How to start growing mushrooms at home?

Champignons are considered the most common types of mushrooms, so there is no need to advertise them further. The product is widely used in cooking, on its basis first and second courses, canned snacks, salads are prepared. Due to their high protein content, mushrooms are an excellent source of protein. Experienced gardeners prefer to grow mushrooms on their own, but the procedure has a number of features. To fully comply with the technology, you must adhere to the step-by-step instructions.

What determines the yield

1. The main factor affecting the yield is the implementation of the correct microclimate, in which the ears will begin to bear fruit. Also of great importance is timely watering, proper compost (correctly selected soil composition), resistance to external factors, diseases, pests.
2. If you create optimal conditions, you can easily grow mushrooms all year round. First you need to choose a room that has a temperature regime of 14-24 degrees. It is not necessary to take the starting place, the main thing is the ability to maintain the temperature (the presence of a heater or, on the contrary, a split system). In this case, the air humidity should not exceed 90% (the ideal option is considered to be 80-85% humidity).
3. An equally important factor in ensuring the proper yield is the circulation of the air flow. Make sure that the selected area is thoroughly ventilated, it is important to provide a supply of fresh air. Otherwise, the excess carbon dioxide released during the cultivation of mushrooms will result in a disproportionate stem (it will stretch unevenly).
4. A positive feature of growing mushrooms at home is the complete lack of lighting. It does not matter, so the procedure can be carried out in a cellar, basement or in a covered shed, where the sun's rays do not penetrate. If you wish, you can use the darkened free corners located in the garage or greenhouse. As mentioned earlier, the main thing is to provide humidity and the required temperature in the absence of light.
5. Since mushrooms are grown in a humid environment, it is important to immediately prepare for the possible spread of bacteria. Treat the selected room in advance with a composition of copper sulfate and lime, as well as formalin. Disinfection will kill existing microorganisms, so the likelihood of spreading diseases will decrease to a minimum.
6. If you plan to grow champignons in the summer or autumn, consider the option of carrying out the procedure at your summer cottage.Pick up a dark place in your backyard field, select a separate bed, and cover the soil. Cover the mycelium with roofing material (can be replaced with polyethylene) to exclude the possibility of drying out or, on the contrary, excessive moisture. Such a simple move will provide the proper microclimate.

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Stage 1. Making compost for mushrooms

1. Compost refers to the special soil that must be prepared in order to obtain a full harvest of mushrooms. It is worth remembering that the soil is filled with organic compounds that play a major role in the cultivation of mushrooms, so you cannot save on fertilizer.
2. Composting is rightfully considered the most time-consuming process, the final result depends on it. Mushrooms, in particular champignons, are highly dependent on the composition of the soil, for this reason, proportions must be observed. Correctly compiled soil consists of one part of moistened straw and 4 parts of horse manure (the proportion of straw to manure is 1: 4).
3. Spread the compost in layers, alternating between the two. For maximum effect, line small amounts of urea or superphosphate between the rows. Champignons will grow faster if you use horse manure specifically. However, in its absence, it is allowed to alternate straw with chicken droppings or processed waste products of other animals.
4. The lined compost for mushroom ripening should receive air from all sides, for this reason it is not recommended to lay it on the ground. Make sure that the ground is covered with a canopy, do not allow direct ultraviolet radiation or heavy rainfall. Of course, the compost must be moist, but excess water will interfere with fermentation.
5. To get high quality compost at the output, prepare a maturing heap. Its dimensions are approximately equal to 1.5 m. In width, 1.5 m. In length and 1.5 m. In height. It is this ratio that will ensure proper combustion. Do not compost in small amounts, as you need large amounts to complete fermentation.
6. If we talk about the place where the compost is made, try to carry out manipulations in the open air. As a result of the fermentation of the substrate, ammonia and carbon dioxide are released. Provide good air flow and ventilation when composting indoors.
7. The maturation time of the compost varies from 18 to 20 days. Stir and moisten the contents of the pile every 5-6 days to ensure proper combustion. During the first mixing process, add crushed lime to the compost. During the second procedure - superphosphate, then crushed gypsum or alabaster is poured.
8. Compost is prepared by fermentation, so its temperature values ​​sometimes reach 53-70 degrees. At the end of the combustion process, the indicator drops to a level of 21-25 degrees. The readiness of the compost can be judged by the smell, the ammonia stench disappears. The finished soil has a brownish tint, an elastic structure (when squeezed, it returns to its original position). The composition should not stick to the hands, while the straw breaks easily and has a soft structure.

