The mushroom business today occupies a fairly stable position among small businesses. There are several reasons for this, but the main ones are: independent development, small capital investments, lack of a competitive environment, high profits, and the ability to obtain harvests all year round. In addition, the products obtained as a result of minimal investment are environmentally friendly, which, of course, is a big plus when selling goods.
How to make a mushroom business profitable
Successful cultivation of shiitake mushrooms is impossible without knowledge and adherence to the technological process. These Chinese mushrooms grow somewhat slower than champignons or oyster mushrooms, and therefore the basis of the business should be the creation of the most favorable conditions for their growth. For this purpose, it is better if a small suburban area or free space in a house or country house is allocated for the plantation.
The second aspect of building a mushroom business is selling shiitake mushrooms. The mushroom is especially popular in the food, pharmacological and cosmetic industries. You can also find sales points among chains of cafes and restaurants focused on Japanese or Chinese cuisine. The price of shiitake mushrooms significantly exceeds the cost of champignons or oyster mushrooms, so by providing the plant with proper care and comfortable development conditions, you can count on significant profits from the sale of the crop.
Growing shiitake as a business means obtaining stable and high-quality yields, so it is better to equip substrate blocks for the mycelium. According to statistics, they give better results compared to sowing mycelium on logs.
Our business assessment:
Starting investment - 300,000 rubles.
Market saturation is average.
The difficulty of starting a business is 7/10.
Preparatory activities
In order to start growing shiitake mushrooms at home, you need to determine a place for seeding with mycelium. It is important to take into account the fact that shiitake grows well if the temperature rises during the day and remains cool at night. Mushrooms bear fruit intensively in pre-equipped greenhouses or basements, and from March to October - on stumps or logs located in open ground.
You can buy shiitake mushroom blocks that are fully prepared for sowing, or you can do them yourself, eliminating the risks of poor-quality substrate. Such plantations are convenient and good because they can be moved to conditions that are comfortable for mushroom growth, watered, and even lowered into a pool for a while.
The principle of manufacturing a substrate block weighing 5 kg, taking into account the sowing of 40 grams of mycelium:
- The main components of the substrate for shiitake are dry husks of sunflower seeds, chopped or ground branches of alder, oak or willow (can be replaced with sawdust or shavings).
- Amount of substrate mixture ingredients: 1.8 kg of fresh branches (0.5 kg of sawdust), 0.7 kg of husks, 0.3 kg of millet, oats or barley.
- All components are thoroughly mixed and poured with cool water to swell for 30-40 minutes.
- The remaining water must be drained, and the substrate itself must be slightly squeezed by hand. The resulting mixture must have a moisture content of at least 70-75%.
- Prepare a kind of sleeve from polyethylene, about 80 cm long and no more than 30 cm wide, and pour the swollen substrate into it.
- Seal the edges of the sleeve with thick synthetic padding plugs, and then wrap them with twine or wire.
The technology for growing shiitake requires regular treatment of blocks from mold. This is done by pasteurizing the substrate in boiling water for at least 1.5-2 hours. When performing this procedure, do not under any circumstances allow boiled water to spill into the bag with the substrate. To do this, leave the tied ends of the twine above the surface of the water. Pasteurization is performed twice, with an interval of 20-24 hours. At this time, the substrate is cooled at room temperature.
If you are going to pasteurize a ready-made substrate block, prepare a metal tank or barrel. It will be more convenient to place it in the garden and perform the procedure itself over a fire. In this case, the block itself is not lowered into the water, but is kept in steam for 6 hours, thanks to a grate fitted above the tank. Cool the block pasteurized in this way without removing the substrate from the bag.
Mycelium planting and cultivation
The mycelium of shitake mushrooms (no more than 40-45 grams) must be kneaded well with your hands, and then, slightly opening the neck of the bag with the substrate, pour it on top. Having tightly plugged the hole with a synthetic padding stopper, tighten the bag with twine or wrap it with wire.
The incubation period for shiitake is 55-60 days. During this time, the substrate in the bag will acquire a characteristic light or brown color. This indicates that the block is fully prepared for fruiting and you can begin growing shiitake mushrooms at home:
- Remove the plastic bags and rinse the blocks under running water.
- Transfer the substrate to a place allocated for the plantation in the basement or barn, previously equipped for mycelium or to open ground.
- If you grow shiitake in the garden, provide a place in partial shade, among spreading trees.
