A Detailed Guide to Hericium erinaceus Cultivation Techniques and Suitable Growing Environment
Hericium erinaceus is a type of mushroom and also belongs to the fungal food ingredients. Hericium erinaceus is currently still very popular among people in our country's market. Moreover, its price has continued to rise, which attracts many people who want to cultivate it. So before cultivating it, you need to understand its cultivation techniques and growth habits.
Hericium erinaceus Cultivation Techniques
1. Carefully select raw materials and reasonably prepare the culture medium. Reasonable formulas: ① 4% mixed wood sawdust, 40% cottonseed hull, 18% wheat bran, 1% sucrose, 1% gypsum powder. ② 82% cottonseed hull, 15% wheat bran, 2% gypsum powder, 1% phosphate fertilizer. ③ 38% cottonseed hull, 20% mixed wood sawdust, 20% waste logs from previously growing silver ear fungus, 16% wheat bran, 3% corn flour, 1% phosphate fertilizer, 2% gypsum powder. The moisture content of the formula is about 60%, and the pH value before sterilization is suitable at 5-6.
2. Bagging. First add an equal amount of water to the cottonseed hull to pre-wet it, then add the other raw materials and stir evenly. Use 750 ml spawn bottles or 14 cm × 27 cm × 0.0045 cm polypropylene plastic bags for filling. Press the material surface flat and firm, keep the interior loose, and complete the filling within 6 hours.
3. Inoculation and cultivation. When the material temperature cools to below 28°C, place the spawn bottles (bags) into the inoculation room for inoculation. Before inoculation, first clean the room thoroughly and fumigate it sealed with 10-15 g/m3 sulfur powder for 24 hours for sterilization. Move the sterilized fungus bags into the inoculation room and arrange them properly, turn on the switch of the ozone generator installed in the inoculation room, turn off the switch after half an hour, then wait another half hour before the inoculation personnel put on clean work clothes, wash their hands thoroughly, and enter the inoculation room ready for inoculation. The inoculation method is the same as conventional methods. As the mycelium develops, the temperature inside the bag rises, and the bag temperature is 2°C higher than room temperature. At this time, the room temperature should preferably be adjusted to about 25°C. After 16 days, the mycelium gradually enters a period of vigorous metabolism, and it should be controlled at 20°C-23°C as suitable.
Where Hericium erinaceus Grows
Hericium erinaceus likes a low-humidity environment. Dead parts of tree trunks such as oak are the favorite growing places of wild Hericium erinaceus. The production areas of Hericium erinaceus are very wide, with distribution mostly in subtropical and subarctic regions.
Distribution of Hericium erinaceus
1. International distribution: Hericium erinaceus is a precious variety among edible mushrooms. Wild Hericium erinaceus mostly grows on dead parts of tree trunks such as oak and likes low humidity. The production areas of Hericium erinaceus are very widely distributed, and many countries in the world produce it, from subtropical to subarctic zones, and it prefers 8-20°.
2. Domestic distribution: Hericium erinaceus is basically distributed in every province of our country. The northeastern provinces and Henan, Hebei, Xizang, Shanxi, Gansu, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Sichuan, Hubei, Guangxi, Zhejiang and other provinces (autonomous regions) all produce it, among which it is especially abundant in forest areas such as the Greater Khingan Mountains in the northeast, the Tianshan and Altai Mountains in the northwest, the Hengduan Mountains in the southwest, and the Himalayas in Xizang.
Growing Conditions of Hericium erinaceus
1. Temperature. The mycelium growth temperature range of Hericium erinaceus is 6°C~34°C, with the optimum temperature at about 25°C. Below 6°C, the metabolic activity of the mycelium stops; above 30°C, the mycelium grows slowly and is prone to aging, and at 35°C it stops growing. The fruiting body growth temperature range is 12°C~24°C, with 18°C~20°C being most suitable. When the temperature is above 25°C, the fruiting body grows slowly or does not form; when the temperature is below 10°C, the fruiting body begins to turn red, and as the temperature drops, the color deepens and it has no edible value.
2. Air. Hericium erinaceus is an aerobic fungus and is very sensitive to carbon dioxide concentration. When the carbon dioxide concentration in the air is higher than 0.1%, it will stimulate the continuous branching of the stipe, forming coral-like deformed mushrooms. Therefore, keeping fresh air in the mushroom house is extremely important.
3. Light. During the mushroom-growing period, there must be scattered light, generally 300 to 600 lux illuminance. In outdoor shade sheds, grasp “three parts sunlight, seven parts shade, with dappled sunlight able to shine in” to meet the growth needs of the fruiting body.
4. Ventilation. Hericium erinaceus is an aerobic fungus. If ventilation is poor, carbon dioxide accumulates too much, stimulating continuous branching of the stipe, inhibiting the development of the central part, and coral-like deformed mushrooms will appear or miscellaneous bacteria will breed and cause contamination. For this reason, in outdoor bed cultivation, the film should be uncovered for ventilation for 30 minutes at 8 a.m. every day. When the fruiting body grows larger, ventilate every morning and evening, appropriately extending the ventilation time, but never let the wind blow directly on the mushroom body to avoid shrinkage.
Hericium erinaceus grows best in a warm and humid environment, so site selection should be done well when cultivating it. In fact, as long as you master its cultivation methods, it is relatively simple to grow. In the later stages of cultivation, you also cannot relax; only after completing a series of preparatory work will its growth be good.