How to grow oyster mushrooms at home in winter?

If you decide to grow mushrooms on your own, it is better to start with oyster mushrooms. Growing these mushrooms at home does not require the study of complex theoretical information or special skills. Oyster mushrooms are not as demanding as other types (for example, mushrooms). Another argument in their favor will be the high yield. You can cook many delicious dishes from them, the taste of which will not leave anyone indifferent. Let's figure out what are the ways to grow oyster mushrooms and how to cope with the difficulties arising for beginners.

Growing methods, their pros and cons

There are two ways to grow oyster mushrooms at home - extensive and intensive.

Positive aspects of the first method:

it does not require the creation of special conditions, since a natural environment is needed for maturation;
for the same reason, the extensive method does not have to spend a lot of money;
in addition, the mushrooms do not need constant supervision in this case.

But there are also negative aspects:

the appearance of the crop depends entirely on the season and suitable weather;
ripening period is quite long;
due to the impossibility of control, it will not be possible to turn this hobby into a business and grow mushrooms for sale at home.

With intensive technology, the growing conditions are created by the mushroom grower himself at home.

Pros of the intensive method:

the ability to control the time of harvesting;
You can also regulate the amount of harvest - when using this method, it will be more;
thanks to this, there is the possibility of selling mushrooms and compensating for costs.

Some cons:

you will have to make more effort and spend a lot of time doing landings;
cash investments will also be required - to create the necessary conditions at home.

In the intensive method, the mushrooms are ripened in a cellar or other suitable room.

Mycelium selection

First of all, you need to purchase "seeds" - in mushrooms they are called mycelium. Recently, it has become much easier to do this - there are many online stores with mail delivery throughout the country. But there are also local companies. For beginner mushroom growers who fear failure, it is enough to purchase one kilogram of mycelium. The result will be about three to four kilograms of mushrooms. You can purchase the material in advance. Mycelium is stored in the refrigerator for up to two months, but it cannot be put in the freezer. It is not allowed to get mycelium on the skin, therefore, when opening the package, do not forget to wear gloves.

When buying, pay attention to the following recommendations.

Check reviews for a store or individual seller.
Even if you are an experienced mushroom grower, purchase a small amount of planting material from a new supplier for the first time.
Learn all the information about the selected variety, the time of mycelium growth, mold resistance.
Check the expiration date on the packaging.
Check the temperature of the mycelium immediately after delivery - it should be about +20 degrees Celsius.
The mycelium should be free of black and green spots.
The color of the "seeds" is bright orange, interspersed with yellow.

Growing on stumps

If you are a beginner and are not yet ready to invest a lot of effort and money in growing mushrooms, try the extensive method.

To plant oyster mushrooms in this way, you do not need a lot of materials.

Hemp that is on the site of your house. But they can be sown only in late April or early May, when a constant high temperature is established.
Pruning from deciduous trees such as beech or aspen. They should be no more than half a meter in height and fifteen centimeters in diameter.

Check every stump carefully - they should be free of mold.

Advice

If the wood is dry, soak it in water for several days. Only in such conditions will mycelium be able to develop.

The technology is as follows:

drill or cut out six centimeters in the stumps (they should be staggered);
mycelium is placed in these holes;
then they need to be covered with moss;

There is another way - you need to saw off a disk two centimeters thick from the top of the stump. Apply a layer of mycelium to the cut. Cover with a disc. For strength, nail it down.

After sowing, stack the logs on top of each other in a room where the temperature is maintained at +15. Leave them there for three months, covered with plastic wrap or thick cloth. By the end of the term, a white bloom will appear on the stumps. This means that it is time to "plant" them. To do this, they dig holes in the ground at a distance of half a meter and fill them with wet leaves. Hemp is placed in them - to a depth of fifteen centimeters. The soil around them must be constantly moist.

The harvest will appear at the end of summer. You can collect it throughout the fall. For the winter, the planting must be protected by sprinkling with straw.

Preparing for growing in the basement

To grow oyster mushrooms in an intensive way at home, you will need to prepare a basement that meets the following requirements:

it must maintain a temperature of +15 degrees;
a good ventilation system is needed in the basement;
its depth can reach five meters;
you need to create bright lighting;
there must be a source of clean water in the basement.