Caring for shiitake is not difficult when you permanently live in a country house. As soon as the mushrooms appear on the surface, the blocks must be watered every day, covering them with thin plastic film in dry and hot weather.
You need to cut the mushrooms carefully, right up to the cap, only later removing the stalk from the substrate. If after the first wave of fruiting the block significantly decreases in volume (by an average of 3.5-4 times), it must be “refreshed” by keeping it in a container with cool water for 1-2 days.
Before growing shiitake in the country, determine the timing of keeping substrate blocks outdoors, taking into account the fact that from March to October one mycelium can produce up to 6 waves of fruiting. Productivity decreases and then ends completely as soon as the dried substrate begins to crumble.
Use of shiitake in cosmetology and medicine
The benefits of shiitake mushrooms were noted by Chinese healers six thousand years ago. An extract from the mushroom was added to medicine and food, noticing that people who regularly eat it get sick less and live tens of years longer.
Modern medical research suggests that the medicinal properties of shiitake mushrooms are a consequence of a well-combined composition of substances such as iron, vitamin C, protein, selenium, potassium and dietary fiber.
Clinical practice has shown that consuming shiitake helps fight chronic viruses, reduce cholesterol levels, and normalize blood pressure.
Many dosage forms that include the mushroom are used today to combat AIDS, diabetes and some types of cancer. In addition, shiitake complex carbohydrates actively restore a weakened human immune system and have a calming effect in the treatment of neuroses and depression.
It has been noted that complex therapeutic treatment using mushroom-based drugs does not cause side effects or complications, and can be recommended for people of various age categories.
Since the beginning of the century, ointments and creams began to appear on the cosmetic market, which included a new, unknown component - kojic acid from the shiitake mushroom. The effect of using the products was stunning - the skin became smoother and clearer, taking on a healthy tone and color even during the aging process. Studies have shown that the acid obtained during the metabolism of mushrooms prevents excess melanin production and affects the activation of regenerative processes, making the skin healthy and elastic.
All these facts indicate that growing shiitake as a business is an undertaking that brings not only significant profits, but also significant benefits. Today's mushroom market is expanding, covering not only markets, shops and restaurants, but also beauty salons and pharmaceutical enterprises.
When you decide to grow and sell shiitake, pay attention to the planting material. Having decided where to buy shiitake mycelium, be sure to pay attention to where it was imported from and whether it meets the standards. Remember that choosing quality mycelium accounts for almost 80% of the success of your business.
Currently, the deteriorating environmental situation and frequent poisoning by wild mushrooms have led to a surge in the popularity of cultivated mushrooms. Unpretentious to care for, oyster mushrooms and champignons have flooded the market and slightly displaced meat on the tables. Several years ago, exotic shiitake mushrooms appeared in our latitudes - they came to us from the Far East, where they have long been successfully grown on an industrial scale.
Statistically, shiitake is the most cultivated edible mushroom in the world. It tastes like champignons and porcini mushrooms. The high nutritional value, pleasant taste, as well as the discovered healing properties of shiitake determine its popularity in the cuisines of different nations of the world. In Japan and China, these mushrooms have traditionally been grown for two millennia on fallen trunks and stumps of “shii” trees (analogous to our oak) and other deciduous trees. With the development of cultivation technology on sterile sawdust, it became possible to grow shiitake at home.
Ways to grow shiitake
Shiitake mushrooms are saprotrophic mushrooms that grow naturally on dying wood; under cultivation conditions they resemble oyster mushrooms. A distinctive feature compared to other cultivated mushrooms is the rather long ripening of shiitake mycelium and low competitiveness compared to colonies of bacteria and mold. Experienced shiitake growers claim that if sterile planting conditions are observed, as well as cultivation technology, obtaining mushroom fruiting bodies is quite simple.
There are two main methods for growing shiitake:
- extensive - the natural growth of the fungus on wood is copied on specially prepared trunk trimmings, which are forcibly infected with mycelium. This method is suitable for regions with a humid climate. The longest period of fruiting occurs in the second year of mushroom development of wood raw materials. More than two-thirds of the world's shiitake production is grown using this technology;
- intensive – the basis for the growth of mushrooms is wood chips and sawdust from deciduous trees, as well as cereal straw. To increase the nutritional value of the substrate, grain, bran, hay, and mineral additives (chalk or gypsum) are added to it. The substrate is thoroughly sterilized or pasteurized - and seed mycelium is added to it, which colonizes the blocks and after a while begins to bear fruit.
