How to grow mycelium at home oyster mushrooms?

Foods such as mushrooms are valuable and nutritious foods. At home, the cultivation of oyster mushrooms and champignons has become widespread. Such cultivation guarantees the absence of carcinogenic substances and nitrates, which are easily absorbed by the fungi.

Oyster mushrooms are recommended for use by patients with hypertension, cancer and some others. They slow down the aging process, help rejuvenation.

The article describes how to grow mushrooms and make your own oyster mushroom mycelium.

What is oyster mushroom mycelium, the history of excretion

The mycelium of any fungus, including oyster mushrooms, is called its vegetative body, in other words, the mycelium, consisting of the finest branched root-filaments. The development of mycelium occurs inside the substrate and on its surface. This extensive network can be obtained both at home and by laboratory methods.

In their natural habitat, fungi reproduce mainly by spores. In order to answer the question of how to make oyster mushroom mycelium within the walls of a laboratory, scientists have tried several different methods.

At the beginning, fragments of mycelium for reproduction in specially adapted greenhouses were taken in the forest, in places of accumulation of mushrooms, then they were planted in prepared soil. After it was completely intertwined with mushroom threads, the substrate was dried and was ready for breeding. The qualitative characteristics of such material were weak, the mycelium degenerated and gave meager yields.

Later, in France, a method was found for removing mycelium from fungal spores under artificial conditions, which was very limited in use and also did not take root.

The last and all accepted patented method was the cultivation of oyster mushroom mycelium on the grain of almost any grain crops, sawdust, and straw.

Mushroom growing methods

Oyster mushrooms are very unpretentious mushrooms that quickly yield yields. Within a month and a half after disembarkation, you can make the first collection. About ten kilograms of mushrooms per month are usually obtained from a square meter of a plot.

Several methods can be used to grow this product:

1. Extensive. This method is an imitation of natural growth and requires a certain area. For him, tree stumps are harvested, cuts are made in them and first oyster mushroom caps are placed in them, and then parts of the mycelium. The method depends on the weather conditions: under unfavorable circumstances, the growth of mushrooms can be delayed for three months.
2. Intensive. In this way, mushrooms are grown, for example, in plastic bags.It is very efficient, low labor cost and inexpensive.

To grow mushrooms at home, mycelium can be obtained in two ways: buy oyster mushroom mycelium, the price of which is currently about 150 rubles. per kilo, or make it yourself.

Making mycelium

Oyster mushroom mycelium - mycelium - is planted in the substrate, where it will germinate. At home, do-it-yourself oyster mushroom mycelium can be grown on wood or grain. Cultivation takes place in three stages in the following way:

1. Obtaining uterine mycelium. It is made in the laboratory from spores and stored in test tubes or propagated from pieces of mushroom tissue.
2. Preparation of the intermediate mycelium. At this stage, the mother culture is transferred from the test tubes, where it was stored, to the nutrient medium, where the base for the seed mycelium is initially developed.
3. Getting the seed mycelium. The intermediate material is sown into the substrate, where it grows. Parts of this substrate are used to sow the area where the mushrooms will be grown directly.

How to prepare the base for planting

To obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to properly prepare the soil for planting. The manufacturing technology provides that for this it is necessary to grind dry and clean husks, straw and husks (barley or wheat), and then heat them. These actions will remove from the composition of the insects that got into it during collection.

In order to thermally treat the substrate, it is placed in a large metal basin, poured with hot water (70 ° C) and boiled for a couple of hours, after which the liquid is drained and the mass is cooled to room temperature. To check the moisture saturation, a small amount of the mixture is squeezed in a fist: for normal humidity (about 70%), a little moisture should come out or nothing at all, waterlogging is not allowed.

For cultivation, both a greenhouse with stumps installed in it and large plastic bags at home on the balcony are suitable. Below we will discuss how to cook oyster mushroom mycelium at home, plant and grow mushrooms. Oyster mushroom is the only mushroom that can be easily grown if all the necessary conditions are met.

Oyster mushroom mycelium at home: stage one

To obtain the uterine mycelium, parts of the fruiting body of fresh mushrooms are taken. Divide the oyster mushroom in two and cut a small piece out of the leg. Then it must be dipped in a solution of hydrogen peroxide for disinfection - the material is ready for planting in a nutrient medium.

Then a processed piece is placed in a container with a nutrient substance and closed with a cork disinfected by fire. Such home production of oyster mushroom mycelium requires mandatory sterility, therefore, after processing, the material is not touched by hands, but taken with auxiliary tools, the room must also be kept clean.

