How to Grow Enoki Mushrooms? A Detailed Explanation of the Key Cultivation Techniques

Enoki mushrooms have extremely high edible value, and their texture is soft yet crisp, sometimes even making a “crunch crunch” sound when chewed. Although enoki mushrooms are a type of fungus we eat very often, many people do not know how to grow them. Below, the editor will explain to everyone how to grow enoki mushrooms!

Enoki Mushroom Cultivation Techniques

1. Preparation of the culture substrate: rice bran or wheat bran 20%, corn cobs 73%, wheat bran 25%, gypsum 1%. Add water to the above culture substrate and mix thoroughly, then adjust the pH to about 6. The water content is appropriate when water droplets seep out upon squeezing the substrate by hand but no stream of water forms. After the culture substrate is prepared, choose plastic bags with specifications (length × width) of 17 × 28cm and a thickness of 0.6mm, fill with about 300g of substrate, and tie off both ends.

2. Sterilization and inoculation: Use normal-pressure sterilization. After the water boils, keep it boiling for 6 to 8 hours, then let it sit overnight. When the substrate temperature inside the bags drops below 25°C, inoculate the spawn at both ends of the bags. Inoculation should be carried out in a sterile or nearly sterile room, and the spawn should be selected from vigorous, robust, timely spawn free of contamination by foreign microorganisms.

3. Management during the mycelium growth stage: After inoculation, place the cultivation bags in a clean growing room for mycelium cultivation. Keep the indoor temperature at 22°C to 25°C. Under normal conditions, 10 to 15 days after inoculation the mycelium can extend 20 to 25mm into the medium. If mycelium growth proceeds smoothly, within 20 to 25 days after inoculation the mycelium can cover the entire substrate surface. At this stage, contaminated bags should be picked out, and bags whose mycelium has not yet fully colonized should be arranged together to continue growing.

4. Scratch inoculation and pinning: After mycelium growth is complete, scratch inoculation should be carried out immediately. Dig out the original spawn [spawn block], so that fruiting bodies emerge uniformly from the surface of the medium. If the medium surface is very dry, scraping can be used, that is, scraping off the old spawn skin together with 5 to 10mm of the medium as a block. The mycelium, stimulated mechanically by scratching and by low temperature, can form primordia. Maintain air humidity at 90% to 95% and strengthen ventilation, which can inhibit the formation of aerial mycelium on the bag surface after scratching and help promote pinning and fruiting. During this period, the relative air humidity should preferably be kept at about 95%, and the temperature should preferably be controlled at 10°C to 15°C. Cover with newspaper or plastic film to retain moisture so as to induce fruiting. After one week, pointed mushroom buds gradually grow out, and white bud tips are normal.

How to Grow Enoki Mushrooms

1. First, cut off the root portion of the enoki mushrooms with a knife.

2. Prepare a bowl, add an appropriate amount of water, and then add one spoonful of baking soda.

3. Then cover with a wet wipe, and put the root portion in.

4. Then place it in a warm place, and after a few days they will grow out.

Management During the Mycelium Growth Period

Management during the mycelium growth period of bag-cultivated enoki mushrooms refers to management before fruiting. The main task of management at this stage is to create, as far as possible, the temperature most suitable for enoki mushroom mycelium growth. After the fungus bags are inoculated, they should be moved promptly to the mycelium cultivation room for cultivation. The mycelium cultivation room must be kept clean and dry, with a relative humidity of about 70%. When the relative humidity of the cultivation room is too low, the air is dry and the moisture in the culture substrate evaporates easily. When the relative humidity in the cultivation room is higher than 70%, it easily causes contamination by foreign microorganisms. The temperature of the cultivation room should be controlled at about 20-23°C. After 3 to 4 weeks of cultivation, the mycelium can grow throughout the culture substrate.

Distribution of Enoki Mushroom Origins

Enoki mushrooms are widely distributed in nature. They are found in China, Japan, Russia, Europe, North America, Australia, and other places. In China, from Heilongjiang in the north to Yunnan in the south, and from Jiangsu in the east to Xinjiang in the west, all are suitable for the growth of enoki mushrooms. Lingshou, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, cultivates large quantities of white enoki mushrooms, and every year in November and December they are produced in equivalent amounts and sold to various places.

As described above, the cultivation method for enoki mushrooms is relatively simple. Friends who like to eat enoki mushrooms can also grow them at home. The root portion cut off when eating enoki mushrooms normally can be planted in a pot, and after just a few days, fresh and delicious enoki mushrooms can grow. Everyone might as well give it a try!