Intensive Shiitake Cultivation
Intensive (industrial) cultivation of shiitake is carried out on substrates consisting of 60-90% sawdust from deciduous wood with a diameter of 2-3 mm. Sawdust from oak, maple, beech, birch and other hardwoods are suitable for this purpose. In addition, the substrate may include wood chips (it increases the looseness of its structure), as well as dry and clean cereal straw and hay, crushed to a size of 1-2 cm.
To accelerate the colonization of mycelium and improve fruiting, grain, bran, legume flour, tea leaves and beer production waste, as well as chalk or gypsum to optimize acidity, are used as nutritional supplements. The resulting mixture is moistened with clean water, bringing the substrate humidity level to 60-65%.
It is important to note that too small a diameter of sawdust impedes the gas exchange of the substrate; an excess of nutrients creates an environment favorable for the development of microorganisms that compete with shiitake, often displacing mushrooms. Therefore, for optimal development of mushroom mycelium, preliminary sterilization or pasteurization of the substrate is required, packaged in plastic or polypropylene bags with a volume of 1-6 liters with special biofilters for gas exchange. After heat treatment and cooling, the substrate mixture is inoculated (seeded) with mushroom mycelium, which in a warm place gradually colonizes the substrate, turning it into a dense block - within about 1.5-2.5 months. Next, the mushroom blocks are removed from the film or container and placed for fruiting in a cool room with high humidity.
How to Grow Shiitake Mushrooms
The method of growing mushrooms on wood trimmings is more labor-intensive. It is suitable for the humid Asian climate, as opposed to the local continental one. The extensive method of cultivating mushrooms is more expensive compared to the intensive method. Planting mycelium is easier to organize on substrates composed of sawdust, wood chips and straw. You can stock up on such a nutritious substratum without any special material costs. The most suitable is dry, clean oat or barley straw, golden in color, without visible signs of rotting. To grow shiitake at home, you will need a room in which you can maintain a certain temperature and humidity, and intense lighting. You also need to prepare bags made of thick polyethylene or agril (non-woven material for covering beds). Experienced mushroom growers recommend packaging mushroom blocks of approximately 2.5 kg. The first harvest of shiitake can be obtained in 60-70 days.
Preparing mushroom blocks
Before sowing mushroom mycelium, mandatory sterilization or pasteurization of the substrate is required in order to destroy various microorganisms in it, which otherwise could multiply and seriously compete with shiitake mushrooms. For sterilization, you will need a barrel into which straw is tightly compacted and boiling water is poured into it. The barrel is placed over a fire to heat for several hours, after which the straw is laid out in a clean container and left to cool, and then packed into bags, laying the substrate and mycelium in layers (at the rate of 2-7% shiitake mycelium by weight of the substrate), trying distribute the mushroom material evenly.
Seed mycelium is produced in two types:
- sawdust - it is grown on a sawdust-bran mixture, it is specially adapted to the appropriate substrate. The sowing rate of such mushroom mycelium is 5-7%;
- grain - is a scattering of grain overgrown with mycelium, which is also a nutrient medium. The sowing rate for such mycelium is 2%.
If you did not purchase special bags with porous filters along with the mycelium, then in ordinary plastic bags you need to make side holes a few centimeters in diameter through which the gas exchange of mushroom blocks will take place. After filling with substrate with mycelium, the bags must be closed on top with a cotton plug or sealed (in the case of bags with micron filters). The blocks prepared in this way are placed indoors at a height of at least 20 cm from the floor, since the germinating mycelium actively releases carbon dioxide, which goes down.
Forcing mushroom fruiting bodies
During the incubation period, it is necessary to maintain the temperature in the room within 25 ° C - this temperature is considered optimal for the germination of mycelium. At temperatures above 28-30 °C, there is a possibility of damage to the substrate by competitive microorganisms (mainly Trichoderma and Neurospora - green and orange mold). A change in the color of the substrate block to white will indicate the germination of the mycelium, and nodules and swellings of various shapes will begin to appear. The brown color of the block indicates the beginning of ripening and early fruiting of mushrooms.
The mushroom blocks are removed from the bags and placed in cold water for two days and then returned. Two weeks after such a procedure, shiitake fruiting bodies usually appear, which will grow into full-fledged mushrooms within another half month. To start fruiting, shiitake requires high air humidity (80-95%) and poor ventilation, which maintains a high level of carbon dioxide. During the mushroom picking period, humidity is reduced to 50-70%. Shiitake bears fruit in waves; on one mushroom block you can expect two or three harvests of fruit.