Other types of premises are also suitable:

cellar;
poultry house;
greenhouse;
garage;
cowshed.

The main condition is that this basement should not be adjacent to the living rooms of the house, since spores can cause allergies.

The next important condition for harvesting is a good substrate. This is a breeding ground, thanks to which mushrooms will grow. To prepare it, you can use:

buckwheat husk;
wheat straw;
barley straw;
cobs of corn.

Grind one of these materials or a mixture of them. Fill it with warm (up to twenty-five degrees) water for twenty minutes. Stir the workpiece periodically. Drain this water and fill a container with hot water (not boiling water). Cover with something heavy and let sit for five hours. Drain, squeeze out the substrate (liquid residues can cause mold) and add nutrients (urea and superphosphate) to it.

Basement landing

In this growing technology, it is not only the place and the basis for planting that are important. The vessels must also be prepared. Oyster mushrooms are usually grown in bags. At home, ordinary garbage bags as large as possible are also suitable.

Punch holes in them at intervals of twenty centimeters. Through these holes, the mushrooms will break out.

The bags need to be filled with substrate and mycelium. The bottom layer should be the substrate - pour fifteen centimeters of the mixture. Sprinkle it with a layer of mycelium. Alternate them, filling the volume of the vessel by 2/3. The bags should be moved to the basement and placed on top of each other or hung from the ceiling.

Planting care

In the early days of growing oyster mushrooms, it is most important to maintain suitable conditions.

The temperature in the bags will rise, but it is important to ensure that it does not reach +30 degrees (when growing at home, in a small basement, it is enough to use a fan for this).
Keep flies out of the basement.
The lighting can be switched on after three days.
The humidity in the basement should be about 95% (for this you need to spray the walls and floor with water, but not the oyster mushroom plantings themselves).

When collecting oyster mushrooms, you also need to follow some rules.

They do not need to be cut off, but unscrewed from the substrate.
After harvesting the first crop, it is important to maintain the same conditions in the basement for two weeks, then another batch will appear soon.

Conclusion

Oyster mushrooms are the most suitable mushrooms for growing at home. They don't need any special care. The conditions for their development are easy to maintain even at home.

There are two ways to grow them. One of them requires less effort, but the result will be a long wait for the harvest. For another, you need to prepare the room, but thanks to this you will quickly get a large amount of mushrooms.

Choose the method that seems to you the most successful, and feel free to start planting. In this case, you will be satisfied with the result.

How to grow oyster mushrooms at home? By a certain technology. Then you don't have to spend money on buying mushrooms. And it will certainly be possible to safely eat them without fear of poisoning.

Where to begin

You always need to start by getting to know the experience of other people, so to speak - studying the materiel. There are many articles and videos about growing oyster mushrooms at home. After acquaintance, you will need:

Two rooms. One directly for growing, the second for the incubation period. It is assumed that this will be one room. Then it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime and regulate the level of air humidity.

Nutrient substrate. Sold ready-made, packaged.
The mycelium itself. Pay special attention to the expiration date.
Fan. The most common, household.
Antiseptic. Rubbing alcohol or chlorine solution.
Rubber gloves, a gauze bandage for the face, a sharp knife, thick plastic bags.

Naturally, you have to be patient (a process of more than one day) and the desire to taste your own grown oyster mushrooms.

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Requirements for the premises

For growing mushrooms at home, you need to allocate a separate room. It doesn't have to be a bedroom or living room. A basement, a cellar, a shed, a garage - they all fit perfectly. For the incubation period, the temperature should be maintained no higher than 24-26 ° С, the air humidity should be no more than 70%.

Separately, it must be said about cleanliness. Wash every centimeter with bleach is not worth it. It is better to treat it with a sulfur-smoke bomb or simply whitewash the walls with lime with the addition of copper sulfate. Then no extraneous mold will infect the mycelium.

The main condition is that all ventilation openings must be closed with a fine mesh. Mushroom flies strive to fly into the aroma of mycelium and ruin the whole idea from the very beginning.

