Oyster mushroom mycelium, 10 g

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

A classic variety of the oyster mushroom genus. Young mushrooms are eaten fried, boiled, or stewed; they are also salted, dried, and pickled. This mushroom lowers blood cholesterol levels and is considered a low-calorie dietary food. It contains all the nutrients the body needs: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins.
Cap 5–15 cm in diameter, rounded, funnel-shaped, dark gray in color. Gills are white, then yellow, descending down the stem, sparse, thick, with cross-bridges near the stem. Flesh: white, soft, with a floury odor. Stem: short, up to 4 cm long, about 2 cm thick, dense, tapering toward the base, hairy at the base, white.
It is cultivated on hardwood logs at home and in backyard gardens. Fruiting occurs in waves, 3–4 years on soft wood and 5–7 years on hard wood. Yield up to 7 kg per year.

Growing mushrooms on wood (extensive method).
Oyster mushrooms are grown on wood 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 cut 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 have a relative humidity of 90%. If the humidity is lower, you can spray water. After 2–3 months, the mushroom mycelium will have permeated all the logs. Later, 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. You can also plant them directly in the garden at any time of year, even in winter. The mycelium is not afraid of 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).
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. Before processing, it is advisable to chop the straw into 3–7 cm pieces. Chopping makes the straw more compact and more accessible to the mycelium’s enzymes. For home use, simple pasteurization methods can be used, such as boiling water. The substrate is poured over with water at a temperature of 80–90 °C and left to stand for 3–4 hours for husks or 7–8 hours for straw. Then drain the water, and the substrate should cool to a temperature of 20–30 °C. Before inoculating with mycelium, 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—70%. Then mix the substrate 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 growth takes 15–18 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 fruiting bodies have begun to form, carefully make incisions in the film. Fruiting occurs in waves 2–3 weeks apart, with 5–7 days between waves. The first three 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.