Shiitake mushrooms - photo
How to grow shiitake mushrooms - video
In our territory, interest in growing shiitake has increased over the past ten years. However, due to poor research and lack of knowledge in shiitake cultivation technology and strains (their characteristics), the mushroom is not as popular as, for example, oyster mushroom. Therefore, there are only general recommendations necessary for the first steps of the process of mastering cultivation at home.
An Extensive Natural Method of Growing Shiitake
Wood harvesting. As a rule, shiitake mushrooms, which are grown on freshly cut stumps, are based on natural technologies. Chestnut, hornbeam, beech or oak stumps are perfect. Trees are cut down after the leaves have fallen before sap flow begins (hibernation time). It is during this period of calm that the level of sugars in the wood is at a high level. The wood itself should not be contaminated with spores of other fungi (tinder fungi, rot). The dimensions of the bars should be 1.5 m in length, with a diameter of up to 20 cm. The bars should not have damaged bark, a large core and a thin layer of sapwood (subbark). Humidity should not be lower than 35% and higher than 70%. Usually, to support it, the bars are laid in the shade, covered with material, preventing contact with the ground. If moss or lichen appears, they are removed from the bark with a wire brush. Sowing of mycelium or pure culture can be done within 1-3 months.
Before laying the shiitake mycelium, holes are drilled in the bars so that they are staggered (the drills must be treated with alcohol). Holes are drilled every 20 cm in one row, spaced at a distance of 10 cm. Their depth should be about 40-50 cm, the diameter of the drill should be at least 8 mm. The substrate mycelium is pushed and compacted and immediately closed with wood plugs using a hammer. They must be covered with wax or paraffin on top. All cuttings are placed in a woodpile or well, creating optimal conditions for the development of mycelium in the wood. Incubation can be carried out both in the forest and in specially prepared rooms (greenhouses, hangars). The optimal temperature for incubation is from 20 to 26 degrees. The incubation period lasts from 6 to 18 months. The duration depends on the amount of seed, conditions and shiitake strain.
After the mycelium has completely colonized the wood, it is necessary to induce (stimulate) fruit formation. The time for induction can be determined by the appearance of white zones of shiitake mycelium on a cross section. When struck, the finished block should not ring, and the outer edge of the sapwood should be populated with mycelium.
In nature, this process is triggered by seasonal rains, creating the necessary moisture in the wood. To obtain a uniform wave of harvest, fruiting is controlled by the mushroom grower. To do this, the stumps are soaked in water or watered from irrigation systems for a long period of time. Can be wrapped in airtight material to stabilize humidity and temperature. Fruiting can last from two to five years, depending on the size of the bars. In the warm season, shiitakes bear fruit two or more times. After 2 months, the stumps must be soaked again and given rest. This method of cultivating shiitake mushrooms is especially good for regions with humid climates. Mushroom plantations are placed in places protected from direct sunlight, avoiding drafts. A good solution would be to place plantations under the canopy of trees near water sources. Growing shiitake at home is similar to the technology for growing oyster mushrooms.
In this article we will tell you in detail how to grow shiitake mushrooms, what you need for this, and what kind of profit you can expect.
Creating conditions for growing shiitake or Japanese mushrooms is quite simple., since it is unpretentious in care and is not demanding on temperature and humidity.
This allows you to adapt almost any room, be it a garage, basement, attic, shed or even a living room.
In addition, shiitake can be grown in a greenhouse– here it is even easier to create the necessary conditions. The room must have an area of at least 20 square meters and must be equipped with heating and ventilation.
Where to get shiitake mycelium
Mycelium– this is seed material, that is, something from which mushrooms will subsequently grow. On average, one kilogram of mycelium is enough to grow two to three kilograms of mushrooms, and sometimes more: as a rule, the yield is about 30-40 percent of the volume of the substrate, that is, the nutrient material.
You can buy mycelium in specialized stores, on the Internet, as well as at large mushroom farms, which, among other things, produce seed material for sale. Of course, you can grow mycelium yourself, but this is a rather labor-intensive process, and the technology is very complex, so it is easier to buy mycelium, especially since for small production volumes it is even more profitable.
It is best to store purchased mycelium in the refrigerator.: at a temperature of 0 to 5 degrees, shiitake seed can be stored for up to six months, while at a temperature of about 20 degrees - no more than three weeks.
What to look for when buying mycelium
The mycelium should have a pronounced mushroom smell. If it has an unpleasant sour smell, the packaging can be thrown away. Externally, the mycelium should look uniform and have a uniform white color.