For the period of germination and harvesting, the humidity in the room should be at the level of 80-95%, the temperature should not be higher than 18 ° C.

Advice. A basement or cellar is the most optimal room. In such places, there is always high humidity, and the temperature can be increased with an ordinary heater.

Preparing the substrate for oyster mushrooms

As a nutrient medium for growing oyster mushrooms at home, you can use any substrate available, as long as it contains cellulose. It is she who feeds on the mycelium. Experienced mushroom growers use sawdust, small branches or shavings. For beginners, it is best to use:

barley straw
sunflower seed husks
corn stalks, leaves
wheat straw
buckwheat husk
corn cobs

First of all, you need to carefully sort out the prepared raw materials. The mass must be clean and dry. The presence of mold or the presence of only the smell of decay already indicates that the raw materials are not suitable for growing oyster mushrooms.

After taking the mass, it is necessary to thermally process it for reliability. This will get rid of harmful bacteria, insect larvae, and at the same time moisturize it. For this, raw materials are poured into metal dishes, poured with clean water. Heat to a boil, boil for about 40 minutes. Then leave for 3 hours.

Then the excess water is drained, and the raw materials are put under a press to remove the remaining liquid. Alternatively, the substrate is poured into a tissue bag and hung.

As soon as the temperature of the mass drops to 24-26 ° C, you can start planting.

Advice. For best results, a little fresh yeast is added to the raw material before planting. Approximately 50 g per 15 kg total weight.

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Planting material

It is very difficult to prepare a good quality mycelium on your own. Therefore, it is better to buy it from seed shops or from oyster mushroom growers. How many grams do you need? The calculation is very simple. For 10 kg of raw materials, you need about 400 g of mycelium.

First of all, before buying, you need to carefully examine the package with planting material. Gray or black spots, a distinct smell of ammonia are signs of incipient mold. This mycelium is not suitable for planting. The color of the vegetative body of the fungus should be from bright yellow to orange.

It is not recommended to order planting material through Internet resources. Indeed, the photograph may show something completely different from what will be in the package.

Advice. If the mycelium was purchased in advance, then it must be stored in the refrigerator before planting, no more than 9 days. Temperature 3-5 ° С is the most optimal.

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The most crucial moment

The substrate has been prepared, the planting material has been purchased and has already lain for a day at room temperature. We took a deep breath, we can start.

The most important thing is that there should be no slightest draft in the room. Fungal spores are very volatile. The slightest breath and then you can find oyster mushrooms in places that are completely unsuitable for them.

All instruments must be disinfected. Knife, tight bags, hands. You can wash it thoroughly with laundry soap or wipe it with aseptoline. Hands can be additionally protected with gloves. They also need to be treated with an antiseptic. Be sure to wear a gauze bandage. The ingestion of fungal spores into the lungs is not a very pleasant event.

The process itself:

The mycelium is crumbled without opening the bag.
Raw materials are poured into the bottom of the prepared plastic bag.
Oyster mushroom vegetative body is laid out on top with a thin layer.
Layers are repeated all the way to the top.
The bag is tightly tied.

In order for the mushrooms to sprout faster, it is advisable to lay out the planting material closer to the walls of the bag than to the center.

You can do it even easier. Raw materials are poured into prepared bags, small cuts are made with a knife. Mycelium is laid in them, then sealed.

Advice. Don't take huge packages. Anyway, oyster mushrooms will only grow outside. The most optimal size holds about 5-8 kg of the finished mixture.

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Incubation period

So, the bags are full, tied, awaiting their fate. Which? Warmth, darkness, tranquility. The incubation room should have a temperature not higher than 18-20 ° C. The substrate gets very hot, the vegetative body may die. It is impossible to ventilate the room, the emitted carbon dioxide is very important for the germination of oyster mushrooms.

What to do? Fan! Saves the situation, helps to cool bags, does not make drafts.

One day after the laying, the previously made incisions are opened. If the mycelium was laid in layers, then it is imperative to make cuts with a sharp knife. Vertical 2-3 cm high, horizontal about 0.5 cm wide, the distance between them is 10-12 cm.

