Key Points of Matsutake Mushroom Cultivation Techniques and a Detailed Explanation of Growing Methods

The matsutake mushroom is an edible fungus that parasitizes the roots of red pine, hemlock and other trees. It has a rich fragrance and is a second-class endangered protected species in our country. At present, it is being cultivated artificially in some areas, so what are the matsutake mushroom cultivation techniques?

1. Building and turning compost piles

Prepare some sugarcane bagasse, corn stalks, wheat straw, sawdust or rice straw, thatch grass and the like, add an appropriate amount of cow manure and similar materials as well as a small amount of chemical fertilizer, and mix them evenly. Then pile them together. After about a week, we need to turn the piled material once, which helps the nutrients ferment. After another four or five days, turn it again. A total of five turnings are needed, with each interval being about three or four days. In this way, the nutrients can ferment fully, and only then can higher-quality compost be produced.

2. Spreading the compost

After the five turnings are finished, it is time to start loading the material and preparing the beds. Simply put, this means placing the processed compost onto the cultivation beds and spreading it evenly and flatly. The thickness of the compost is best kept at about 20 cm. Finally, adjust the temperature in the cultivation room to around fifty to sixty degrees so that the compost can ferment further. After two days, sowing can begin. Greenhouse cultivation also requires fermentation first, and then digging furrows for sowing.

3. Sowing

For indoor cultivation, we only need to sprinkle the spawn evenly onto the cultivation beds covered with compost, and then cover it with a thin layer of soil. But for outdoor cultivation, after scattering the spawn, we also need to cover it with a layer of plastic film, which can provide a heat-preserving effect. Indoors, we should ventilate from time to time to keep the air circulating in the room, while outdoors we need to uncover the film about once every three days for ventilation. The purpose of doing this is to maintain the temperature and humidity both indoors and outdoors, so that the matsutake mushrooms can grow better.

4. Mushroom emergence management

(1) Water requirements: About a month and a half after sowing, the matsutake mushrooms slowly grow out. At this time, we should water the cultivation beds, then cover them with a layer of plastic film, and uncover it after two days. Once they reach three or four cm, watering should stop, otherwise the quality of the matsutake will be affected.

(2) Temperature requirements: It is best to keep it at around 25 degrees, and ventilate at least twice a day, generally at around seven or eight in the morning and around six or seven in the evening, continuing until the matsutake is ready to harvest.

(3) Pest and disease control: During the growth period of the matsutake mushroom, there will be pests such as mushroom flies, mushroom moths and nematodes. These mainly affect the quality of the matsutake mushroom, so control measures should be taken in advance.