A closed container with seedlings placed inside in an inclined position is left in the dark for a couple of weeks.

Agar from wort, carrot, oatmeal, potato or glucose can serve as a nutrient medium in this production. After cooking, it is sterilized, poured into containers and waiting for solidification, after which a piece of mushroom is introduced.

Stage two: obtaining intermediate mycelium

The second stage is directly breeding oyster mushroom mycelium. The production technology of the intermediate mycelium of the oyster mushroom requires the use of cereal grains. For these purposes, healthy, high-quality grains are used, which are boiled for fifteen minutes in a ratio of material and water of one to two. Then the boiled grains must be dried well and mixed with calcium carbonate and gypsum.

Next, the mixture is placed in glass containers, filling them by two-thirds, and sterilized. After processing, pieces of the nutrient medium prepared earlier are placed in the resulting substance.After two to three weeks, when the mycelium grows, it can be laid for storage, previously laid out in plastic bags. It is allowed to store mycelium for three months at temperatures from zero to twenty degrees.

Properly prepared do-it-yourself intermediate oyster mushroom mycelium, which is developed and viable, looks like a lush white bloom with a pleasant mushroom smell.

To plant the seed mycelium, perform similar actions, sowing more spacious containers. To do this, add one spoonful of intermediate mycelium to liter jars. This prepares the substrate for further growing mushrooms on it.

Conditions for planting mycelium

You can grow oyster mushrooms in an old barn, stone garage, or other suitable space. The criterion for its selection can be considered:

• the possibility of creating high humidity, which must be maintained at a level of 85-90%;
• maintaining the ambient temperature in the region of 15-20 degrees - at a higher temperature, the mushrooms cease to bear fruit;
• creation of a good ventilation system - the accumulation of carbon dioxide is unacceptable due to the high sensitivity of fungi to it;
• the possibility of sufficient lighting - sunlight without direct rays or fluorescent lamps for nine hours a day.

Mushroom growing technology

After the oyster mushroom mycelium has been grown with your own hands, you can start planting it, which is performed as follows. At the bottom of the plastic bag, the substrate is laid out in the amount of one kilogram, and on it is a layer of mycelium, and so on in layers to the very top. The ratio of the weight of the substrate and mycelium in the bag should be 1: 0.05. The mycelium should be placed closer to the sides of the bag, in which slots should be made to allow air to enter. The weight of the finished block is 13-15 kg.

After filling, the polyethylene blocks are left in the dark at a temperature of about plus twenty Celsius - a higher temperature can lead to the death of the mycelium, since it can be ten to fifteen degrees hotter inside the block.

After two weeks, the block looks like a white monolith. Before the appearance of primordia, the block is sprayed from time to time to maintain humidity and strictly observe temperature conditions. After the appearance of primordia, in a couple of days they become full-fledged adult mushrooms. It is not necessary to water them during growth, but it is important to ventilate the room well. When the edges are aligned on the caps, the crop is ready for harvest.

Conditions for the preservation of mycelium

In industrial conditions, the mycelium is stored in low-temperature conditions or in liquid nitrogen. This content allows you to maximally preserve the properties of the material and its germination without loss of qualities. The process of freezing and subsequent defrosting for disembarkation is carried out slowly under the supervision of specialists.

In home-made conditions, mycelium is best stored in types of refrigerators that allow the freezer temperature to be set to minus twenty degrees Celsius. This will allow the material not to deteriorate and not lose its quality.

After defrosting for a short time, the mycelium regains its vegetative functions.

It is important not to allow multiple abrupt changes in temperature conditions, that is, defrosting and re-freezing. This can significantly impair the quality of the mycelium, which, accordingly, will negatively affect the yield of the mycelium.

Useful tips for mushroom pickers

For the successful cultivation of mycelium and the harvest of mushrooms, the following rules must be observed:

• The ideal substrate is sawdust from deciduous trees.
• The color of the used sawdust should be white or yellow, this will serve as a guarantee of their freshness.
• The substrate should have a fresh odor, without any admixture of rot.
• When transporting mycelium, the required moisture content must be maintained within 30-45%.The same conditions must be observed inside the plastic bag in which the oyster mushroom is grown.
• It will take about 300 grams of mycelium to be put into one block bag measuring 35 X 75 cm, you need to know this in order to accurately calculate the required amount of material. It is highly undesirable to buy for future use or thaw an excess amount of mycelium due to the short shelf life and loss of sowing qualities.
• When producing mycelium and planting it in a substrate, strict sanitation rules must be followed to avoid pest infestation: containers, tools and hands must be disinfected.

