Key Points of Mushroom Cultivation Techniques and a Detailed Guide to Management Methods
China has many varieties of mushrooms, and the cultivation techniques differ for different types. Today, taking mushroom cultivation techniques as an example, let us learn about mushroom cultivation techniques.
1. Mushroom house preparation
First, prepare the mushroom house. The site should be high and flat, open and well ventilated. Old houses, basements or greenhouses can be used. The mushroom house itself should have good heat preservation and moisture retention, be lightproof when doors and windows are closed so that a dark room can be formed, and be able to exchange air promptly when the doors and windows are opened. The floor needs to be finished with cement so that it is convenient to wash. Mushroom beds should be set up inside the mushroom house; they can be made of wood, iron, or brick.
2. Compost preparation
Compost is the foundation for the growth and development of mushrooms. Its main ingredients are livestock manure, wheat straw, bran, rice straw, corn stalks, sugarcane bagasse, and so on. When composting, first dry the manure in the sun and cut the other materials, then mix in an appropriate amount of gypsum, soak it thoroughly with water or urine, and then pile it up in layers of straw material and manure for fermentation. Generally, the pile needs to be turned once every three or four days, and after about half a month it is almost ready.
3. Disinfection and sterilization
After the compost is finished, first disinfect the mushroom house, then move the compost into the mushroom house and spread it evenly on the mushroom beds. Then close the doors and windows of the mushroom house and raise the indoor temperature to about 60°C. After three hours, lower the temperature to about 50°C and maintain this temperature for one week so that the compost ferments thoroughly. Moreover, during this fermentation process, the compost can also be disinfected and sterilized, so that what remains in the compost are beneficial microorganisms, which is greatly beneficial to the growth of mushrooms.
4. Inoculation and casing soil
When the compost temperature is 25°C, mushroom inoculation can be carried out. First level the compost on the mushroom beds to a thickness of about 15 cm. Inoculate by the hole-spawning method, with each spot about 10 cm apart. After inoculation, keep the compost moist and increase the ventilation of the mushroom house. Finally, evenly cover the compost with fine fertile soil, and then wait for the mycelium to grow.
5. Fruiting management
Fruiting management is the most critical step in mushroom cultivation; at this time, moisture and temperature are very important. We should maintain the humidity of the compost. In the early fruiting stage, the humidity is generally around 70%, and later it gradually returns to 80-90%; when watering, follow the principle of small amounts and frequent watering. During the mycelium growth period, the temperature is 10-18°C, and during the fruiting period the temperature is raised to 20-28°C. Later, after the mushrooms emerge, they can be harvested.
Mushroom cultivation roughly involves these steps, and corresponding methods should be selected for cultivation according to different varieties. Overall, when cultivating mushrooms, it is essential to provide good compost and to regulate the moisture and temperature in the mushroom house well.