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Stage 2. Composting and caring for mycelium

1. Once the compost has been prepared, you can start laying it. Select containers for growing mushrooms, spread the mass so that its height does not exceed 22 cm. Wooden boxes, bags, racks or plastic containers can be used as containers.
2. If we talk about seed, it is called mycelium. The composition is grown in a laboratory way, so it will not work to produce it yourself. You have to buy the product. The mycelium can be compost and grain.
3. The first type has a long shelf life (about 10-12 months at a temperature of 0 degrees).You will need about 500 gr. compost mycelium per 1 sq. m. soil. The grain composition is more efficient and yields better. For 1 sq. m. of soil must be added 330-350 gr. mycelium. At the same time, the product retains its properties for six months, you can keep it in the refrigerator.
4. To sow, put the required amount of mycelium in the compost (lift it up with a layer), deepen the seed by 5 cm. The location of the holes is a checkerboard, each depression should be made at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other.
5. If all the conditions are met (the temperature of the compost is about 20 degrees, the air humidity is about 80%), the mycelium will develop in 15-20 days. During the ascent of the sowing composition, it is necessary to constantly moisten the soil and monitor the temperature regime of the substrate (the indicator should not rise above 40 degrees). Otherwise, the mycelium will die. To maintain moisture, cover with burlap or plastic.
6. If you grow mushrooms in your summer cottage, there is no possibility to regulate temperature and humidity. When the indicators decrease, cover the beds tightly with roofing material or film.

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Stage 3. Ripening of the crop

1. As mentioned earlier, mycelium grows in about 3 weeks. You will learn about the completion of the process by the emerging spider web with a silvery tint, it will come out to the surface of the soil. At this point, it is necessary to reduce the temperature to 13-16 degrees and sprinkle the cobweb with 5 cm of casing layer. The mixture consists of lime powder and peat, it causes an alkaline reaction.
2. To ensure productive ripening of the crop, throughout the entire process, maintain the temperature within 13-16 degrees, the humidity should be about 85%, and do not forget about good ventilation. Soil irrigation is carried out by drip using scattering devices that ensure uniform spraying. Such a move will not compact the substrate, but it will fully moisturize it.
3. If champignons grow in a summer cottage, protect the soil from direct ultraviolet radiation, and also avoid waterlogging. The sun will dry out the compost or get very hot. At the same time, heavy rains will compress the soil, as a result of which there will be a large load on the mycelium (its development will slow down or stop altogether).

Stage 4. Harvesting

1. The first crop of mushrooms can be harvested after 3-4 weeks. The peel will tell you about the readiness of the composition, it will begin to burst in the lower section of the mushroom cap. Champignons have a tendency to ripen in stages, the first harvest is the largest, then the wave subsides.
2. To collect mushrooms, twist them counterclockwise, then carefully remove from the soil. Sprinkle the resulting hole with moist soil after removing the fungus. Rotate gently, otherwise you will damage the mycelium layer and young mushroom cobs.
3. Collect all specimens, even those that are sick or small in size. Such a move will save the subsequent harvest from pests, as a result of which the fruit bodies will begin to develop many times faster.
4. Throughout the entire fruiting stage, spray the room with potassium permanganate, diluted until a raspberry hue appears. You can also use lime at your convenience. Such a move will prevent pathogens from developing in humid conditions.
5. In terms of quantity, from 1 sq. m. you will collect about 6-13 kg. champignons. For 2-3 months, the mycelium will bear fruit about 7 times, after which the yield will drop sharply. It is forbidden to reuse the compost, it can be used to fertilize the vegetable garden and orchard.

Prepare compost for growing mushrooms, purchase mycelium. Maintain the required temperature and moisture content of the soil, harvest in stages. Do not use the used compound a second time.After harvesting, disinfect the mushroom containers and the room in which they were grown.

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Video: growing mushrooms at home

Many summer residents are quite successful in cultivating champignon mushrooms, not only for their own needs, but even for sale. Growing mushrooms in greenhouse conditions for many has long been no wonder. In nature, champignons are unpretentious, they even grow in dung heaps, not far from landfills, on livestock farms, near human dwellings. To start growing mushrooms at home, you need to choose a suitable room and prepare mycelium.