Shiitake mushrooms: cultivation
Preparing the substrate for the Japanese mushroom depends entirely on how you will use it - on straw, in stumps (trunks) or in sawdust.
Technology for growing shiitake mushrooms in trunks
Stumps of hard wood are optimally suited: oak, beech, hornbeam, chestnut and others. You can use both hemp and sawn-off trunks.
The trunks are sawn into sections 40 centimeters long, after which they need to be boiled for one hour - this will not only destroy pathogenic microorganisms, but will also moisten the wood: at the time of sowing the mushroom colony, its humidity should be about 35-60 percent.
In sections at a distance of at least 7-9 centimeters from each other, it is necessary to drill several small holes, 6-7 centimeters deep and about one centimeter in diameter. Mycelium is placed in these holes, after which the holes are sealed with moistened cotton wool. Sometimes mycelium for this growing method is sold in the form of wooden chops. In this case, it is enough to carefully hammer the tip into the hole.
The temperature in the room where they will be should vary from 15-16 degrees during the day to 10-11 at night. The Japanese mushroom can live on trunks for several years, until the wood is completely depleted.
How to grow shiitake on straw
Oat or barley straw should be boiled for two hours to minimize the risk of contamination of the colony by other fungi or bacteria. After this, the straw needs to be poured into a container, alternating layers with mycelium.
The resulting mixture must be divided into plastic bags - approximately 4-6 kilograms per bag.
Ventilation holes need to be made in the bags, and then placed in a container with water under a press so that the bags do not float, and the substrate with mycelium is in the water all the time.
When the mushrooms begin to sprout (after about a couple of weeks), the bags are removed from the water and cut. In the future, the straw will need to be moistened regularly to prevent it from drying out.
Technology for growing shiitake in sawdust
The mycelium is planted in blocks of approximately 2.5-3 liters. To prepare one such block, you need about one kilogram of sawdust. The sawdust should be large enough, preferably hardwood.
Coniferous species are best avoided, since the high resin content in sawdust will not allow the mycelium to develop normally.
Sawdust must be boiled for one hour, and then mixed with bran or feed to improve nutritional qualities. After this, the mixture is poured into containers (wooden boxes can be used), where the mycelium is populated.
Then the blocks should be covered with plastic wrap and left for about five days at a temperature of 20-22 degrees Celsius. When the mycelium sprouts, the temperature should be reduced to 17-18 degrees during the daytime and to 13-15 at night.
In such blocks, a mushroom colony can exist on average for about six months, after which it is necessary to prepare a new mixture and plant the mycelium again.
Costs and profits
The costs of growing Japanese mushrooms are minimal: You will need to purchase a sufficient amount of mycelium, as well as everything that is required to create the substrate. The investment amount will not exceed $200.
Shiitake is a delicious mushroom, its price is about 20-25 dollars per kilogram. The net profit will be about 750-900 dollars per month with minimal labor costs.
As you can see, shiitake at home is very profitable. This business is perfect for both beginners and experienced entrepreneurs.
Growing shiitake mushrooms at home requires careful implementation of all stages of the technology. To prepare the substrate, sterilize it and seed it with mycelium, you need some skills, and to ripen the mushrooms, you need a room with high air humidity, the ability to ventilate and regulate temperature.
Ways to grow shiitake
Growing shiitake is possible in two ways:
- intense;
- extensive.
An intensive method is to sow the mycelium into a special substrate, which consists of sawdust and shavings of deciduous trees with the addition of wood chips, straw, hay and grain. A prerequisite for this method is the sterility of the substrate. This is because shiitake spores are weaker than mold spores. If sterility is violated, mold will suppress the proliferation of fungal spores, which will reduce the cultivation of mushrooms to nothing.
An extensive method is to grow mushrooms on recently cut trunks of deciduous trees. Spores are seeded into holes drilled in logs. The peculiarity of this method is that for the mycelium to germinate, the logs must be kept in conditions with low temperature and humid air for a long time. Mushrooms take a long time to grow - from the moment the trunks are infected with spores to the technical ripeness of the mushrooms, it takes from one and a half to two years.
At home, the intensive method is more effective; the mushrooms are ready for harvesting within a few months.
Substrate preparation
Shiitake cultivation is carried out in blocks prepared from a special substrate. This will require sawdust from deciduous trees, the fraction of which should not be less than 3 mm. For breathability, sawdust must be mixed with shavings and small chips - also from deciduous trees. Conifers are not used because of the resins they contain, which prevent mycelium from developing.