Packages should not fit tightly to each other. A free space of at least 7-9 cm is left between them.

The incubation time depends on the variety, ranging from 16 to 24 days. Detailed information can be obtained from the manufacturer, or read on the packaging.

It is important to periodically enter the room and inspect the bags. The appearance of black spots and an unpleasant odor indicates that the tools and materials were not sufficiently disinfected. The normal state is a light, almost white color of the contents, a characteristic pleasant aroma of mushrooms.

Advice. Inspection is carried out as quickly as possible. Any light is now not desirable for the mycelium.

First fruiting. Important aspects

It is important not to miss the moment when oyster mushroom rudiments appear. They can be seen with the naked eye. On a white background - gray tubercles. In the meantime, bags with mushrooms are transferred to another room, or the conditions are changed in the same:

The temperature is reduced to 10-18 ° C.
Increase air humidity up to 90-95%.
They put artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps for a period of at least 8 hours per day.
Be sure to ventilate the room. At least 4 times a day.

The main factor for the first fruiting period is moisture. However, it is impossible to water the oyster mushrooms. They can rot before reaching their size. The ideal way out of the situation would be frequent spraying of walls, floors, spraying water in the air. Care should be taken not to get water on the mushroom caps and bags.

Advice. If light-colored oyster mushrooms are needed, then the temperature is kept at 12 ° C. To obtain a dark cap, the temperature is raised to 18 ° C.

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Second fruiting

After the first crop is harvested, the mushroom blocks are not thrown away! Oyster mushroom gives up to 5 harvests from one planting. The mushroom holder rests for about 12 days, then pleases with a new portion of a healthy treat. It is very important not to change conditions during breaks between harvests. Then one block can bear fruit up to 4 months.

And if there is no separate room

How to grow oyster mushrooms at home if there is no separate room? It's also very simple! When did this stop a Russian person, if he needed to? There is no basement, which means growing on stumps is a completely alternative option.

This will require:

Smooth stumps of non-resinous trees.
Planting material.
A secluded spot in the garden with good shade.
Burlap, film.
Enthusiasm is welcome.

The wood must be healthy, free from mold, rot or debris. It is advisable that before use it lay no longer than 10 months. Poleshki are soaked in clean water for 3 days, pressing with oppression so that they do not float.

Then holes are made in the tree, preferably with a drill. The diameter is about 1-1.5 cm, the depth is about 5-7 cm. Oyster mushroom planting material is poured inside, the holes are plugged with moss. If there is no drill at hand, then they simply cut off the upper end of a log 5 cm thick, apply a vegetative body. The resulting saw cut is placed on top. For reliability, you can strengthen the structure with nails.

The procedure is carried out in March. Before the logs are planted in the garden, they are folded into a pyramid, covered with burlap and foil. Periodic ventilation, regular inspection for mold growth is the key to success. After a while, the mycelium will completely braid the wood, the hemp will turn white.

With the onset of warm weather (mid or late May), the woods are planted in the garden. They choose shaded places: under trees, vines, on the north side of buildings. The stumps are installed vertically, burying 12-15 cm in the ground. Damp foliage or soaked old barley grains can be placed at the bottom of the holes.

Taking care of the logs consists only in carefully watering the soil around it, if the weather is dry and hot.

Subject to the technology, the first harvest appears from the end of August. Lasts until mid-November depending on climate and weather conditions. For the winter, the poles are covered with spruce branches or covered with leaves.Ideally birch. They disinfect well and do not allow the mycelium to rot.

Of course, this method is not suitable for industrial cultivation of oyster mushrooms, but for home use it is very good. Good yields can be obtained at low cost. The only negative is seasonality. Oyster mushrooms do not grow under the snow in winter.

Advice. Such poles with bunches of oyster mushrooms can become an original decoration of the site. They can be cooked as much as there is enough free land. There will be enough mushrooms for themselves and their relatives and for sale.