Room preparation and substrate preparation

Growing champignons at home for beginners can be a good alternative to their main job, as it is quite a lucrative business. But first of all, it is necessary to choose a suitable room in which there is good ventilation, since the mushrooms need fresh air, there are no drafts and temperature changes. An apartment is not suitable for these purposes. It is best to use a cellar or basement, as they have a more stable microclimate.

Before preparing the substrate for growing mushrooms, it is required disinfect a suitable roomwhere mushrooms will be grown. The soil is treated with steam to avoid the appearance of various infections that can damage the mushroom crop.

To plant the champignons correctly, it is necessary to prepare the substrate, while observing the technology. For example, for a mycelium with dimensions of 3 sq. m will need:

• straw-100 kg.
• horse manure-300 kg.
• urea-2 kg.
• superphosphate-2 kg.
• alabaster-8 kg.
• calcium carbonate-5 kg.

This mixture is best prepared in an open space. The straw is pre-soaked for one day, after which a compost heap is laid. Straw and manure are stacked in layers... The first layer is always straw, the next layer is manure. All layers of straw must be moistened abundantly with water and sprinkled with superphosphate. Straw and manure should be 7-8 layers.

The masonry is completed with straw. It needs to be moistened, as the compost pit needs to be kept moist at all times. Compost pile from precipitation must be protected with a canopy or covered with a thick film... On the sides, the masonry is left open. After 3 days after laying, the compost heap must be shaken to allow oxygen to enter it, and alabaster is added to improve the structure of the compost.

On the 5th day in the compost heap superphosphate and chalk are added... For three weeks, every 3rd and 4th day, the heap must be shaken up, and it must also be constantly moistened. The substrate will grind in about a month. When the compost heap is overwhelmed, the unpleasant smell of ammonia will disappear in it, and the finished soil will acquire a brown color and an elastic structure. The compost no longer sticks to your hands, the straw breaks easily with your hands.

The preparation of the substrate for mushrooms is possible in another way, using poultry manure. The compost heap contains such components:

• bird droppings-100 kg.
• straw-100 kg.
• alabaster-8 kg.
• urea-2 kg.

The finished compost must be decomposed into prepared containers in which the mushrooms will grow. Passages are left between the containers for caring for mushrooms and harvesting. The height of the compost bed should not exceed 9 inches.

Getting mycelium

Champignons can multiply both by spores and by tissue. These two methods are used to cultivate mushrooms on an industrial scale in specially equipped laboratories, but experienced mushroom growers know how to grow champignons at home.

The mycelium is planted after laying the substrate for 13-19 days. The mushroom mycelium is transplanted into a container with a substrate. In this case, the soil temperature should not exceed 26-27 ° C.During the fertile period, the temperature should be kept between 19-20 ° C. For one square meter of mushroom area plant no more than 250 g of sterile mushroom mycelium.

Medium-sized fragments of mycelium are sown at a distance of 23-26 cm to each other. Then the mycelium is covered with manure and pressed lightly. A week later, white filaments of mycelium appear. This indicates that the mycelium has taken root and is developing normally. When the mycelium appears on the surface, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the compost to about 17-19 ° C, the moisture content must be kept within 90%... This is necessary for the formation of fruits.

For the growth of fungi, the soil temperature is maintained within 19 ° C, and the air temperature is 15-16 ° C. After 20-25 days, when the mycelium has already grown well, the white spider web of the mycelium is additionally sprinkled with a layer of substrate, and the compost is moistened.

Mushroom harvest depends on the quality of the mycelium, most importantly, it must be sterile and healthy. Therefore, it is better to grow mushroom mycelium with your own hands. The technology for growing at home the mycelium of champignon mushrooms is that a piece of the fruiting body with sterile tweezers is placed in a test tube with oat, carrot or wort agar, and then the test tube is plugged with a cotton or gauze swab and left for fourteen days in a thermostat at a temperature of +24 degrees ... This temperature regime is ideal for mycelium growth.

For 14 days, a mother culture is formed in the test tube, which is transferred into Petri dishes and stored until inoculation at a temperature of +2 degrees. The mycelium is spread on the surface of the cereal in sterile vessels and again sent to the thermostat at t + 24 C until the desired condition of the mycelium cereal.

