- Extensive method
- Intensive method
Oyster mushrooms are one of the best mushrooms for those who want to try themselves in their breeding. They are not too demanding of conditions and give a rich harvest, which allows them to grow not only for themselves, but also for sale. Cultivation of vesicles at home practically does not require investments, special equipment and excessive efforts. Observing simple rules of care, you can already in a few months to get the first harvest.
There are two main ways of growing the veshenok - extensive and intense. These methods are in no way connected with the time of harvest, but mean only growing indoors or in a natural environment, that is, on the street. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, having weighed which, you can choose the most suitable for yourself.
Extensive method of
An extensive method of cultivation involves the cultivation of mushrooms in the open air. This allows you to significantly save on equipment and preparation of premises. It practically does not require investments - it will be necessary to spend money only on the mycelium and, possibly, the substrate( if there is no possibility to prepare it independently and free of charge).
The drawbacks of the extensive method include a large dependence on weather conditions and the inability to harvest during the year. It is believed that with this method of cultivation, it is possible to collect only one crop of veshenok, although if the blocks are provided with good care, 2-3 waves of fungi can be obtained.
One way to use this method is to grow oyster mushrooms on stumps. In this case, there is no need to select a substratum, equip the premises and maintain the right conditions in it.
Preparation of stumps or logs
For the cultivation of veshenk in logs or stumps, trees of any breed, except for oak and poplar trees, are suitable. The first will contain too many tannins that will have a bad effect on the taste of mushrooms, and poplar can provoke allergic reactions. The best fit logs of deciduous trees - beech, aspen, ash, etc.
Important! Wood should be healthy! It should not have any traces of defeat by insects, mold or disease.
It is possible to use both hemp remaining after cutting and trimming of trunks 30-50 cm wide and about 15-30 cm in diameter. In the first case, it is possible to colonize the mycelium only at the end of spring( when spring planting), when the air temperature is established stably plus( April-May).
If dry logs are used, they must be pre-soaked for a day in water in order to provide the mycelium with sufficient moisture. Fresh, not dry wood in soaking does not need.
Sowing of mycelium - timing and methods of
You can colonize mycelium in spring and autumn. In the spring planting, planting will require a little more care, since in the first six months of cultivation, oyster mushrooms will require regular watering. You can get the harvest only after a year and a half. Logs with mycelium at first it is better to store in a cellar or a barn, covered with a damp cloth. In autumn they are transferred to a permanent place and buried in the ground. If you sow mycelium in autumn, you will not need to water so often, and the first harvest will be in a year.
Sprinkle mushroom spores in logs in several ways:
- into the holes. For this, hemp or logs can be sawed or drilled to a depth of 5-6 cm. The diameter of the holes should be about 1 cm. It is best to place them staggered. The cereal mycelium is covered in holes and sealed with moss or adhesive tape. Mycelium in sticks is also placed in holes and sealed with clay;
- from the prepared log saw off a small disk( 2-3 cm in thickness), the resulting surface is filled with mycelium and covered with a saw blade, which is then fixed with nails;
- on the end surface of a log fill the mycelium with a layer of no more than 1-2 cm, top the next log, lay spores, etc. Thus, it is possible to build columns up to 1.5-2 m in height. In order for such structures to be stable, the diameter of logs should be greater than 20 cm.
The sown logs are stored in a room with a stable temperature of about +15 degrees. Suit barn, cellar or cellar. There they will spend the next 2-3 months.
Recommendation: If the first two methods of sowing a mycelium were used, the logs can be folded horizontally, one on top of another, covered with burlap. When using the third method, the logs are set up with columns, filling the spaces between them with wet straw or sawdust and also wrapping them with burlap or film to keep the humidity at the proper level.
Planting stumps and logs
After a while, a white coating appears on the logs. If the mycelium was populated in early spring, it will most likely happen by the beginning of the summer. The appearance of a raid means that it's time to move them to the street, landed in the ground. Usually, in order to successfully grow oyster mushrooms in the country house with the use of logs, you need to select a shaded area to protect the mycelium from hot sun rays.
In the selected area dig holes, the bottom of which is filled with wet sawdust or wet foliage. In the prepared holes place the hemp, keeping a distance of 35-50 cm between them. The depth of planting logs in the ground should not be more than 10-15 cm. Further care for the mushroom plantation consists of regular watering of the soil around the stumps in the absence of rain.
harvest. The first harvest can be expected already by August, and in case of warm autumn mushrooms can be harvested until November. For the winter, stumps should be covered with lapnik, leaves or straw. The plantation lasts up to five years, the maximum yield is obtained for the second and third years.
Intensive method of
When growing small animals at home - an intensive method - you will need to apply a little more effort to ensure that they have the right microclimate. This method requires certain investments, since it will be necessary to equip shelves, heating, ventilation and the necessary humidity.