In general, if you follow the rules and technology for growing oyster mushroom mycelium, and then the mushroom itself, you can achieve good results with not a very large investment of funds and efforts. With an attentive attitude to the process, even a beginner can handle it.

The technology of growing and breeding oyster mushrooms at home with your own hands is quite simple, even an amateur can handle it. However, before you get down to business and grow mushrooms, you should familiarize yourself with the existing methods and requirements for the environment in which mushrooms will develop normally. Where to start and how to make the process from scratch, we will tell you step by step, and even a beginner will find it easy to breed and plant mushrooms.

Conditions for growing oyster mushrooms at home

You can organize a place for the cultivation of mushrooms in basements, cellars or specially designed rooms at a summer cottage. For the cultivation of oyster mushrooms, you need to create the following conditions:

• the ability to set and maintain a temperature regime within 10-20 degrees;
• equip the room ventilation system for the removal of carbon dioxide and lamps with fluorescent lamps;
• set humidity mode 70-90%.

Due to their properties, mushrooms absorb elements of the environment, including toxins. Therefore, it is important that all surfaces in the basement are disinfected. free from mold and pests... It is necessary to maintain cleanliness until the very end of the harvest.

When growing oyster mushrooms, it is important to keep it clean until harvest.

The temperature regime in which oyster mushroom grows well is limited to marks from 20 to 28 degrees.

How to grow mushrooms at home

There are several ways to grow oyster mushrooms at home. Each method has advantages and disadvantages, so it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with all the intricacies of technologyto choose the one that suits you best.

How to dissolve in bags with your own hands

The substrate can be purchased ready-made or prepared with your own hands. The best raw material for oyster mushrooms is barley or wheat straw... Also suitable:

• hardwood shavings;
• buckwheat husk;
• sunflower husk;
• corn cobs and stalks.

The components used must grind to 5-10 cm.

Ready substrate for growing oyster mushrooms

Those who are just starting to master the technology of growing mushrooms at home are advised to refrain from using sawdust. This method is complex and requires special requirements.

Before using the substrate, it is necessary to carry out disinfection material. For this, it is subjected to heat treatment.

Step-by-step procedure for the disinfection of the substrate:

• the selected crushed raw material is poured into a metal tank or a spacious pan;
• fill the container with water (proportions 1: 2);
• bring the contents of the pan to a boil and cook for about 2-2.5 hours.

The finished base should be wet and soft, but do not overdo it with water. The correct composition releases the minimum amount of moisture during spinning.

In addition to the substrate, the seed (mycelium) is placed in the bag. It is not worth buying a lot at once, it quickly deteriorates. With proper care, from 1 kg of raw materials you can get up to 3 kg of oyster mushrooms.

The base is laid in the bags in layers, alternating the ball of the substrate with the seed. The bags are filled tightly without tamping. After tightly tying the edges of the container, cross-shaped holes are cut with a blade on the surface of the polyethylene. They need to be arranged at intervals of 10 cm in a checkerboard pattern.

Oyster mushroom mycelium in packing

For 2 weeks, the bag is lowered into the basement for an incubation period at a temperature 19-23 degrees... Lighting is not required at this stage.

The main advantage of the method is the simplicity of the technology. However, there is often poor or no fruiting. In such cases, you need to sort out the substrate and check for mold.

Mushroom picking begins 1.5 months after planting. Two crops are taken from one bag.

Step-by-step technology for breeding on stumps

There are two main ways of growing oyster mushrooms: intensive and extensive. In the first case, special premises with favorable conditions. The second method introduces the technology of mushroom cultivation open air... The timing of the harvest depends entirely on weather conditions.

If there is neither a felling nor a cellar at the dacha, you should not be upset. You can grow oyster mushrooms directly on stumps or scraps of hardwood (chestnut, ash, poplar, beech, etc.).

Sowing dates begin in the spring in establishing positive temperatures. The cuttings are soaked for 1-2 days before use. This procedure is not performed with a fresh tree.

In the country, you can use stumps to grow oyster mushrooms.

On the stumps, holes are pre-made with a diameter 10 mm with deepening on 5-6 cm... The seed is placed in the holes and covered with moss or adhesive tape. Stick-shaped mycelium is enough to insert into the hole and close it with plasticine.