Harvesting and storage

Mushrooms need to be picked without waiting for the film to detach from the stem, then they can be stored longer and will not lose their beneficial properties and aroma. When collecting mushrooms, you must not use a knife so that the mushroom particles do not remain in the mycelium. This will help prevent infection.

The mushroom is carefully twisted together with the root. The resulting hole is filled with soil and sprayed with water. The fruiting period of mushrooms is approximately 2 months.

The harvested crop should not be stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for more than 7 days. Mushrooms should not be washed before placing them in the refrigerator to avoid darkening.

Champignons are quite common mushrooms. They are massively grown for use in the food industry, in particular in cooking. Entrepreneurs build their business on their breeding, which brings good income. But experienced farmers prefer home-grown mushrooms. Read about this in the article.

What is included in the soil?

Is it possible to grow champignons at home? Of course, this is within the power of a farmer or owner of a private backyard without any experience. The main thing is to stock up on knowledge in this matter and clearly follow the instructions. The most time consuming process in mushroom cultivation is soil preparation. For a mycelium area of ​​three square meters, 100 kilograms of plant ingredients will be required, which include the following:

• Straw.
• Cereal grains, you can use rye or wheat.
• Fallen leaves of plants.
• Tops from tomatoes or potatoes.

In addition, the composition of the soil should include:

• Horse or cow manure in the amount of half a centner.
• Water - 300-400 liters.
• Urea and superphosphate in an amount of two kilograms each.
• Plaster - seven to eight, and chalk - five kilograms.

You can prepare a different formulation using poultry manure. Other ingredients and their quantity are taken here:

• Litter and straw - centered.
• Water - 300 liters.
• Gypsum, alabaster - as in the previous composition.
• Urea is two kilograms.

Composting process

First you need to make a collar with the same dimensions (one and a half meters) in width, length and height. It is with this ratio of parameters that combustion will properly occur. The compost will mature in two to three weeks.

How to grow mushrooms at home? First, you need to plant them in soil, which is prepared as follows: all components of plant origin and straw must be soaked for a day. At the same time, they and manure should be laid in layers, and the straw should be watered abundantly. The components contained in the pile must be thoroughly mixed and moistened once a week to ensure proper combustion. At the first mixing, crushed lime is added to the compost. Second time - superphosphate. Then mixing is carried out with the addition of crushed gypsum or alabaster. Each time after mixing, the resulting stack is covered with foil.

It should be borne in mind that during the preparation of the soil, an unpleasant odor will be emitted, similar to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is better to do cooking on the street. But at the same time, protection from sunlight and precipitation is needed. If you organize the process indoors, it should be well ventilated.

How to grow champignon mushrooms at home? To do this, you need to take into account important points, without which this process is impracticable. First of all, a stock of compost is made, since it is necessary in a large volume to grow mushrooms. During its preparation, the temperature can reach from 53 to 70 ° C. When the combustion process is over, the thermometer will drop to 21-25 ° C, and the unpleasant odor will disappear. The finished soil has an elastic structure and a brown color. It does not stick to your hands, the straw can be easily torn apart.

How to lay out the compost correctly?

When the preparation of the soil is completed, they begin another procedure - laying it. First you need to select containers in which the mushrooms will be grown. They can be racks, wooden boxes, plastic containers, bags. The compost mass is laid out in prepared containers in a layer, the height of which should not exceed 22 cm.

Mycelium types

The seed of mushrooms is called mycelium. It is grown at home or in laboratories. There are two types of mycelium:

• Compostable - this type of seed is stored for a long time at zero temperature, for about a year. For an area of ​​one square meter, 500 g of mycelium will be required.
• Grain - this composition is more effective than the first. Seed material of this type germinates better and gives large yields. Its consumption for the same area is less, only 330-350 g. But this mycelium has a significant drawback: a short shelf life. Only half a year its properties are preserved. Keep the seed in the refrigerator.

How to grow mushroom mycelium at home?

