Autumn Oyster Mushroom Mycelium, 10 g

Straw, hay, corn cobs, and sunflower seed husks are used as substrate. In any case, the raw materials must be free of mold. It is advisable to add 1% superphosphate to the substrate. The prepared substrate is heat-treated to prevent mold. It is placed in a container and poured over with boiling water. Once it has cooled, the substrate is squeezed out and placed in a 30x40 cm plastic bag or in glass jars with a capacity of 0.5 to 3 liters, where the mushrooms will be grown. Summer oyster mushroom spawn is added to the prepared containers with the substrate at a rate of 0.4% of the substrate’s weight. It is placed in the center of the jar or bag, where a hole has been made through the entire thickness of the substrate using a wooden stick with a diameter of 1.5–2 cm. Inoculation of the substrate with mycelium lasts 30–40 days, depending on its volume, at a temperature of 15–25 °C. The substrate must not dry out, so the container is covered with damp burlap or paper or periodically moistened. Light is not required. As soon as the substrate is colonized, the containers are moved to a location with artificial or natural light and a temperature ranging from -7 °C to +10 °C— verandas, loggias, balconies, garden plots, etc. Mushroom primordia appear on the 10th day after the containers are placed in their permanent location. And after another 10 days, the primordia will develop into full-fledged mushroom bodies. Thus, the first mushrooms appear 2 months after planting. Harvest by carefully cutting the mushroom clusters at the base of the stems, and remove the remaining stems from the substrate. After 1.5–2 weeks, a second wave of mushrooms appears, and so on. Over the entire cultivation period, which lasts 3.5–4 months, 0.5 kg of mushrooms are harvested per 1 kg of substrate. In other words, from a single 3-liter jar, you can harvest up to 2 kg of mushrooms that are comparable in quality to wild honey mushrooms but superior in terms of ecological purity. The yield from a single packet of mycelium planted in 50 kg of moistened substrate ― up to 27 kg of high-quality, marketable mushrooms.

Growing on wood.

This method involves using wood as the substrate. At home, winter oyster mushrooms are grown on hardwood—aspen, poplar, willow, birch, walnut, apple, plum, etc. The wood can be used either cut into stumps or directly from the roots of a living tree. At a distance of 15–20 cm from each other, make cuts or drill holes 3–5 cm deep and 2–3 cm in diameter around the entire perimeter of the stump. Fill the cuts or holes with spawn. Mushrooms planted on wood grow for 5–6 years. However, one package is sufficient for 60–70 kg of wood.

Detailed growing instructions are on the back of the package.