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Several nuances

All work on the cultivation of oyster mushrooms is recommended to be carried out in a gauze bandage. Mushrooms secrete a large number of spores, which can lead to allergies.
When harvesting, oyster mushrooms are twisted by hand from the substrate. When cutting with a knife, you can infect the mycelium with putrefactive bacteria, then you will have to forget about the next crops. The remaining roots of the mushrooms also harm the mycelium. A large amount of moisture is lost through them.
If the slightest signs of mold appear in one of the bags, you must immediately remove it from the room so that the rest does not become infected.
The spent substrate is an excellent fertilizer, it will be a pity to throw it in the trash. Taking it out into the garden or pouring it out in the garden is the right decision. By the way, the remains of mycelium next year can give a small harvest of oyster mushrooms, if you pour the mixture somewhere near a reservoir or under trees.
When grown indoors, the first two waves of fruiting are the most productive. The second and third years of cultivation are the most prolific on the woodlands.

Growing oyster mushrooms on your own at home is a very real thing. Just follow the instructions and enjoy the result!

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Video: technology for growing oyster mushrooms

Growing an oyster mushroom in a home basement is a trend that came from the 90s. Craftsmen mastered this business from scratch, planted entire plantations in such conditions and built a business on them. It is not difficult to grow oyster mushrooms - it is important to adhere to the step-by-step algorithm and instructions. This article contains the recommendations of experts on where to start the process and how best to carry it out. Photo and video tips are provided to help beginners.

Step 1: preparing the room

To organize home growing of oyster mushrooms, you need a properly equipped room, high-quality mycelium (mycelium), and a suitable substrate. In the basement, mushrooms are grown in two ways:

Natural. Minimum equipment costs, but no more than one harvest per year.
Intensive. Requires investment in order to create and maintain the microclimate necessary for oyster mushrooms in the basement. But it allows you to collect several crops per season, regardless of weather conditions.

Advice. Mushroom pickers often choose the second option. This technology will allow the family to feed and sell some of the mushrooms.

You should not count on a safe and healthy harvest if you cannot create and maintain such conditions in the basement:

purity;
air temperature in the range of + 10 ... + 20 ° C;

Oyster mushroom is easy to grow on your own

humidity - 85-90%;
constant air circulation, well-functioning ventilation;
no pests and mold.

A deep cleaning in the first step will help detect problems in the basement. You may need a total rearrangement or re-equipment of the premises. To grow mushrooms in winter, take care of the tightness and insulation of the basement. Then, to maintain the microclimate in the cold, one heater will be enough for you, which will turn on for 2-3 hours.

Cover the ventilation openings with mosquito nets. Mold can be removed by hand using special products or vinegar solution. As a preventive measure, a normal balance of temperature and humidity is sufficient. Remove pests using pest control: smoke bombs or chemicals. Further work in the basement can be started no earlier than in a week.

Step 2: preparing the substrate

When using an intensive growing method, the substrate acts as a comfortable, moist and breathable environment. It protects oyster mushrooms from mold damage. Experienced mushroom pickers use hardwood shavings. It is easier for beginners to work with buckwheat or sunflower husks, barley or wheat straw, dry corn stalks.

An important task is to properly prepare the substrate for growing.

Prepare the material before use:

Make sure it is free of fungal microorganisms.
Heat the raw materials: steam a dry or moist substrate, boil in water. In the latter case, let the liquid drain for a few days. Such saturation with moisture is considered optimal when, when squeezed by hand, the substrate springs, but does not ooze with water.
Cool and grind the material.
Place the substrate in plastic bags with small holes. Transfer them to a separate, disinfected, warm room to place the mycelium.
Use bleach for surface treatment. The same sterilization is needed in the basement.

Step 3: buy quality mycelium

In order not to make a mistake in choosing a basis for the reproduction of mushrooms, follow these recommendations:

If you are not sure about the quality of the myceliums you are purchasing, take several small batches from different suppliers.
When buying, study the data on the variety and strain, productivity, mold resistance, crop saving time.
The optimum temperature for mycelium is about +20 ° C. Make sure no overheated material is sold to you.
The mycelium should not exude an ammoniacal odor and be covered with black or green spots. A healthy color is bright orange.