If the mushrooms are grown commercially, it is better to buy planting material. But some are embarrassed by the conditions in which it was grown, and therefore they do it on their own. To obtain the material, you need to sow spores or isolate it from the fruit bodies, and then place it in a specially prepared medium: wort agar. Its preparation is carried out according to the following technology:

• First you need to mix beer wort (one liter) and agar-agar (20 g) with boiling water.
• After dissolving the ingredients, the composition is poured into test tubes for a third of them. Then the containers are plugged with cotton swabs and placed in an autoclave with a temperature of 101 ° C and 1.5 atmospheres for 30 minutes.
• The test tubes are not placed straight, but obliquely, so that no more than 3.5 cm remains to the plugs. Now it remains to wait until the wort hardens.
• After that, spores or a piece of the fruiting body must be added to the test tubes, while maintaining sterility.
• Containers should be kept in a thermostat or dark room at a temperature of 24 ° C until they are overgrown. In a couple of weeks, the nutrient medium will be assimilated by the myceliums.This means that they are completely ready for landing.

Usually this composition is used by mushroom pickers to grow mycelium at home, although there are also substitutes: oat agar, carrot agar.

Correct mushroom cultivation technology

Champignons can be grown at home using mycelium. To do this, you need to plant it correctly, and in the room you need to correctly select the temperature and humidity mode. If these conditions are met, the first harvest can be obtained in a year.

If grain mycelium is the planting material, grooves 30 cm deep and 50-60 cm wide should be made in the soil. The distance between the pits should be 20 cm. In order for the temperature to normalize, you need to leave them for two to three days and only then lay the mycelium. A checkerboard pattern is used to locate the body of the mushroom.

If compost mycelium is used for planting champignons, the technology is different. The bottom of the small pits is covered with drainage. Compost is placed on top, in which the mycelium is placed. After that, the planting material is closed by it. Subject to all the rules, taking into account the high-quality mycelium, after seven days, you can expect the appearance of new branching threads.

After 21 days, you need to lay out moist soil on top of the beds 25-30 cm thick. If the layer is larger, the bodies of the mushrooms will be blocked, their germination will not occur soon.

In order to maintain the temperature regime in the room where the mushrooms are grown, it is necessary to temporarily install sheds or cover the ground with straw. If a white bloom appears on the compost, it means that it needs to be moistened. After watering the soil, the canopy or straw is removed.

The first harvest will not take long, only 45 days. You need to pick mushrooms as soon as they ripen, since the yield period is short, only three to four days. The next fruiting period should be expected in three to four months. The harvests of the first waves are the richest.

Champignons in bags

How to grow champignon mushrooms at home? There are many possibilities for this. Each courtyard has outbuildings and basements. They are adapted for growing mushrooms. However, you can grow mushrooms at home in plastic bags. This method has been used in many countries for a long time. It allows you to get large volumes of mushroom harvest.

Bags can be made by yourself from a transparent polymer film of various capacities. For growing at home, 25 kg are more suitable. But the main criterion for choosing bags is the convenience in performing work on growing mushrooms. And for it to be successful, you need to correctly arrange the bags in the room. This is done in a variety of ways, but the most common are the following:

• According to the principle of chess arrangement. With this method, the usable area is not used only by 10%.
• Parallel bag placement. In this case, the area loss is even greater - 20%.

This can be compensated for by deep bags, which are filled with more substrate. And the space between the unusual beds is used for air circulation. There are different options for how to grow mushrooms at home. If everything is done in compliance with the technology, you can achieve an excellent result.

Harvest in bags

The mushroom picking time is the most enjoyable time. The mushrooms ripen four months after planting the mycelium in the soil of the bag. When harvesting, you need to be very careful: you cannot cut off the mushrooms with a sharp blade or other object, they need to be twisted. After that, the mycelium is sprinkled with a nutritious substrate and watered using a spray bottle. It will bear fruit for two weeks. During this period of time, the mushrooms are harvested in two to three days. It is advisable to use fresh, not frozen mushrooms for food. Mushrooms with light plates inside the cap are useful.If the mushrooms are old, they will have a brown color, as these mushrooms accumulate toxic substances that can be poisoned.

Benefits of growing mushrooms in bags

These mushrooms are unpretentious, they can grow in an open-air garden bed or indoors. But experienced mushroom pickers prefer to grow them in bags, since this method has a number of advantages:

• Pests and various diseases do not spread to the entire area, since if the need arises, you can always remove a specific bag from the room.
• Thanks to the mobility of the unusual bag-shaped beds, mushrooms can be grown seasonally and continuously.
• During placement, bags can be placed in several tiers on special stands. This will save space. This is especially important when growing indoors.
• The cost of polyethylene bags is lower than plastic containers. This is important when growing mushrooms in large quantities.