Instead of wood chips and shavings, you can use hay, finely chopped straw from oats or barley. Grain, tea leaves, and legume flour increase the nutritional value of the substrate. To improve the structure, chalk or gypsum is added.
It has been experimentally verified that in large blocks the mycelium does not spread well throughout the substrate. 2.5 liters is the optimal size. When preparing the substrate at home, it is necessary to observe the proportions of the components:
- sawdust – 50%;
- straw or wood chips -25%;
- grain, bran, tea leaves, flour – 25%, in any combination;
- chalk or gypsum - no more than 1% of the total mass.
The weight as a percentage can be changed slightly, but sawdust and straw together should be at least 70%.
Sterilization of substrate and packaging in bags
Growing shiitake in a substrate without first sterilizing it is impossible. The conditions in which mushrooms grow are favorable for the growth of mold, which develops rapidly and suppresses the proliferation of shiitake spores. Only with sterilization do all fungi and bacteria die in it.
At home, you can carry out sterilization in two ways:
- steam the substrate with boiling water in a separate container, and then pack it in bags;
- First pack in bags, and then sterilize in boiling water.
Sterilization using the first method, packaging and addition of mycelium
When using the first method, you will need a large container into which the entire substrate is poured. At home, it is convenient to use an enamel pan with a lid; first wash the dishes thoroughly. The mixture is poured to the top with boiling water, wrapped in a blanket and left for 10 hours. After this, excess water is drained by lightly squeezing the substrate. It must cool to room temperature under the lid, only after that it is packaged in bags. Bags for packing blocks must be clean. Fill them only with sterile gloves.
Shiitake cultivation should be done in ventilated bags. You can make it yourself by piercing holes on the side after forming the block, or buy special bags that provide ventilation.
After filling the bag, carefully pierce the center of the mixture and add the mycelium into it. The amount of mycelium should be 3-5% of the weight of the block. If the block has a volume of 2.5 liters, then 100 or 150 grams of mycelium are needed. You cannot tie the bag tightly. Mushrooms ripen with a special gas exchange, so before tying, a plug of sterile cotton wool with a diameter of 2 cm is inserted into the neck. In ready-made bags, this is not necessary; gas exchange will take place through filters.
Sterilization by the second method and filling with mycelium
Growing mushrooms using the second method at home is more convenient, but the packages for the blocks must withstand temperatures up to +110°. Before packaging, the mixture is moistened, squeezed out and filled into bags. You can check the moisture content by squeezing the mixture in your fist:
- if streams of water flow down, it means the spin cycle is insufficient;
- If drops appear, the mixture is ready.
The bag is tied loosely and placed in a pan. Fill with water, just short of the string. Boil over low heat for 2-3 hours. After this, the bag is removed and cooled to room temperature. Filling with mycelium is carried out in the same way as in the first case. Be sure to use sterile gloves.
The block in the package is formed in the form of a bar, the lower part of which is slightly smaller than the upper. Mushrooms will grow at the top and sides.
Germination of mycelium
To germinate mycelium at home, air humidity and light are not important, and the air temperature should be +25°-27°. Within two to three months, shiitake spores will fill the block. After this, it will become covered with white tubercles, and then turn brown. This means that mushroom growth has begun. The package must be removed from the block, and the block itself must be transferred to the room where further cultivation will take place.
You can speed up the growth of shiitake if, after removing the bag, place the block in a container with cold water for a day. After this, you need to let the excess water drain.
Mushroom care and collection
Mushrooms grow well only in a humid environment, at low air temperatures and good lighting.
At home, you need to create the following microclimate:
- air temperature from +16° to +20°;
- air humidity 85%;
The room should be illuminated for about 10 hours a day. In the absence of natural light, lamps can be used. The dimmer the light, the paler the mushroom caps will be. Spraying of blocks is carried out daily. Ventilation should be carried out regularly.
In one season, mushroom picking is carried out three times. After this, the blocks should be replaced. The readiness of mushrooms for cutting can be determined by the cap - if its edges are almost straightened and no longer bend inward, the crop needs to be cut.
Results
It is possible to harvest a good harvest of mushrooms only if it is possible to create suitable conditions for them. A glassed-in loggia or a clean basement is suitable for growing. The temperature can be regulated using a heater, forced ventilation can be installed, and humidifiers can be used to maintain humidity or constant spraying can be carried out. If you ignore these requirements, the mushrooms will not grow.