Oyster mushroom mycelium

After harvesting, the seed mycelium is stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of + 3 ... + 4 ° C. Under such conditions, normal mycelium will retain productivity up to 3 months, substrate mycelium - up to 9 months. Check with sellers for compliance with these conditions. After purchasing mycelium:

place the bags separately in a well-ventilated room;
leave for a couple of hours at room temperature;
before laying, grind the mushroom base without opening the bag.

Attention! It is necessary to open the package and carry out all subsequent operations only with gloves, in a sterile environment. After opening, treat the mycelium with a disinfectant solution.

Step 4: laying the mycelium

You will need a sterile table. The bags also need to be treated with a disinfectant solution and then with water. Turn off ventilation, close windows and doors during work. Mix the substrate and mycelium directly on the work surface. Correct proportions for mycelium:

domestic raw materials - 3-5% of the total volume of the substrate;
foreign product - 1.6-2.5%.

Put the mixture back into bags and tamp. The optimal weight of one bale should be 5-15 kg. Flatten the bags lightly and using a sharp knife, cut openings on both wide sides. The length of one is 0.5 cm. This technique will lead to the fact that the mushrooms will break through in bunches.

Place mycelium under sterile conditions.

Place the bags on props or shelves in the same room. The bags should be at least 5 cm away from walls and each other and should be well blown from all sides. The most favorable air temperature is around +25 ° C. In the block with the substrate, it may be slightly higher. Sowing maintenance is simple:

do not ventilate the room;
Wipe floors and surfaces with chlorine and water every day.

Attention! Do not overheat mycelium at + 30 ° C or higher.

Step 5: growing oyster mushrooms in the basement

In a warm room, the bags should lie for 18-25 days. After that, they should be transferred to the basement. There the blocks are placed vertically. They can be placed on top of each other, however, a gap of at least 0.5 m is required between the columns. The first mushrooms can be collected after 1.5 months. after laying the mycelium.

Growing oyster mushrooms in the basement

In the basement, you need to maintain optimal conditions for growing oyster mushrooms. The desired lighting intensity is 5 W / sq. m. In order for the body of the fungus to mature dense, and not watery, use a humidifier or sprayer for irrigation. Water with a temperature of + 10 ... + 25 ° C should flow from top to bottom no more than twice a day. Ventilate the area after watering.

Attention! Oyster mushrooms form a lot of controversy. To prevent them from causing allergies, the basement must be isolated from the living rooms.

Subsequent waves of fruiting in oyster mushrooms occur at intervals of 2-3 weeks. Remnants of the mushroom legs should be removed between these periods. Go through the bags. If you notice mold, remove it from the room. Such a substrate will fit on the site as an organic fertilizer. It is easy to grow oyster mushrooms in the basement, especially if you are well prepared for the process.

Growing oyster mushrooms at home: video

Growing mushrooms at home allows you to pamper yourself with this tasty and healthy product all year round, and can also become an excellent source of additional income. Oyster mushrooms are one of the simplest types of mushrooms of their kind. Anyone who has decided to try their hand at mushroom growing can feel like a master growing oyster mushrooms. This variety is very unpretentious and does not require special care. Where is the best place to grow oyster mushrooms at home and what is needed for this? Let's try to figure it out!

Features of growing oyster mushrooms: necessary conditions and premises

Oyster mushrooms or oyster mushrooms are a unique species that can sprout on any soil, be it dry grass, thyrsa, coffee grounds or even cotton fabric. This stunted plant is able to extract nutrients from everything in its environment. Another advantage of the species is its fast growth rate. Already two weeks after sowing, the first crop can be harvested.

Growing oyster mushrooms does not require any special knowledge and skills. The best place for growing oyster mushrooms will be the basement or cellar of a private house. Oyster mushrooms are not thermophilic and do not need a lot of light. If you do not have a basement, they can be grown in a greenhouse in a country house or shed. Despite the simplicity and the absence of excessive maintenance of mushrooms, the growing room must be properly prepared.