The disadvantage of this technology is the use of manual labor. But if the scale of cultivation is small, it is not burdensome.

Champignons in the basement

It is convenient to grow mushrooms in such a place, since there is a stable microclimate in the basement located under the ground. Here, the labor costs for creating optimal conditions for mushroom cultivation are much less than, for example, in greenhouses. It is not difficult to grow mushrooms at home in the basement, the main thing is to monitor the temperature and humidity conditions. During the incubation period, the air humidity should be 75%, not lower. If the basement is dry, use a humidifier. It is important to know that spores are activated at a higher temperature - from 24 to 28 ° C, and fungi germinate when it drops to 16 ° C. The basement must meet the following requirements:

• Have concrete walls.
• Wooden flooring is strictly prohibited. The floor needs to be concreted, in extreme cases - to cement it.
• There must be ventilation in the basement.
• To prevent fungi from damaging insects that can enter the basement, the ventilation holes are closed with nets.
• Walls with ceilings should be disinfected. For this, you can use lime.
• If the basement is large, it must be divided into zones: for the incubation period and for obtaining fruit bodies.

How to properly grow mushrooms at home in the country?

Growing mushrooms in this way is much more difficult than, for example, in a basement. Here, the choice of a site for planting mycelium is of great importance. How to grow mushrooms at home? To do this, you need to find a place that is always in the shade, and the soil never dries up. A canopy is being erected over the site or a darkened greenhouse is erected at this place. How mushrooms are grown at home (photos are presented in the article)? The mycelium is planted using standard technology. For champignons, an important condition for growth is the correct temperature and humidity. These indicators should be maintained, especially since the mushrooms categorically do not tolerate heat. The choice of substrate is equally important. It should contain large amounts of nutrients and small amounts of carbon dioxide. The best option is land, which must be brought from the forest in advance.

Growing champignons in an apartment

This method is suitable for those who do not have a summer cottage or vegetable garden. The main task for such cultivation of mushrooms is to create optimal conditions under which they will grow and bear fruit normally. An example of how to grow champignons at home is presented step by step below:

• The first thing to do is to isolate any room in the apartment for growing mushrooms from those rooms in which people live.
• Measure moisture. It should be high, about 90%. If its readings are lower, you need to install a humidifier.
• To maintain the optimum temperature, the room is equipped with heaters and ventilation. With their help, the temperature regime will be maintained. It should be borne in mind that mycelium germinates at 20 ° C, and fruiting bodies - at 15 ° C.
• After preparing the room, the selected containers are filled with the substrate.
• Mycelium is planted in them, covered with a film on top, which must be removed after the appearance of the fungi.
• The soil is constantly moistened, it must not be allowed to dry out.
• When the time comes, the mushrooms should be harvested.

To grow mushrooms at home, you need to fulfill several very important conditions: carefully study the technology, be patient and have a suitable place. Dealing with mushrooms is not as easy as you might think after reading some of the articles. The slightest violation of technology, at best, will cause a sharp drop in yield, at worst, it will result in wasted time and financial resources.

Growing champignons

Champignons can be grown in open beds, if climatic conditions permit, but you need to prepare yourself right away, so that this method will only allow you to try mushrooms grown with your own hands a few times. There is no need to talk about any preparations for the winter - the harvest will be too small. It is much more profitable to grow mushrooms in basements or cellars. You can do such a thing all year round, it becomes possible to fully provide mushrooms not only to your family, relatives and relatives, but also to start selling. And cultivation of champignons is a very profitable business with proper organization of labor.

Growing champignons at home

We'll take a quick look at both growing methods, but first we'll talk about the very important preparatory steps.

The most time-consuming, difficult and important stage is composting. As experienced summer residents say, the success of the whole business depends on the quality of the compost by 50%. What is compost made of?

Manure. The ideal option is horse manure, only it contains a full set of elements necessary for the development of mushrooms. Unfortunately, nowadays it is a big problem to find horse manure, you have to replace it with chicken manure (the best replacement option) or manure from any domestic animals.

Horse manure as fertilizer

Straw. The ideal option is winter wheat or spring rye. There is no such straw - take oatmeal, in the last place is barley. Keep in mind that deviations from ideal composting options will inevitably reduce mushroom yields, all things being equal.

