Oyster mushrooms are one of the most popular edible mushrooms, and have an interesting history, starting in Germany as a subsistence measure in the Great War.
Today you’ll find this mushroom grown all over the world. This mushroom received its name Oyster because of its appearance – it looks just like an oyster. The only difference is that you won’t find an oyster mushroom in the water. They grow on trees.
What do you need to grow them?
You’ll find a variety of methods to growing oyster mushrooms; some will require a large drum, concrete blocks, and other commonly found items around you home.
Here is a method that will keep the cost down and grow mushrooms abundantly.
Here’s what you’ll need,
· Oyster Mushroom spawn
· Straw
· Large pan
· Water spray bottle
· Rich potting soil for fungi plants
· A large cloth to cover the entire pan
· Preferably a basement or a dark, cool and damp area in home
· Thermometer
How to begin cultivation.
Growing oyster mushrooms is fairly simple. The most important thing to remember is that you’ll need to keep the soil moist and the temperature optimal to promote good growth.
Step 1: Location is important. If you do not have a basement some other area’s include a cabinet or closet.
Step 2: Take your large pan and generously place straw covering the bottom of the pan. The temperature of your location must be no warmer than 70 degrees. Optimal conditions will be 68 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3: Now evenly scatter the oyster mushroom spawn on top of the straw.
Step 4: After about 3 or 4 weeks the spawn should have attached to the straw. You’ll then need to lower the temperature and maintain it between 54 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5: Now sprinkle spawn with quality potting soil. This should be an inch thick and cover the pan with a damp cloth. The cloth must remain damp at all times. You can use the spray bottle to moisten the cloth as well as the soil.
That’s all there is too it.
In about 4 weeks you should see small mushrooms appear.
Once the oyster mushroom caps are completely opened and separated from the stem you can enjoy a delicious meal
Growing mushrooms is achieved in several successive steps, and is much more complicated than growing plants, generally. Mushrooms form from mycelium, which is the vegetative part of the fungus and is generally white, but color can vary with species. As a cultivator of mushrooms, you will have to learn how to cultivate mycelium cultures effectively, and there are many perils on the path to doing so successfully. The main obstacle that most people run into is the contamination of their mushroom cultures by competitor fungi. The most common contaminant is mold, but there are a few others, like bacteria and yeasts. Recently I have purchased Oyster mushroom Log from Agrinoon, who keeps working on the new technology to enhance the quality of the product.
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