Thanks to this procedure, growing your own oyster mushrooms at home is child's play. A 1 kilogram oyster mushroom cultivation kit from Mycoboutique, used as spawn, can inoculate 2 buckets of mycelium totaling 15 kg of substrate, yielding 5 kg of fresh oyster mushrooms and exotic varieties not found in grocery stores. Enjoy the highest quality oyster mushrooms, grown by you, and impress your guests with unique flavors.
Materials
- Two 15L buckets (or use two geotextile pots or any other plastic or wooden containers of the same volume)
- One oyster mushroom cultivation kit from Mycoboutique (1 kg) (or 1 kg of colonized grain)
- 5 kg substrate of your choice, such as 'Master Mix' or straw
- Two black plastic bags
- A drill
- A 3/8 to 6/8 inch drill bit
Instructions
Clean the bucket thoroughly with soap and disinfect with 70% alcohol or a solution of bleach (100 ml of bleach per 1.9 L of water).
Using the drill, make 8-12 holes evenly spaced through the plastic walls of the buckets. Remove any drilling debris.
Hydrate the substrate to achieve a 65% humidity level by mixing 2 L of hot water for every kg of dry ingredients. The substrate should not be waterlogged. To check, squeeze a portion of the substrate in your fist; it should release a slight drip.
The hydrated substrate should then be pasteurized. The technique varies slightly depending on the chosen substrate. The hydrated 'Master Mix' is placed in a heat-resistant plastic bag (XLS-A). Steam for 4 hours by placing the substrate and its container in a pot with boiling water at the bottom (for the amount of substrate used in our recipe, two bags will be needed). If straw is used as the substrate, place it in a pillowcase to facilitate drainage and simply submerge it in water and boil for 45 minutes. Drain well.
Once the substrate has cooled to room temperature in a clean environment, mix the pasteurized substrate directly in the bucket with half of the oyster mushroom cultivation kit content.
To incubate, cover the bucket with the black plastic bag. Secure it with a knot. Place the bucket in a dark place at a temperature between 20-24°C (68-75°F).
After 2-3 weeks, or when the mycelium has completely colonized the substrate, remove the plastic bag. Place the bucket in a cool, humid place with indirect light.
Maintain high humidity by lightly spraying water 1-2 times a day and placing a damp cloth under the bucket.
Oyster mushrooms will begin to appear within about 2 weeks. Harvest them when the caps are the size of your palm. To detach them from the substrate, gently twist the stem at the base.
After the first harvest, continue watering to encourage additional flushes. The bucket will produce multiple harvests over several months.
Remember to work in conditions as clean as possible to avoid contamination.
Consult the PDF
