Mushrooms

 

Best growing media for cultivation of oyster mushroom

Ingredients and material: 

Wheat Straw (Chopped): 40kg

Lime Stone (CaCO3): 20kg

 Pulse Powder: 1kg Wheat Bran or Rice Bran: 4kg

Water: 100L + more Polythene Sheet (If necessary) Bricks (for grounds shelving)

Oyster mushroom spawn

Note: The above ratio is for the example showing a simple production. Increase materials in the same ratio, if necessary.

# Step 1:

 Pour water into a large container or drum and add 40kg of wheat straw and leave until the wheat straw is soaked. Fill 100L of water into another container and add 5kg of lime stone to another container and let it dissolve. The dissolving lime emits heat and gases. Add the soaked wheat straw to this solution. Lime stone acts as an anti bacterial agent and kills all the viruses harmful to the initial growth of the mycelium. It also lowers the acidity of the wheat straw which is not good for the growth of the mycelium.

# Step 2:

 Take the soaked wheat straw out of the water (Fig. 10) to mix with 4kg of wheat bran or rice bran. Mix them thoroughly on a clean floor with a polythene sheet on it.

# Step 3:

 Make a closed tray pattern on the clean floor with bricks in a circular shape. Spread the remaining 10kg of dry lime stone inside the circle of bricks. Pour the soaked wheat straw mixed with wheat bran on the lime stone layer. Pour in water until the base gets wet to speed up the chemical reaction of the dry lime stone. By this chemical reaction a lot of heat and gases are produced which are helpful in pasteurizing the material.

# Step 4:

 Quickly cover the substrate with a plastic sheet to keep in the heat and humidity for 24 hours. The substrate should be covered no longer than 24 hours. The substrate is ready for spawning the next day. You can save energy costs by using this step.

# Step 5:

 After 24 hours, move the substrate to a shelf, tray, or bags for spawning. In my case, a brick shelf was used inside an available growing room. Spread the ready substrate on the shelf bricks equally and pour on more water. Sprinkle the spawn on the substrate evenly. The last ingredient to add is yellow pulse powder. This powder is also equally spread on the shelf over the spawned substrate.

# Step 6:

 Cover the all the shelves tightly with a plastic sheet in order that no air can enter and so the required humidity level is maintained.

# Step 7:

 After 7-8 days, the mycelium starts growing and spreads all over the shelf. During mycelial growth, keep the temperature of the room at 10-15℃ for the best results and to provide the most favorable environmental conditions.

# Step 8:

About 50 days later, the whole shelf will be colonized with a white milky color by the mycelium. The wheat straw mixture is no longer seen. Remove the polythene sheet from the top of the substrate and induce pinning.

# Step 9:

It is time to start spraying water 3-4 times each day on the substrate. Maintain proper ventilation to control the flow of air because mushrooms are more nourished and grow better with air that contains good oxygen content. If the amount of carbon dioxide increases in the room, the size of the mushrooms starts decreasing and yields lessen.

 # Step 10:

In 8 -10 days, the mushrooms will appear on the shelf. This is a delicate stage for the growth. Continue water spraying daily. Make sure to spray water to keep the humidity at 90-100% and the temperature at 15-20℃. The mushrooms will be ready to be picked after 2-3 days. You can harvest mushrooms for up to 3-4 months continuously. It can be extended to 1-2 years if good climatic conditions are maintained. Mushrooms are harvested whenever they are fully grown. Usually 1-2kg of mushroom is picked from 1kg bag.

Foot note: pasteurization of wheat straw during 2 minutes between 65 and 70 degrees Celcium gives a perfect incubation in 3 weeks and a fast harvest 3 weeks later.