How to Grow Wood Ear Mushrooms? A Detailed Guide to Scientific Cultivation Techniques

The wood ear mushroom (Auricularia heimuer) is a very delicious gelatinous edible fungus that not only has extremely high culinary value but also has certain medicinal value. At the same time, the wood ear mushroom has a tender and delicate texture, with a crisp and smooth mouthfeel, making it deeply loved and sought after by everyone. So, do you know how the wood ear mushroom is grown?

How to Grow Wood Ear Mushrooms

Trench cultivation is divided into two types: deep trenches and shallow trenches. Deep trenches require more labor to dig but are extremely convenient to manage, and the yield is very high; shallow trenches are easy to dig, troublesome to manage, and the yield is average.

① Deep trench cultivation: Dig a trench one meter wide and one meter deep, with the length depending on the terrain and the number of log beds. Pile the excavated soil along the trench edges and pack it firm to increase the depth of the trench. Above the trench, use bamboo strips or wooden sticks to build an arched or “”-shaped frame, and cover it with branches or plant green climbing plants in advance, such as bitter melon, green beans, tomatoes, etc. Dig a narrow drainage ditch on each side of the trench bottom, with a management walkway in the middle. Between the drainage ditches and the walkway, place thin stone slabs or bricks to support the log beds, or spread a layer of coarse sand to support the log beds. On both walls of the trench, at a distance of 80 cm from the supporting stones, place a horizontal beam on each side, with each end of the beam supported by a short wooden post 80 cm long.

Rest one end of the log bed on the horizontal beam and the other end on the supporting stones, so that the log beds are placed diagonally against both walls of the trench. Deep trench cultivation is less affected by adverse external weather, humidity is also easy to maintain, and watering and harvesting are very convenient. When the temperature drops in late autumn, the shading material on the shade canopy can be removed and covered with plastic film for heat-preserving cultivation to extend the harvest period. The deep trench cultivation method is currently one of the cultivation methods with higher yields.

② Shallow trench cultivation method: Dig a shallow trench one meter wide, 33 cm deep, and unlimited in length. Place one sleeper on each side of the trench bottom, and lay the log beds vertically and flat on the sleepers. After filling one layer, sleepers can be placed again to arrange a second layer. Then set up an arched frame and cover it with plastic film or branches according to the climate. During management, because there is no management walkway inside the trench and the space between the canopy and the trench bottom is too low to enter directly, turning the logs and harvesting both require first removing the covering material, and then covering it again after management and harvesting. Therefore, it is much more troublesome to manage than deep trench cultivation, and the yield is also lower than that of the deep trench cultivation method.

Scientific Cultivation Techniques for Wood Ear Mushrooms

1. Spawn production: There are sawdust spawn and twig spawn. The former uses sawdust and wheat bran, etc. to prepare a culture medium; the latter uses twigs with a diameter of 1 cm cut into 1.5 cm lengths, adds nutrients such as sucrose and rice bran, bottles them, sterilizes them under high pressure, inoculates them with mother spawn, and cultures them at 25-28°C for 1 month, after which the mycelium will fill the bottle.

2. Log bed preparation: After the cultivation site is selected, the log beds should be prepared. Commonly used log bed tree species include those of the Fagaceae and birch wood species. Choose ear trees with a diameter of 10-12 cm at breast height, cut them down, and cut them into sections 1-1.2 m long. Coat the cut surfaces with fresh lime, then place them in a ventilated and sunny place to stack and sun-dry.

3. Inoculation: The tools used for inoculation should be disinfected with ethanol in advance. First, on the log bed, use an electric drill to drill vertical holes 1.5 cm deep at a hole spacing of 7 cm. If using sawdust spawn, fill the holes completely, press firmly, and then cover with prefabricated bark covers. After inserting twig spawn into the inoculation holes, tap them tight with a hammer so that they fit flat against the surface of the log section with no gaps.

4. Colonization management: First, stack for mycelial growth, stacking the inoculated log beds in a “” shape or “” shape. The temperature inside the stack should preferably be 20-28°C, and the relative humidity should be maintained at about 80%. In the south, 3-4 weeks; in the north, 4-5 weeks. When the mycelium has extended into the xylem and a small number of ear buds have appeared, the stack should be promptly spread out and arranged in the cultivation yard.

5. Spreading and arranging: Generally, a flat-laying arrangement is used, with sleepers propping up one or both ends of the log beds, neatly arranged in the cultivation yard. After about 1 month, they can be raised on racks. For rack building, the “”-shaped method is generally used. First bury two forked wooden stakes, leaving 70 cm above the ground, place a horizontal beam across the forks, and stand the log beds diagonally on both sides of the horizontal beam. Forming a “” shape, with a spacing of 7 cm and an angle of about 45°. On sunny days or for new log beds, the angle can be larger; on rainy days or for log beds used since the previous year, the angle should be smaller.

Cultivation Conditions for Wood Ear Mushrooms

The wood ear mushroom is a saprophytic mesophilic fungus. The mycelium can grow between 6-36°C, but 22-32°C is most suitable; fruiting bodies can differentiate between 15-27°C, but 20-24°C is most suitable. Lushi County in Henan Province is precisely because of its good natural environment that Lushi wood ear mushroom has become a geographical indication protected product. The mycelium can grow in cultivation material and log sections with a water content of 60%-70%. When fruiting bodies are forming, the water content of the log beds is required to reach above 70%, and the relative air humidity is 90%-95%. The mycelium can grow normally in darkness, and the fruiting body growth period requires a light intensity of 250-1000 lx. It is an aerobic fungus, and pH 5-5.6 is most suitable.

Pest and Disease Control

The main contaminating fungi harmful to wood ear mushrooms include Annulohypoxylon stygium, Hypoxylon fuscum, Stereum hirsutum, Trametes cinnabarina, Trametes pubescens, etc. The main insect pests include false ground beetles, branch-boring insects, four-spotted lady beetles (leaf beetles), thrips, etc. Quicklime (1:100 solution), tuijunte (1:100 solution), and zinc chloride (1:50 solution) can be used to prevent and control contaminating fungi. In addition, biological pesticides such as pyrethrum and Tripterygium wilfordii can also be used to control insect pests.

Through the above content, I believe everyone has gained a certain understanding of wood ear mushroom cultivation techniques. Wood ear mushrooms are not only easy to grow, but also have high yields, are easy to grow, and have broad sales channels in the market, so the prospects for cultivating wood ear mushrooms are still quite considerable!