Preparing the room
Creating the right microclimate in the basement where oyster mushrooms will be grown is one of the main conditions for success. If the room does not meet at least one of the requirements, you need to either pick up another location, or modify it. Among the mandatory requirements:
- stable temperature of 10-20 degrees;
- high humidity of air( about 85-90%, at least 70%);
- carefully tuned ventilation system;
- cleanliness, no mold, pests.;
- possibility to regulate the lighting( first 20 days the blocks with the substrate should be in the dark, then - dim lighting will be required for 8 hours per day).
At a temperature of 10 degrees, the mushrooms will be light-boned, and at a higher - with dark ones. But if the temperature in the room rises above +30, the mycelium will get a thermal shock and the crop can not wait.
After making sure that the room is reliably protected from temperature fluctuations, it is well ventilated, and mold and pests are eliminated, it is necessary to carry out the final disinfection of the cellar, using 1% chlorine solution.
Important: In addition to the main room.where oyster mushrooms will grow, an additional, with a higher temperature, will be required to incubate the mycelium.
Selection and preparation of substrate
The substrate for cherry-trees can consist of various plant residues - hay, buckwheat husks or sunflower seeds, dried grass, wood shavings. The main requirement to it is the absence of rot and mold traces.
Recommendation: It is better for beginners to use ready-made pre-packaged substrates, since self-development requires experience.
Before settling the mycelium, the substrate needs to be processed to give it looseness.fill with air and disinfect. For this you can use three methods:
- hydrothermy( hot water treatment - boiling);
- pasteurization( wet substrate treatment with hot steam);
- xerothermia( blown dry substrate with hot air).
Any of the processing methods will create a mycelium comfortable conditions and will increase the yield of the blocks.
It is very important to thoroughly dry the substrate after treatment to prevent the development of mold and harmful fungi. To do this, it is left in a warm room for 2 days to allow all the excess water of the glass.
Selection and bookmarking of the mycelium
The choice of mycelium should be approached very responsibly, since the quality of the plantation will depend on its quality. For the first time, it is better to buy a small amount for a sample.
Important! The mycelium should not have an ammonia smell, black or gray spots. Its color should be orange or yellow.
. Store the mycelium in a refrigerator or basement at a temperature of no more than 3-4 degrees. Under these conditions, the shelf life is from 6 to 9 months. The day before the laying, the mycelium needs to be removed from the refrigerator and left for a day at room temperature, allowing it to access the air.
To lay mycelium in a separate room, so as not to infect with spores the house and the place where fungi will grow in the future. In extreme cases, you need to fence off part of the basement, turning off the ventilation. Before opening the packet with spores, it is necessary to disinfect the room and work surface with alcohol, and on your hands - to dress gloves.
As a rule, oyster mushrooms are grown in polyethylene bags. At the bottom of them pour the substrate, then a layer of mycelium, then again the substrate. So the layers alternate until the bag is full, leaving a small part for closure. The amount of mycelium should be 3-5% for domestic producers and 1.5-2% for foreign ones.
Recommendation: It is better to cover the layers of mycelium so that its main part is located near the walls of the bag.
After sacking bags with a substrate, they are flattened on one side and cut with a clean, sharp knife on the other. The length of the cut is about 5 cm, the smaller the hole, the more dense the mushrooms will grow.
Incubation and cultivation of
The next step in the intensive technology of growing the veshenok is incubation. In a room for incubation, a stable temperature of + 20-25 degrees should be maintained. Bags with a substrate are placed on the shelves, ensuring that the incisions are directed away from the wall and have access to air. There should be at least 5 cm between bags.
Important! You can not put bags on each other! Also, temperature fluctuations in the room should not be allowed more than 1-2 degrees.
The room where incubation occurs can not be ventilated. The carbon dioxide released by the mushrooms provides the necessary conditions for them and, in addition, increases the humidity of the air. To prevent the appearance of mold and fungus, the room is cleaned daily with chlorine.
After about 20 days, the incubation is completed and the blocks are covered with a white coating. After that, the bags are transferred to the basement and placed in a vertical position, keeping a small distance between them.
In the basement, you must maintain a constant level of humidity( 85-90%) and temperature( 10-20 degrees).The intensity of lighting required for mushrooms is 5 watts per square meter of room. Once or twice a day, oyster mushrooms are watered using a sprinkler.
Harvesting
The first harvest of mushrooms can be collected in a month and a half. Mushrooms need to be cut completely, and the damaged blocks immediately removed from the basement to prevent infection of other mycelium. Approximately 2-3 weeks after harvesting the first wave of veshenok, the second wave will happen. Under favorable conditions, blocks with oyster mushrooms will yield a harvest up to six months.
Knowing how to grow oyster mushrooms at home, you can not only provide your family with useful and tasty mushrooms, but also create for yourself an additional source of income that does not depend on the vagaries of the weather, practically does not require investments and much effort.
Growing cherry-trees is not a difficult task, which will be possible even for those who have never cultivated mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms are very responsive to care and abundantly fruited when creating favorable conditions, which makes them one of the best options for home-grown.