The poles are placed vertically, while seating a few centimeters into the ground. Underleaves and soaked barley grains can be placed in them.
Mushroom plantations should be taken care of only in dry and hot weather: carefully water the point near the stumps. If you follow all the rules, the first harvest can be obtained by the end of summer. Mushroom pickers will bring harvest until mid-autumn, it all depends on weather and climatic conditions. For the winter period, logs must be covered with leaves and small branches. The most suitable are birch leaves and branches. They have bactericidal properties and will not allow rot to form. Naturally, this method is not intended for industrial production, but it is quite suitable for home cultivation. Growing oyster mushrooms at home on stumps allows you to have a good harvest at low cost.
A few moments
Let's take a look at some tips:
- Growing oyster mushrooms at home must be done in a gauze mask. Mushrooms produce spores that lead to an allergic reaction.
- Harvesting is done not by cutting from the base, but by twisting it out of the ground. When cutting, there is a possibility of introducing bacteria, in which case you can forget about the subsequent harvest. The rest of the roots also harm the mycelium, a lot of moisture leaves through the cuts.
- When mold is first detected on one of the bags, it must be immediately isolated from other bags so that they do not have time to become infected.
- The spent substrate will serve as a good top dressing, you should not dispose of it. Fertilizing them with a garden or vegetable garden is a great solution. Moreover, the remainssubstrates can give a small yield if placed near water or in the shade of trees.
- When grown in a cellar or basement, the first two fruitings are more productive. On wood, the largest yield occurs in the second or third year of cultivation.
Conclusion
Oyster mushrooms are the most suitable mushrooms for propagation at home. They are quite unpretentious. The conditions for ripening are easy to maintain, including at home.
There are two methods of growing them. One of them requires minimal effort, but the result will be a long wait for fruiting. For another, the arrangement of the premises is necessary, but it will be possible to quickly get a considerable amount of mushrooms.
You should choose a method that will be more acceptable, and confidently proceed to disembark. In this case, the result will meet all expectations.
As a business, growing oyster mushrooms at home is very profitable.