Important. The straw should only be fresh, golden in color and with a pleasant "bread" smell.

Straw

Straw is an important source of carbon and some part of nitrogen; without these elements, mushroom protein synthesis slows down or does not occur at all.

Mineral supplements. These include, first of all, gypsum, which enriches the compost with calcium and improves its physical structure. Bone meal, urea, brewer's grains and other elements can be added to the compost. Of course, you need clean water.

Very important. It is strictly forbidden to pour chlorine in tap water for composting. The compost can only be watered with rainwater, or, in extreme cases, well water.

The data on the amount of each element in the compost are given in the table.

Number of components

What kind of compost to prepare, everyone must decide based on the availability of components.

Making compost for mushrooms

If you think that mixing all the ingredients is enough to make compost, then this is a big mistake. Quality compost, from which you can expect a return, is obtained as a result of a complex biochemical process. The result should be a lignin-protein substrate that is optimal for mushrooms. What are the main requirements to follow?

1. The area where the compost is supposed to be made must be isolated from the ground. It can be concreted, asphalted, covered with thick rubber, foil or other materials. The main thing is to completely exclude the possible penetration of spores of fungal pests, they are always in the ground.
2. If it is warm outside, then the compost can be prepared in the open air; you only have to cover the area with any rain canopy. Otherwise, it is impossible to regulate the moisture content of the compost, and this is a very important indicator.
3. To soak a ton of dry straw, you need about 20 m3 of water, and to fully prepare the same amount of compost, you will need another 10-15 m3 of water. We have already said that the use of tap water is prohibited. In total, up to 35 m3 of water is needed for a ton of compost. A ton of compost is not very much, in terms of volume it will be up to 2 m3, this amount is enough for growing mushrooms on an area of ​​about 10 m2. Amateur mushroom growers should know that if there is not enough straw (100-200 kg), the fermentation process will not start, all attempts to make real compost will actually turn into useless mixing of ingredients.

   The main stages of compost preparation

4. The height of the pile must be at least two meters with a width of at least one and a half meters. Only such dimensions will create conditions for the preparation of compost; after the filling, fermentation processes will begin, characterized by an increase in temperature. For the process to proceed normally, the pile must be thrown over after 5–7 days. The temperature in the pile should not drop below + 40 ° С, optimal values ​​are + 60 ° С. An anaerobic gap with a temperature of + 80 ° C is formed in the center, here the development of bacteria slows down or stops altogether. If necessary, during the interruptions, the compost is moistened and mineral additives are added to it.

   Champignon-chest

5. Depending on the weather, the size of the pile and the specific elements used for laying, it will be necessary to make up to 5 breaks of the pile, the time interval between them is 3-5 days. The recommended compost moisture content should be ≈ 70%.

Good quality compost should be soft, without the pungent smell of ammonia. As you can see, composting is not as easy as it might seem to inexperienced summer residents.

Substrate for champignons

Adding mycelium

Mycelium

The resulting compost must be poured into wooden boxes ≈ 20 centimeters deep, the length and width are chosen taking into account the size of the shelves or places in the beds. The introduction of mycelium (inoculation) should be done only after the compost temperature has dropped to + 24 ° C. Immediately after sowing, the temperature begins to rise slightly, which becomes an additional stimulus for the germination of fungal spores.

Wooden trough for the formation of beds

The temperature of the compost must be constantly monitored, if it rises above + 30 ° C, then it can be dangerous for seedlings, you need to take emergency measures to lower it. The simplest and most effective way is airing. One square meter of area will require 600-800 gr. mycelium. Before sowing, the mycelium must first be warmed up to room temperature, then chopped thoroughly, broken up the breasts and in this form put into the compost. How to do it?

1. In the myceliums with prepared compost, prepare indentations of ≈ 5 cm. Make the holes in a checkerboard pattern, remove the honey with them 20 cm.
2. Pour about 20-30 grams into each hole. mycelium, cover the grooves with compost.

Another sowing method is also allowed. The prepared mycelium is evenly mixed with the top layer about ten centimeters thick.

The process of growing mushrooms

After sowing the mycelium, the boxes or beds should be covered with polyethylene film, in this way it will be possible to exclude the rapid drying of the surface.The temperature of the compost should be checked periodically at a depth of about 15 cm, it should be within + 24 ° C.