The place for growing mushrooms is selected in the shadow under the dense crowns of trees. This is necessary to prevent the oyster mushrooms from drying out during the warm season.

When using logs, digging holes and laying wet sawdust on the bottom are provided. Further, soaked wood scraps are inserted into the prepared recesses and buried with soil for a third of the length (at least 15 cm). The spacing between stumps should be 35-50 cm.

Further care of the mushroom beds is to water the soil around the blanks. The collection time for oyster mushrooms more often falls on Aug. Sept... Such a plantation will yield good growth up to 5 years with the most generous fruiting 2-3 years after planting.

On substrate briquettes

Substrate briquettes are polyethylene sleevestuffed tightly with filler. Pre-applied on the surface of the film perforation round or other shape. The holes can be evenly spaced throughout the block, or span only two sides.

In the first case, when fixing the briquettes, their contact must not be allowed, in contrast to double-sided perforation, where the junction has no holes.

The most popular are the capacities of the following parameters:

• weight - 15 kg;
• length - 70 cm;
• diameter - 25 cm.

The density of the substrate in the sleeve, the level of humidity and the environment depends on the raw materials used and the method of its heat treatment.

There are many options for placing substrate briquettes. They can be suspended 2-3 pieces per rope or hang each one individually on the fittings. The weight of the bags is quite heavy, which provides stability when stacking blocks Each other... The result is a solid wall.

Substrate briquettes

The arrangement of briquettes on the shelves is also allowed. in vertical or horizontal position. The rope stretched from the back of the shelves acts as a safety net against falling or falling of the substrate. When growing mushrooms at home, the decision on the placement of bags is made based on the characteristics of the room.

The advantages of the method:

• convenient application;
• easy care;
• getting a quick harvest (after 1.5-2 months).

The disadvantage is the additional costs for the purchase of substrate briquettes.

On racks

Briquettes or bags with substrate and seed in the basement or cellar can be placed on shelves if space permits. The shelves themselves should be made of wood or rolled steel. Blocks are placed vertically or horizontally.

Shelves are manufactured in various designs. Craftsmen independently develop drawings, providing safety elements that prevent the bags from falling. One of the options is equipped with special pins on the shelves, on top of which blocks are placed. Due to this, their stability is increased.

It is permissible to install mushroom sleeves in several tiers, but no more than three... In this case, the distance between the shelves should be 70 cm, and between mushroom bags - 15-40 cm.

Racks for growing oyster mushrooms

When installing mushroom containers in 2 or 3 tiers, it is necessary to leave a free space under the lower blocks of at least 30 cm to ensure normal air circulation.

This method of growing oyster mushrooms is characterized by convenient maintenance and harvesting. However, not all summer cottages and cellars have a sufficient amount of space for installing shelving.

How to make mycelium for oyster mushrooms

It is not difficult to buy ready-made mycelium, but you can only evaluate the quality of your purchase after a few weeks. If a low-quality product is identified, it will no longer be possible to compensate for the costs of raw materials and energy resources, so many mushroom growers master the technology of mycelium production on their own.

The mycelium is planting material, which is introduced into the substrate to obtain a harvest of mushrooms.

At home, mycelium is grown mainly on wood or grain... The method with wood is appropriate to use with the subsequent replanting of mycelium on hemp. This seed has a long shelf life and disease resistance. The cereal appearance is obtained by applying the mother culture to a substrate of cereal grains.

A high quality mushroom is obtained in laboratory conditions... At home, this process can be repeated by preparing special equipment in advance:

• agar;
• thermometer;
• tweezers;
• test tubes;
• pipettes.

Also, work will require water, electricity, gas.

The fixtures and the surface on which the work is planned must be pre-treated with an alcohol solution for disinfection.

Stages of growing mycelium

1. To obtain uterine mycelium, you need pinch off oyster mushrooms (from the area closer to the cap) a few small pieces. To cleanse the separated fragments from bacteria and parasites, it is recommended to dip them in hydrogen peroxide and dip the processed pieces into test tubes with crushed grains. Carrot, oatmeal, or potato agar can be used in place of the grain medium.

   The tubes are tightly closed and stored in a room with an average humidity level and a temperature of about 20 degrees... After 2 weeks, a white edge will appear in properly prepared tubes. This is the uterine mycelium.

