Many mushroom pickers try to get oyster mushroom mycelium at home, because it is much cheaper than taking and buying a finished product in a specialized store. Also, growing planting material at home guarantees high quality, which cannot be said about the purchased product. Below, we will consider the main methods of producing mycelium of oyster mushrooms at home.

The benefits of growing mycelium on your own

There are several advantages of self-growing mushroom planting material:

• high quality. If you decide to make oyster mushroom mycelium at home, this will allow you to reject damaged parts. There will also be confidence that the seed is stored in proper conditions, which will significantly improve its quality;
• saving. If you prepare planting material at home, then its cost will be several times lower compared to similar products in specialized stores;
• safety. As you know, mushrooms absorb all the negative substances from the soil and air. If you prepare mushroom planting material at home, you can protect yourself by eating ripe fruiting bodies.

Important! The disadvantage of home growing is only a slower growth rate. This is due to the fact that enterprises use an autoclave that accelerates development.

Preparing a growing place

In order to grow high-quality and productive oyster mushroom mycelium, it is necessary to properly prepare a place for growing.

Most often, mushroom growing lovers use several methods of creating planting material:

• on cardboard;
• in the grain.

On cardboard

This method is considered simpler and cleaner. Its main advantages include:

1. Prevention of the development of pathogenic bacteria, i.e. it is impossible for them to develop on paper.
2. Accelerated colonization of fungal spores.
3. The best air supply for planting material if the farmer uses corrugated cardboard.
4. Moisture evaporates more slowly.
5. Constant sterilization of the growing area is not required.
6. Availability for the consumer. You can buy sheets of cardboard in any stationery store for a small price.
7. A large number of seed at a low cost.

Important! Use colorless cardboard. Also, it should not have coloring pigments, drawings and similar things, otherwise, the quality of planting material will be minimal.

A step-by-step instruction for growing oyster mushroom mycelium on cardboard is as follows:

1. Grind the sheets and pour boiling water. Keep them in this condition for at least 60 minutes.
2. Prepare containers made of plastic. You can use glasses or cut bottles. Make a small hole in the bottom. After this, pour the boiling water over the containers to disinfect.
3. Prepare the seed. Most often, elements of the terrestrial part of the fungus or part of the root system are used. Separate the leg and cap into fibers. For these purposes, you need to use a knife or blade, which is pre-disinfected with alcohol.
4. Wring the cardboard out of excess moisture and mix in the seed.
5. Place the mixture on the prepared containers and tamp a little. Cover the neck with cling film or plastic bag.
6. Place the containers in a warm place where the sun does not fall.
7. Water the seed daily with warm water using a spray bottle.
8. Take off the film every day for 5–10 minutes so that air enters.
9. If all the actions are carried out correctly, then after a few months a white fluffy coating forms on the cardboard.

The prepared mycelium is used for the cultivation of oyster mushrooms at home, as well as for planting a new batch.

Did you know? Oyster mushrooms are an effective remedy against cancer. Regular consumption of these fungi blocks cell mutation and prevents tumors from developing.

In the grain

This method is used most often by mushroom pickers. For this, you can use grain from corn or oats. But, the most effective way is the reproduction of oyster mushroom mycelium in rye grains.

Before planting grain and fungal spores, the main component must be prepared. This technology consists of several stages:

1. Boil the crops in clean water (it is best to use filtered). To do this, soak 30 kg of grain in 30 liters of water. Once the mixture boils, boil it for about 30 minutes. Water that is not absorbed into the grains merges. The grain needs to be dried and mixed with 400 g of gypsum and 100 g of chalk. These components are used for better ventilation.
2. In glass jars, the volume of which is 2-3 liters, pour the prepared grains. Cover the neck with a light gauze cloth. Place the jars in an autoclave or saucepan and place on a slow fire. Boil the tanks for at least 2 hours. When you cook the grains, make sure that moisture does not get inside. Otherwise, everything can rot.
3. After sterilizing the container, place it in a room that has previously been disinfected. You need to insist for about 14 hours.

Video: Oyster grain cereal mycelium at home

When the preparation is completed, the chopped fruit bodies of the mushrooms must be placed in the grains. You can use the stick parts of the mushroom (leg). Previously, spores must be treated with hydrogen peroxide. Put the cans in a warm, dark place. Make sure that there are no drafts or sunlight in this room. If the whole technology is performed correctly, then after 2-3 weeks a white coating will appear - oyster mushroom mycelium. It can be used to grow mushrooms in the substrate.

Did you know? Oyster mushrooms contain a huge amount of protein (about 3 g per 100 g of product). Due to this, they are compared with dairy products and meat.

Uterine mycelium cultivation

Uterine mycelium, in other words, spores, is the basis for the development of mycelium. It is produced with the help of a crushed mushroom cap, i.e. it is under it that a spore bag is located. In the process of preparation, fresh fruiting bodies are used, on the surface of which there are no injuries and diseases.

During the creation of the uterine planting material, it is important to monitor sterility. Therefore, its interaction with air cannot be allowed. Use only sterile instruments so as not to provoke the development of bacteria.

Step-by-step procedure for growing uterine mycelium:

1. Cut the fruit body in half and separate a small piece of the bottom of the cap. To do this, it is more efficient to use tweezers.
2. Treat this part with hydrogen peroxide to destroy all bacteria.
3. Mix the processed piece with the crushed grain and place in a test tube with a closing neck.
4. Place the container in a warm and dark place, protected from drafts. It is necessary to withstand at least 2 weeks.

After 2-3 weeks, a white coating will appear, with a specific mushroom aroma. This will be the oyster mushroom mycelium.

Cultivation of intermediate mycelium

To get intermediate planting material oyster mushrooms, you must follow this instruction:

1. Pour the selected grains of one culture with clean water so that it covers them by 3 cm. Cook for half an hour. Do not use several types of grain so that they do not ferment after interaction. Otherwise, the mycelium will disappear.
2. Sterilize the jars and fill them with grain mixed with 300 g of calcium carbonate.
3. Fill 3/4 of the can with grain, into which add a finely chopped cap of oyster mushroom.
4. Keep the containers in a warm place for 3 weeks, after which the mycelium can be used to grow fruiting bodies.

Storage

Storage of the prepared mycelium is carried out in vacuum bags, which are prepared in advance for this. First you need to put them in boiling water for 15 minutes, then dry. Pack mycelium into bags and pump out excess air.

Store closed bags at a temperature of + 1 ° C to + 5 ° C. In such conditions, the mycelium is stored for about 12 months. You can also put packages in the freezer. Mycelium is able to withstand temperatures up to -20 ° C. If stored at room temperature, it can germinate. With an increase in temperature over + 30 ° C, the mycelium will die.

So, now you know that it is not difficult to breed oyster mushroom mycelium at home. It is important to choose the right fruiting bodies that are not damaged by diseases or parasites. Also, carry out all the activities for growing with disinfected tools, so as not to provoke the development of bacteria.