The first survival check can be performed one week after sowing. To do this, you need to carefully raise the top layer, if the mycelium is clearly visible, then everything is going fine. Under optimal conditions, two weeks are enough for the full development of the mycelium.

Gobtirovka

To increase the yield, you need to do a grubbing - applying wet earth to the rows of champignons. This layer of the earth has several functions:

• protects the bottom compost from drying out quickly. This is a kind of mulching, only with the help of soil;
• significantly stimulates the development of the fruiting bodies of the fungus. Mycelium develops excellently without a gobtirovanie, but few fungi appear;
• regulates the percentage of carbon dioxide in the compost and maintains temperature values.

Instead of natural soil, peat can be used to cover the top layer of the boxes. The main thing is that the cover materials have neutral acidity.

Very important. The covering mixture must be sterile, otherwise the mycelium can become infected with diseases and pests. To achieve the required performance, it can be steamed, spilled with boiling water or roasted in the oven. Select the method taking into account the amount of covering material and your individual capabilities. Before use, the ground must be abundantly moistened, the humidity is at least 70%. It must be applied in a layer up to three centimeters, the surface must be leveled.

Practical advice. Keep in mind that reducing the casing layer to a thickness of 1 cm will reduce mushroom yield by 30%. At the same time, an increase in this layer to 5 centimeters has no effect on the yield. Do not skip this operation, it is of great importance.

Growing mushrooms in blocks

After 7 days, the mycelium begins to germinate in the casing layer, during this period it needs to be loosened up a little. You can find them in stores, if such a purchase option is not possible, then use the Internet services. The application rates for nutritional supplements are indicated by the manufacturer.

Harvesting champignons

Champignon harvest

Intensive fruiting of mushrooms begins 14 days after the introduction of the casing layer, during this period the temperature must be lowered to + 15 ° C. If it is higher, then the mushrooms will be small, on a thin stem, the caps will open quickly. If the temperature is lower, the growth of mushrooms will slow down significantly. Light mushrooms unnecessarily, on the contrary, they give better yields in complete darkness. If direct sunlight falls on the caps, then the quality of the mushrooms is significantly reduced.

Photo cultivation of champignons at home

Important. During this period, you need to carefully monitor the humidity of the air, it should be ≥ 80%. You can increase the humidity by any means, up to spraying the surfaces of the boxes.
If during the period of intensive fruiting there are drafts in the room, then the caps will dry out, and deep cracks will appear on the surface. This significantly impairs the appearance of the mushrooms.

Science claims that one kilogram of mushrooms needs ≈ 2 liters of water. Watering should be done in between fruiting waves. Watering the boxes must be very careful, moisture that gets on the caps causes stains on the caps. It is recommended to ventilate the room immediately after watering, this will help the moisture to quickly evaporate from the mushrooms surface.

How to grow champignons

The largest crop is harvested from the first three waves, later the ripening period increases, and the weight of the crop decreases. Three collections give more than 70% of the total. It is not recommended to keep mycelium after the sixth wave; it is economically expedient to make new plantings of mycelium.As soon as the mushrooms are removed, the surface of the earth must be thoroughly cleaned; if trimmings or overripe mushrooms remain on it, they cause an outbreak of various diseases and the appearance of pests.

After the sixth collection, when giving birth, the old compost must be removed, the boxes must be disinfected. Old compost is an excellent fertilizer for all vegetable crops. Bury it in the beds.

Video - Growing champignons

Fight disease

It must be remembered that fighting diseases is much more difficult than preventing them. In addition, fungal diseases have an extremely negative effect on crop yields. In order to minimize the risk of disease, it is necessary to thoroughly disinfect the boxes for myceliums and prepare the compost correctly. Pay close attention to the cover material.

Practical advice. When the first signs of the disease are found, the container with the mushrooms must be removed; you should not risk all the crops. After removal, try to cure the mushrooms, if this is difficult for you, then throw the substrate into the beds and use it as fertilizer for other crops.

Video - Growing champignons. Business idea

Conclusion

As practice shows, only three out of ten novice mushroom growers manage to get an acceptable harvest in the first season. Keep this in mind, remember that growing mushrooms at home requires care and experience.

Video - Growing champignons at home