2. To obtain an intermediate mycelium, you should boil cereal grains for 15 minutes. After cooling and drying, they are mixed with chalk and gypsum (for 1-1.5 kg of grains, take 30 grams of gypsum and 10 grams of chalk). The resulting mixture is poured into jars, filling it by 2/3. Then, uterine mycelium from a test tube is added to the container. The neck of the jar is closed with foil, which is fixed with tape. The workpiece is stored in the same conditions as the test tubes for 2-3 weeks... The result is a jar filled with grains and a fringe - an intermediate mycelium.
3. The inoculum is obtained in a similar way, by replacing the intermediate mycelium in clean containers with a substrate.After the growth of the mycelium, it is transferred into bags or briquettes with a substrate in which the mushrooms will be grown.

Growing mycelium in a jar

Care for mushrooms during growth

After replanting the mycelium in the holes of the polyethylene, the bags are sent to incubationwhich takes up to 3 weeks. The temperature regime should not reach 30 degrees, otherwise the planting material will undergo a heat shock.

At this stage no ventilation... The accumulation of carbon dioxide creates favorable conditions for the development of mycelium. All that is required is daily cleaning of surfaces using chlorine-containing products. This will help prevent mold growth.

Next, the bags are placed in a specially equipped room with a temperature 10-20 degrees... The cooler the air, the less saturated the color will be. Lighting should be 12 o'clock with an intensity of 5 kW per 1 m2. Every day 1-2 times, the mushrooms are watered with a special sprinkler.

In the room where mushrooms are cultivated, there is a high level of spores in the air, so work should be done with a mask and glasses. This will help prevent an allergy attack.

The profitability of growing at home

You can grow mushrooms in several briquettes, satisfying the needs of your family. But this type of activity, with a reasonable approach, sometimes becomes a means of additional income. Moreover, caring for mushroom beds is not considered difficult.

About 350 kg of oyster mushrooms are obtained from 100 bags

If you create optimal conditions for keeping mushroom briquettes (bags) and adhere to the established temperature regime, then 3-3.5 kg of mushrooms can actually be removed from one block. Respectively from 100 bags, 350 kg of oyster mushrooms are obtained.

Taking into account the market value (approximately 130 rubles per kg), the income will be 45,500 rubles. About half of the funds are spent on related costs associated with creating conditions for the cultivation of mushrooms. The net profit will amount to 20,485 rubles. The profitability in this case is 75%, payback - 5.2 cycles, which translated into months means 13-15 months.

If the size of the premises allows you to place 200 bags, then the profitability increases to 82%, and the net income will be in the range of 40,000-41,000 rubles. The investment will pay off in just 3.4 cycles or 9 months.

The process of growing oyster mushrooms at home is quite exciting and educational. By accumulating experience, you can gradually increase the volume, which will allow you to turn your hobby into a small business.

Getting oyster mushroom mycelium at home is the dream of any mushroom grower. Nowadays it is not difficult to buy it. However, it is not always possible to find a company that is 100% responsible for the quality of products. The fact is that such organizations work mainly with wholesalers and practically do not have time to monitor quality in such conditions.

You can learn about the "inoperability" of the product only when the bags with the substrate turn green. And the cultivation of oyster mushrooms takes a certain amount of time and 40% of the costs go to the substrate. In this case, mushroom growers, not trusting unknown producers, grow mycelium with their own hands.

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What it is?

Oyster mushroom mycelium is a mycelium that is planted in a substrate where it germinates.

Oyster mushroom mycelium at home can be grown on grain or wood. Grain mycelium is obtained by plating mother cultures on a cereal grain substrate. This kind of production is more common.

In the second case, the mycelium is located on wooden sticks. This type is suitable when stump mushroom production is used. Mycelium grown on wood is less susceptible to disease and has a long shelf life.

Grain-Grown Mycelium

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Cultivation

Mycelium is the basis of mushroom growing technology. Growing it takes place in three stages:

1. Uterine mycelium. Reproduction in special laboratories from spores that are stored in test tubes. Abroad, each batch is subjected to the strictest control for compliance with the strain. Breeding work is not carried out in Russia and the CIS countries.
2. Reproduction of most fungi is carried out by spores, however, another type of vegetative propagation of fungi is also possible - pieces of fungal tissue.
3. Intermediate mycelium. This is the next step, during which the stock culture is transferred from test tubes to a certain nutrient medium. In other words, it is a culture for growing seed mycelium.
4. Sowing mycelium. It is used for sowing the substrate on which the mushrooms grow directly. However, it is very often used as a mother culture for the production of mycelium obtained abroad. Grown on grain cereals.

