Cultivation Methods and Planting Time for Tea Tree Mushroom
Tea tree mushroom (Agrocybe aegerita) is a type of fungus we eat quite often. It has a delicious flavor and is rich in nutrients, and eating it regularly is very helpful for human health. So do you know how tea tree mushroom is cultivated? Below, the editor will give you a detailed explanation of the cultivation methods and timing for tea tree mushroom!
How to Cultivate Tea Tree Mushroom
1. Cultivation site. Apart from standard mushroom houses, you should choose a site that is bright yet can be shaded, well ventilated, and close to a water source. In rural areas, you can also use idle land or rice paddies to build simple greenhouses. The surroundings must be clean and sanitary, with no garbage or manure piles, and no weeds or pests. If conditions permit, a spawn-running room can be set up.
2. Substrate formula. Tea tree mushroom is a domesticated fungus and requires a nutrient-rich substrate. Generally, it consists of 52% sawdust, 26% cottonseed hulls, 19% wheat bran, and 1% each of sugar, lime, and gypsum. The sawdust should be mixed sawdust from broadleaf trees, and the cottonseed hulls should preferably be short-fiber crushed hulls. To increase nutrition, the proportion of wheat bran is higher than for ordinary mushrooms.
3. Mixing the substrate and bagging. First, dry-mix all the ingredients thoroughly in the required proportions, then add clean water and mix thoroughly. The moisture content should be kept at 70-75%. For bagging, generally use 15 cm × 30 cm, 5-micron polypropylene film bags. The substrate should be packed firmly, with 0.3-0.4 kg of dry material per bag. After bagging, handle the bags gently to prevent punctures that could lead to contamination. If conditions permit, you can add an extra outer bag.
4. Disinfection, inoculation, and incubation. Disinfection is usually carried out using a large atmospheric-pressure sterilization pot. At the start of disinfection, use a strong fire to raise the temperature rapidly to 97-100°C, and maintain it above 95°C for 12-14 hours. When the temperature inside the pot drops to 50-60°C, remove the bags and carry them while hot to the inoculation room to reduce contamination. Wait until the spawn bags cool to below 30°C before inoculating. The entire process should be carried out under strict aseptic operation. After inoculation, move them into the incubation room and control the temperature between 20-26°C. Do a good job of shading and ventilation. If the temperature is on the high side, pay attention to adjusting the temperature and turning the bags to prevent burning the spawn, and check for contaminating microorganisms by turning the piles.
5. Fruiting management. After the bags are fully covered with mycelium, increase the temperature stimulation: open the windows at night and close them during the day. Keep the humidity at 85-95%, which favors fruiting body formation. When the spawn bags turn brown, you can open the bags to induce fruiting. At the same time, strengthen humidity and ventilation management, spraying 2-3 times a day. After opening the bags, fruiting generally begins in 15-20 days, and the mushrooms can usually be harvested 5-7 days after fruiting begins. After harvest, stop watering for 5-6 days to allow the mycelium to recover and grow, then produce another 3-5 flushes. The average biological efficiency can reach over 100%.
Planting Time for Tea Tree Mushroom
Generally, bag-making is best done in the two periods of March-April or September-November. At these times, the temperature and humidity favor mycelial growth and there is less contamination by competing microorganisms.
Distribution of Tea Tree Mushroom Producing Areas
The main producing areas of tea tree mushroom are Guangchang County, Jiangxi; Lichuan County, Jiangxi; and Gutian County, Fujian.
In addition, it is produced throughout the country, with Kunming, Chengdu, Beijing, and other places being relatively large fresh mushroom producing areas. Lichuan County, Jiangxi Province, is also an important producing area for tea tree mushroom. A relatively large supply on the market comes from the Wulingyuan area of Zhangjiajie, the first national forest park in the country —— ten thousand mu of tea gardens. Natural tea tree mushrooms are dried and processed there. In the past year or two, tea tree mushrooms, especially those from Xiang Xiaowu's family, have been widely sold to South Korea.
Nutritional Value of Tea Tree Mushroom
1. Tea tree mushroom contains 18 amino acids required by the human body, especially the 8 amino acids that the human body cannot synthesize, as well as nutritional components such as glucans, fungal proteins, and carbohydrates.
2. Tea tree mushroom is also rich in B vitamins and various mineral elements; elements such as iron, potassium, zinc, and selenium are all higher than in other fungi.
3. Tea tree mushroom is rich in nutrients, with a protein content as high as 19.55%. Among the proteins it contains are 18 amino acids, of which the highest content is methionine at 2.49%, followed by glutamic acid, aspartic acid, isoleucine, glycine, and alanine. The total amino acid content is 16.86%, and it contains all 8 essential amino acids required by the human body.
4. Tea tree mushroom has effects such as tonifying the kidneys, promoting urination, treating soreness and pain in the lower back, draining dampness, strengthening the spleen, and stopping diarrhea. It is an ideal food for patients with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
As described above, if you want to cultivate tea tree mushroom, it is best to choose March-April or September-November, when the temperature and humidity are just right. This is the most favorable time for mycelial growth. At the same time, cultivating tea tree mushroom not only has requirements for humidity and temperature, but is also closely related to environmental conditions such as nutrition, water, and light!