The following equipment should be installed in the room and special conditions for growing oyster mushrooms should be created:

Growing equipment (bags). The choice of equipment depends on the method of growing oyster mushrooms. The most convenient and economical option is bag growing. To do this, you need special supports with hangers on which the bags with the substrate are suspended. It is best to use plastic equipment, it does not corrode and is much cheaper. By the way, oyster mushrooms can also be grown on stumps.
Room temperature. This mushroom does not need high temperatures, so there is no need to create a greenhouse. It will be enough to insulate the room and carry out thermal insulation to retain moisture. Naturally, elementary heating devices must be present so that the temperature does not fall below 13 ° C. An elevated temperature is necessary only at the initial stage after planting the mycelium (22 ° C - 25 ° C). Infrared lamps can be used for additional heating.
Humidity. Oyster mushrooms are very fond of moisture, so the air in the growing room must be constantly humidified. It is very easy to do this using nebulizers or special electronic humidifiers. The humidity level should be around 70-90%.
Ventilation and lighting. All mushrooms grow in the fresh air and oyster mushrooms are no exception. The room must be systematically ventilated. This can be done manually, or you can install special hoods that will deliver fresh air.Again, purchasing such equipment is expensive, so unless you plan to grow large quantities of oyster mushrooms for sale, it won't be cost effective. When it comes to lighting, you need to install daylight garden lamps. You won't need a lot of them, since this type of mushroom does not require a lot of light.
Cleanliness and pest free. To grow a large, and most importantly, a healthy crop, the premises must be clean. If the basement is heated by groundwater, and there is fungus or bloom on the walls, this can seriously affect the yield. The mushrooms will hurt, light spots will appear on them, the mushrooms will lose their density, become soft. To protect future plantings, it is necessary to disinfect the premises. First, they thoroughly clean the walls, ceiling and floor, remove all dirt and mold. Then, all surfaces are sprayed with a solution of sulfate, and the walls and ceiling are covered with a solution of lime and copper sulfate.

Video: a room for growing oyster mushrooms in the basement

Note! If there is a fungus in the room, it is better not to use it as a greenhouse. High humidity, which is necessary for growing mushrooms, will only aggravate the situation, the disease will affect crops, they will become inedible and poisonous.

How to grow oyster mushrooms at home: growing technology

Having decided on the location of the mushroom greenhouse, after thoroughly disinfecting the premises and installing the necessary equipment, you can proceed to the very process of growing the mushrooms. The technology of growing oyster mushrooms involves several stages.

Video: step-by-step instructions for breeding oyster mushrooms at home

Substrate preparation

The key to a rich harvest is a high-quality substrate. Although it is generally accepted that oyster mushrooms are indiscriminate in this regard, the soil should still be fertile.

The best substrates for breeding oyster mushrooms are:

dry straw of wheat, barley and buckwheat;
hardwood sawdust;
sunflower seed husks;
dried stalks and cobs of corn.

Choose the amount of substrate according to the amount of mushrooms you want to grow. So, one bag for growing oyster mushrooms is designed for 5 kg of substrate. All components of the substrate should be clean and dry, they should not be moldy or rotten, they should not be rotted. It is best to disinfect the selected substrate by heat treatment. Next, you need to grind these components to a fraction of 4-5 cm and mix. Repeated heat treatment for two hours and squeeze out.

Actually, the substrate for growing oyster mushrooms is ready.

Selection and purchase of mycelium

For growing oyster mushrooms at home, it is best to use grain mycelium. It is very convenient to sow and does not require additional processing.

When buying mycelium, pay attention to its appearance. The grains should be yellow with a slight orange tint. It is strictly forbidden to buy mycelium on which dark spots are visible - this is the first indication of the presence of mold. You can also determine the quality of the planting material by smell, it must be fresh and smell like mushrooms. If you smell a slight ammonia smell, it means that the mycelium was stored incorrectly and has deteriorated.

Be sure to pay attention to the manufacturer's company, it is better if it is a well-known and large manufacturer in the seed market, read reviews of gardeners on the Internet. Do not buy large quantities of mycelium at once, take a trial batch. If the mycelium germinates without problems, forms good and healthy mycelium, you can purchase a large batch.

If you want to make your own oyster mushroom mycelium, then read this article.

Landing

Before proceeding with planting, the mycelium must be placed in a room where oyster mushrooms will grow for a day. This is done in order to equalize the temperature and the mycelium does not die from shock.