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Growing features

The best quality mycelium is obtained in laboratory conditions, but how to cook it yourself at home? If you do not have the equipment for organizing the work of a scientific laboratory, then home production can be carried out where there is gas, water and electricity.

You can prepare mycelium at home, but before doing this, you need to purchase special equipment: test tubes, tweezers, thermometer, pipettes, agar.

At the stage of preparing the room and equipment, it is first of all necessary to take into account the fact that there are from 5,000 to 20,000 microorganisms per 1 m2. And the first priority for the mushroom grower is how to prepare sterile equipment and ensure the hygiene of the workplace.

There are two ways to make mycelium at home. The first way is full cycle. A mother culture is grown from the spores or a piece of the fruiting body, from which the intermediate mycelium can be obtained and the seed culture can be grown.

The second shortened method is the reproduction of the mycelium acquired from specialists.

To grow mycelium at home, you need to prepare the necessary equipment

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First step

The uterine mycelium is obtained from a part of the fruiting body. Fresh oyster mushroom is cut into two parts and a piece is cut from the top of the leg. Before replanting in a nutrient medium, a piece of the fruiting body is dipped in hydrogen peroxide to ensure sterility. After that, a piece of mushroom is placed over the flame in a test tube with a nutrient medium. The tube is closed with a cork burned over a fire. The cork must not be placed on the surface of the table; therefore, you must hold the cork and the test tube with your hands at the same time.

The tubes are left in a dark room with a temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. After a couple of weeks, the mycelium, created by hand, can be transferred to the substrate.

You can also make a nutrient medium for growing a mother culture with your own hands. For this, potato glucose agar, wort agar, oat agar, carrot agar and a number of others are suitable. The culture medium is poured into test tubes and sterilized. Then the tubes are set in an inclined position so that the medium has a large surface area. After it has solidified, a piece of oyster mushroom is introduced into the test tube.

When growing oyster mushroom uterine mycelium at home with your own hands, you need to monitor sterility: disinfect and clean up the room, work surface. The equipment is sterilized over the burner before work.

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Second phase

The next step is to breed oyster mushroom mycelium. For growing intermediate oyster mushroom mycelium, cereal grains are often used. To do this, take high-quality grains and boil them in two parts of water for 15 minutes. After that, the grains are dried and mixed with gypsum and calcium carbonate.

The glass container is filled by two-thirds with the obtained grains and sterilized.Several pieces of the culture medium are transferred to the processed grains.

The intermediate crop will grow in two to three weeks. You can store mycelium for 3 months at a temperature of 0 to 20 degrees. If necessary, you can pack it in plastic bags.

The intermediate mycelium is a physiologically active culture for the production of oyster mushroom seed mycelium.

Growing an intermediate mycelium in a jar

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Stage Three

The developed viable intermediate mycelium of oyster mushrooms has the appearance of a lush white bloom with a pleasant mushroom aroma. Similarly, the technology of growing intermediate mycelium is grown and sowing. In other words, the intermediate material is used for seeding new containers. For a one-liter jar, 1 spoon of intermediate mycelium is enough.

This type is used for sowing a substrate on which oyster mushrooms will grow in the future.

Oyster mushroom seed mycelium looks like a white bloom with a mushroom aroma

The seed material for growing oyster mushrooms is mycelium. Its quality depends not only on the appearance of the mushroom and its size, but also on the volume of the crop. Mycelium can be purchased at specialized retail outlets. But if you wish, you can prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to know how to grow oyster mushroom mycelium at home.

Growing mushroom mycelium at home

Oyster mushroom mycelium, which is offered by commercial structures, is intended for growing mushrooms on an industrial scale. It is grown using a special technology, taking into account further processing with organic and chemical preparations. Therefore, it is almost impossible for a household consumer to control its quality.

Growing oyster mushrooms in buckets

For growing a small batch of mushrooms, it is better to use a self-made mycelium. The main advantage of this method is constant control over the quality of the seed.

For the manufacture of oyster mushroom mycelium, you will need a separate room and sterile dishes. It is important to fully comply with the technology. If the cultivation meets all the recommended rules, the mycelium can be grown in 16-28 days. The term depends on the conditions and variety.

It is important to create the necessary microclimate in the room. To do this, a temperature of +24 degrees is maintained around the clock, the humidity should be high 80-90 percent. During the germination of the mycelium, it is impossible to ventilate the room and turn on the light.

