Lately, mushroom lovers cannot always boast of large stocks of this delicacy. Either the weather is unfavorable, then there are fears of collecting poisonous mushrooms, since they are saturated with harmful substances due to the proximity of railways or highways. But many simply adore mushrooms in different forms - salted, pickled, dried and fried. There are, of course, craftsmen who have learned how to grow mushrooms at home. For example, champignons, with good care and proper maintenance, give good yields. Only this process takes a lot of time, patience and energy, and it is more profitable to grow mushrooms on an industrial scale.
Oyster mushrooms are forest mushrooms that grow in natural conditions for a long period (from early spring to almost late autumn). Mushroom pickers are very fond of them for their taste, nutritional value and ease of collection, as oyster mushrooms grow in large groups on stumps left over from willow, aspen, poplar and linden. Mushrooms can be found in almost all forest regions.
The appearance of oyster mushrooms, or rather their color, changes depending on age. The dark, smooth caps of young mushrooms gradually acquire a grayish tint, and later become almost completely white. The average diameter of the caps is from 5 to 15 cm. In terms of taste, oyster mushrooms resemble porcini mushrooms and can be an excellent alternative to champignons.
Useful properties of oyster mushrooms
- Contains almost all B vitamins.
- They contain provitamin A, nicotinic acid, ascorbic acid.
- Help lower blood cholesterol.
- They normalize blood pressure.
- Increases the body's immunity and resistance to the appearance of various types of tumors.
- Promote the elimination of harmful radionuclides from the body.
How to grow oyster mushrooms at home
Observant mushroom pickers have long studied the conditions for growing mushrooms in the forest and apply this knowledge in practice, having adapted their backyard plots for oyster mushroom breeding. Caring for them is simple and does not require large material investments.
Acquisition and storage of mycelium
The mycelium is the basis for growing mushrooms, so its quality must be of a high level. It is very important that the mycelium contains no impurities of other types of fungi and there is not the slightest hint of the presence of pathogens. This must be taken into account when purchasing it and use only the services of specialized stores. The amount of mycelium depends on the area on which it is planned to grow oyster mushrooms. Storage conditions - cool room or bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The maximum shelf life is 90 days.
Site and soil preparation
A land plot for growing oyster mushrooms can be located in an ordinary vegetable garden and fruit trees nearby will not interfere, since diffused lighting is perfect for mushrooms. You only need to prepare the necessary substrate.To do this, you need to bring deadwood or branches of dead trees (linden, willow, birch or aspen) from the forest. You can also use the stumps of these trees, only chopped into small pieces. In early spring, all these wood blanks (in a wet state) should be placed in a room with a positive temperature (for example, in a cellar or basement) and abundantly saturated with mycelium. Lighting is optional for this procedure. When the mycelium takes root on the workpieces, and this will be evidenced by a large number of white threads on them, you can start preparing for planting.
Landing
First you need to make holes in the selected area, and then lay wood blanks in them. It is recommended to cover the bottom of the holes with a good layer of humus and a mixture of earth and sawdust. The main care for mushroom beds is timely and regular moisture.
Watering
The volume of irrigation water per square meter of area is at least 5 liters (in summer). Mandatory watering is required at least once every 7-10 days. The beds must be kept moist at all times.
Harvesting
When you start growing mushrooms in the spring and with proper care and maintenance of the beds, the first mushroom picking can please its owners at the end of summer - at the beginning of autumn. Experienced gardeners and gardeners advise not to rush to harvest in order to enable most of the mushrooms to grow and to compare their external characteristics. This is necessary in order to avoid accidental ingestion of inedible specimens. It is better to cut off the largest mushrooms with a large cap diameter.
There are several ways to grow oyster mushrooms. For example, you can organize entire mushroom plantations in large rooms with artificial lighting or grow them in a regular jar on the windowsill. But the above method is still the most optimal for lovers of summer cottages and gardens. Having grown oyster mushrooms on your own, you can be convinced once again of their nutritional value and great benefits. Oyster mushrooms are a worthy substitute for mushrooms.