To grow oyster mushrooms in bags, it is imperative that it first be disinfected or thermally treated. An effective way of processing is washing with a solution of bleach.

The optimal volume of the bag should be at least 5 kg.

Further, the planting of oyster mushroom mycelium or the formation of mushroom blocks is as follows:

There is a layer-by-layer filling of the bag with a substrate and mycelium. For every 5 centimeters of the substrate, there should be about 0.5 cm of mycelium. The top and bottom layers in the bag should be substrate.
At the end of the filling of the mushroom block, the bag is tightly tied at the neck.
Then small holes are cut at a distance of 10 cm from each other, with a diameter of no more than 2 cm. The cuts are best done in a checkerboard pattern.

Attention! The planting of mycelium and the cultivation of oyster mushrooms are carried out in separate rooms, since there is a high risk of infection of myceliums.

Video: how to make a perforation of a mushroom block

Further care

In the period from planting to the formation of myceliums, temperature room air should be 18 ° C - 20 ° C. As soon as they are visible first fungi formations, the temperature is lowered to 13 ° C - 15 ° C. This is the optimum temperature for growing all types of oyster mushrooms.

It is very important to maintain humidity air. Watering the substrate is strictly prohibited, since in wet soil the mycelium begins to rot. Even if the myceliums survive, all the mushrooms will hurt, rot and dark spots will begin to appear on them. To achieve optimal humidity in the room, you can hang wet sheets or any other wet cloth. Open containers with water are left near the heaters, in this way the moisture evaporates faster and saturates the air.

Harvesting

The fruiting period for oyster mushrooms is only 30 - 35 days, which is a very short period. The thing is that these mushrooms have a very high frequency of fruiting: every 7 to 9 days. That is, already 9 days after planting the mycelium, you can harvest the first full harvest.

It is customary to cut the mushrooms with a knife carefully so as not to damage the main root attached to the mycelium. When collecting mushrooms, absolutely all fruits cannot be cut from one mycelium. It is necessary to leave 2 - 3 of the smallest mushrooms on the stem, otherwise the mycelium may dry out and stop bearing fruit.

Video: how to properly harvest oyster mushrooms

Important! After the last crop of mushrooms has been harvested, the substrate and bags must be disposed of. They are not recyclable. The room is well cleaned, ventilated and disinfected. It will be possible to re-breed mushrooms only 2 weeks after all harvesting work.

Video: technology for growing oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushroom diseases and pests: control measures and precautions

It happens that during the fruiting period, the mushrooms begin to hurt. A variety of factors can be the cause of such diseases. If all disinfection work has been carried out in the room, diseases should not disturb the crop.

The main number of fungal diseases lies in the substrate... As a rule, bacteria enter along with wet and rotten straw.

Important! If you are not sure about the quality of the substrate, it heat treatedbefore planting the mycelium. It is placed in a large container and poured with boiling water, after which it is boiled for 2 hours, then squeezed and dried.

In a damp substrate, the mushrooms begin to rot, the legs darken and become soft. This disease is called dark rot. If, nevertheless, she overtook the plantings, it is necessary to remove all diseased plants along with the substrate.

Very often oyster mushrooms are attacked mushroom flies, a little less often - ticks. These parasites are also born in the mycelium when the air is too humid and the room is not ventilated. Light pits appear on the mushrooms, like small bites.Naturally, such mushrooms must be removed immediately, and the room must be disinfected. Do this with smoke bomb, which is left for a day in a hermetically sealed room, and then thoroughly ventilate it.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the state of the mushrooms from the formation of the mycelium to the last fruiting. If one of the myceliums is infected, the entire bag will have to be thrown away, and this will significantly reduce the yield increase.

Summarize. Based on all of the above, it can be understood that growing oyster mushrooms at home is a very simple but time-consuming process. To do this, you will need to purchase special equipment, prepare the premises and fertile soil, and purchase high-quality mycelium. Further, it all depends on your patience and hard work. With proper care, up to 9 kg of mushrooms can be harvested from one bag. Growing oyster mushrooms is a great option for getting your first experience in mushroom growing.

Video: how to grow oyster mushrooms at home

Date of publication:Growing at home