To prepare mushroom mycelium at home, you must first prepare:

• Premises
• Equipment
• Dishes
• Agar
• Wheat grain
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Healthy fresh mushroom or mycelium sticks

In an industrial setting, mycelium is grown in the laboratory. Therefore, when preparing a room at home, it is necessary to create approximate conditions in it. To do this, all surfaces are thoroughly washed out and treated with disinfectants. The room should have water, light and ventilation. You also need to consider a way to heat the room. For this, gas or electric heating is used.

From the equipment you will need a thermometer, tweezers, a vertical rack for test tubes.

If possible, laboratory test tubes made of glass are used as glassware. But you can also use glass jars with sealed lids.

Wheat agar or grain is necessary to create a nutrient medium. Mycelium develops in it.

Peroxide is used to process a mushroom fragment. It helps to destroy the larvae of harmful insects and diseases.

To maintain sterility, the room is pretreated with chlorine solution at a concentration of 1% or the walls are whitewashed with lime. A burner, alcohol and sterile medical gloves are also required. The entire procedure is carried out indoors.

Growing uterine mycelium on agar

All instruments and work surface are preliminarily treated with a disinfectant. The test tubes are calcined on a fire. Then they are filled with a nutrient medium. It is prepared from:

• Potato glucose agar
• Wort agar
• Oat agar
• Carrot agar

With the right freak, the oyster mushroom harvest won't keep you waiting long

To prepare a nutrient medium, it is necessary to dissolve agar in water at room temperature, add a decoction of grains, vegetable juice or glucose to it. The mixture is brought to a boil over low heat and kept on fire until it is completely thickened. Agar is constantly stirring during cooking. Burning in in this case is unacceptable.

Next, the resulting broth is cooled to room temperature and poured into prepared test tubes. They are tilted so that the nutrient mixture has taken up a large area. In this position, the tubes are left until the agar has completely solidified. The mixture should become jelly-like.

Then a fragment of the mushroom is placed in each test tube with tweezers. It is separated from the inside of the cap. Each piece is gently wiped with a swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide, or completely dipped in it. This is necessary for disinfection.

After that, the tube is tightly sealed. The stopper is pre-sterilized over an alcohol burner.

The finished closed tubes are placed in a warm, dark place. If the technology has been fully followed, mycelium will appear in the test tube after 14 days. It can be used for sowing into a substrate.

This method of growing oyster mushroom mycelium at home requires effort, since all surfaces and working tools must be carefully processed.

The penetration of various bacteria and parasitic microorganisms into the test tubes can lead to the death of oyster mushroom spores. In this case, mold develops in the test tube. But if you follow all the recommendations when growing oyster mushroom mycelium on agar, you can get high-quality seed in a short time.

Growing uterine mycelium on grain

This method is considered one of the most common ways to grow mushroom mycelium at home.

For this, seeds of corn, oats, millet are used. The most productive option is to grow spores on rye grains.

First results at home

Before sowing, the grain must be prepared. The preparation process consists of three stages:

• First. The grain is boiled in clean water. For this, the prepared container is filled with 30 liters of water. 30 kg of grains are poured into it. After boiling, it is kept on low heat for half an hour. Then the remaining water is drained off. The boiled grains are dried and mixed with 350 g gypsum and 95 g chalk. These impurities are necessary to improve ventilation. They also prevent the grains from sticking together and make them crumbly.
• Second. Boiled grains are poured into glass jars with a volume of 2 or 3 liters. The containers are 4/5 full. The neck is covered with a gauze napkin. The cans are then placed in a saucepan or medical autoclaves. Boil jars of grain twice for 2 hours. The interval between sterilization is a day. It is important when cooking to prevent water from entering the jar.
• At the third stage, the sterilized containers are transferred to a disinfected room. The grain is infused for 13-15 hours.

After such preparation, the grain is sown with oyster mushroom spores. For this, pieces of the fruiting body of the mushroom are placed in the container.

Fragments for sowing are best taken from the top, closer to the cap. Mushroom pieces are necessarily disinfected with hydrogen peroxide.

Then the jars are placed in a warm, shaded place. Do not expose them to a draft or direct sunlight.

If the technology is observed, after a couple of weeks, a fluffy coating of white color will appear in containers with grain. This is the oyster mushroom mycelium, which is used to grow mushrooms in the substrate.

When growing oyster mushroom mycelium on grain, it is important to use high-quality seed. For reproduction, a fresh, ripe mushroom with a large cap is selected. It is also important to choose clean grain without chemical treatment.

