Lemon Oyster Mushroom Mycelium, 10 g

Lemon oyster mushroom (Pleurots citrinopileaus)
The lemon oyster mushroom is rightly considered one of the most interesting mushroom varieties. It attracts attention with its unusually bright cap color and delicate conical shape of the fruiting bodies. The lemon oyster mushroom is very attractive and grows quickly in clusters, with slender stems and funnel-shaped yellow caps. The cap surface is dry and bright yellow; as it ages, it fades and takes on a reddish-yellow hue. The stems are white or yellowish. It is easily cultivated using straw, sawdust, cardboard, and other cellulose-containing substrates. In the wild, it grows on deciduous trees, primarily on elms, deadwood, fallen trees, and all types of elm, occasionally on birch and poplar; fruiting peaks occur during rainy periods. The lemon oyster mushroom is less productive compared to other oyster mushroom species; after two fruiting flushes, it does not appear again. To initiate fruiting, the temperature must be at least 18°C. During the fruiting period, the ambient temperature should be 23–29°C. The lemon oyster mushroom also requires fresh air to develop normally; otherwise, high levels of carbon dioxide produced by fungal metabolism will accumulate in the growing medium, and the cap size may decrease significantly. This mushroom is not recommended for commercial cultivation, as its yield is not very high; consequently, its availability in markets is quite limited.

CULTIVATION GUIDE
Growing mushrooms on wood (extensive method)
Oyster mushrooms are grown on logs in greenhouses or basements, or in shady areas on a home garden plot. Freshly cut trunks of aspen, poplar, or oak are sawn into logs 30–40 cm long and 15–25 cm in diameter. Holes 4–5 cm deep and 2 cm in diameter are drilled into the prepared logs, or notches are made across the entire surface, or cuts are made with an axe. A small amount of mycelium is placed into these holes, which are then covered with pieces of bark, wood chips, sawdust, or moss to prevent the mycelium from falling out. The air in the room should not be dry, with a relative humidity of 90%. If the humidity is lower, water can be sprayed. After 2–3 months, the mushroom mycelium will have permeated all the logs. Subsequently, the logs can be taken out of the room and each log buried 10–15 cm deep in a shaded spot where direct sunlight does not reach. Alternatively, they can be planted directly in the garden at any time of year, except in winter. The mycelium is not affected by frost. During this period, the logs must be watered. Mushrooms planted on wood grow for 5–6 years.
Usage rate: one package of mycelium is sufficient for 50 kg of wood.
Growing mushrooms on plant residues (intensive method)
Substrate
Straw or sunflower husks are used as the substrate. The straw and husks must be of good quality, with no signs of rot or mold. It is advisable to chop the straw before processing; at home, chopping it to 3–7 cm is sufficient. Chopping makes the straw more compact and more accessible to the mycelium’s enzymes.
Substrate preparation: For home use, simple pasteurization methods can be used, such as boiling water. Pour water at a temperature of 80–90°C over the substrate and let it stand for 3–4 hours for rice husks or 7–8 hours for straw. Then drain the water, and the substrate (straw or rice husks) should cool to a temperature of 20–30°C. Before inoculating the mycelium and packaging, roughly determine the substrate’s moisture content: if you squeeze the substrate in your hand, droplets of water should appear between your fingers, which corresponds to the optimal substrate moisture content of 70%. If the substrate is too wet, water will run off in streams.
Forming substrate blocks: Next, the well-cooled and squeezed substrate is mixed with the mycelium. Place the prepared compost in a transparent plastic bag. Tie it closed. To allow for air exchange, make several 3–5 cm cuts across the entire surface of the bag. The mushroom block is now ready.
Fruiting: Mycelium germination lasts 15–8 days at a temperature of 14–28°C. Natural and active ventilation is used during fruiting. Substrate blocks should only be illuminated during fruiting; in open areas and rooms with windows, a day-night cycle is considered normal. In areas where
the first signs of fruiting bodies appear, carefully make incisions in the film. Fruiting occurs in waves 2–3 weeks apart, with 5–7 days between waves. The first two waves yield the highest harvest. Yield is 35–40% of the substrate weight.
Application rate: 2% mycelium of the total mass of the moistened, steamed substrate.
Mycelium shelf life: 5–7 years. Store in a dry place.
The production date is indicated on the packaging.