Growing uterine mycelium on cardboard

The easiest and cleanest way to make your own mushroom mycelium is to grow oyster mushroom mycelium on cardboard.

The advantages of this method:

• Pathogens develop poorly on cardboard
• It quickly colonizes fungal spores.
• On corrugated cardboard, the necessary air is better supplied to the mycelium
• Paper retains moisture well
• Cardboard does not require long-term sterilization
• Cardboard sheets are available to any consumer
• Large amounts of mycelium can be grown on cardboard at low cost.
• It is important to choose your cardboard carefully. It should be free of stamps, inscriptions, stickers, glue and paint. Such places are cut out.

The sequence of growing oyster mushroom mycelium on cardboard:

• Sheets of cardboard are crushed and filled with hot boiled water. Withstand for an hour.
• Plastic containers are being prepared. Drainage holes are made in the bottom. Then the container from the inside and outside is scalded with boiling water.
• The seed is being prepared. These can be special strips with mycelium, fragments of the aerial part of the fungus, or pieces of root. The trunk and cap of the oyster mushroom is divided into fibers using a sterile knife or blade.
• The soaked cardboard is squeezed out and mixed with the seed.
• Then everything fits into prepared containers. The cardboard is lightly tamped. From above, they are covered with a bag or cling film.
• The containers are placed in a dark, warm place.
• Remove the plastic cover for a few seconds every day. It is also important to keep an eye on the moisture content of the cardboard.
• If necessary, moisten with clean water using a spray bottle.
• Subject to the sequence and conditions of mycelium growing, within 1-2 months, the cardboard will be covered with a white, fluffy bloom. This mycelium can be used to cultivate oyster mushrooms at home.

The resulting mycelium can also be used to start a new batch. For this, pieces of cardboard, densely covered with spores, are laid in clean soaked paper. The quality of the seed does not decrease with this cultivation.

How to prepare a substrate for growing oyster mushrooms at home

Oyster mushroom harvest

Under natural conditions, this mushroom grows on stumps and tree trunks. With artificial cultivation, oyster mushrooms can be grown on wood and in special soil.

The level of yield is influenced by the nutrient composition of the substrate. It should have enough protein and fat. Therefore, the most productive is considered to be a mixture containing cereal straw harvested in regions with a clean environment.

The main components of the substrate are often:

• Cereal straw
• Sunflower husk
• Fruit wood sawdust

It is recommended to use material that was harvested the year before last as straw. In such a mixture, the concentration of nitrogenous compounds increases significantly, the structure becomes more hygroscopic.

High quality sunflower husk is usually harvested at the beginning of the processing season. Such material should contain no more than 3% fat, no more than 5% dust. Its moisture content is not higher than 16%.

The sawdust must also be of high quality. The admixture of softwood shavings is strictly not allowed. If there is cotton wool in the sawdust, this improves the quality of the material. But this impurity is very rare and significantly increases the cost of sawdust.

Oyster mushroom growth bag incision

Also, nutritional and mineral supplements are added to the substrate for growing oyster mushrooms.They are necessary to optimize nitrogen content and maintain acidity. Most often, this is added: hay, malt sprouts, soy flour, wheat bran, gypsum, alabaster, slaked lime.

Purified drinking water is added to improve the structure and maintain the required moisture content. It is strictly forbidden to use water from open wells and natural sources.

The technology for preparing the substrate provides for several stages. They are executed in the following sequence:

Initially, a thorough grinding of all components is carried out. It is especially important to crush the straw-based substrate well. The finer the fraction of the constituents, the easier it is in the future for the mycelium to fill the entire area of ​​the prepared block.

Then additional components and necessary chemical components are introduced into the crushed base. Everything is thoroughly mixed and brought to homogeneity.

Next, the substrate is moistened. To do this, it is soaked for several hours in special containers. Pure water is used for humidification. The mixture is kept under these conditions until it is completely saturated with moisture.

Also, with the help of soaking, the soil is cleared of large particles that reduce the yield. After the soil is wrung out.

Its moisture content should be at least 70%. With a lower rate, it will be impossible to grow mushrooms.

The use of a specially prepared substrate will significantly reduce the cost of growing oyster mushrooms at home and will help you get a high yield the first time.

While watching the video, you will learn about growing oyster mushrooms.

It is possible to grow oyster mushrooms and mycelium on your own at home. But in order to obtain high-quality seed, it is necessary to carefully observe the technology and stage-by-stage process.

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