Oyster Mushroom Cultivation Techniques: What Details Should Be Noted During Harvesting?

I believe everyone is familiar with the oyster mushroom; it is a common edible mushroom in daily life, and it is deeply loved by consumers for its delicious taste, high nutritional value, simple preparation, and affordable price. However, growing and harvesting oyster mushrooms is not so easy; if growers make a mistake in even one step, it will affect the yield. Below let us take a look at Oyster Mushroom Cultivation Techniques: What Details Should Be Noted During Harvesting?

1. What details should be noted when harvesting oyster mushrooms?

1. To keep the caps fresh and clean and to prevent them from cracking easily, water should be sprayed before harvesting to increase air humidity. However, the amount of water sprayed should not be too large, and water must not be sprayed onto oyster mushrooms that have already been harvested, because this will cause the fruiting bodies to rot.

2. As long as most of the fruiting bodies in the same cluster are mature, they can be harvested together regardless of size; there is no need to wait for the small mushrooms to grow larger before harvesting them together. Usually, harvesting 2 times per flush is enough. After the first harvest, let the surface of the substrate dry for four to five days, then spray water once on the substrate surface, cover it well with the prepared plastic film to facilitate fruiting, and continue mushroom house management. When most of the fruiting bodies on the mushroom bed are mature, clear the bed early to ensure management of the next batch.

3. For harvesting a single oyster mushroom, use one hand to hold the substrate at the lower part of the oyster mushroom and the other hand to twist it. For clustered mushrooms, to avoid lifting up the entire block of substrate, do not pull or tear them forcefully; instead, use a knife held close to the surface of the mushroom bed to cut off the fruiting bodies.

4. Because the caps are relatively brittle and crack easily, they need to be handled gently and the number of transfers should be minimized as much as possible. Cover the harvested fruiting bodies with a wet cloth and then place them in a clean, smooth container to maintain moisture and avoid damage to the fruiting bodies.

2. Precautions for oyster mushroom cultivation

1. Control temperature

The oyster mushroom is a fruiting fungus that responds to temperature fluctuation, and stimulation by temperature fluctuation is beneficial to the formation of oyster mushroom fruiting bodies. After primordia form, the fruiting bodies enter a stage of rapid growth at 15-24°C. If the temperature is too low, the fruiting bodies grow more slowly, but the caps are relatively thick and fleshy; if the temperature is too high, although the fruiting bodies grow quickly, the caps are thin and brittle, with more fiber and poor quality.

2. Control humidity

Suitable air humidity is an important condition for the formation and normal development of fruiting bodies and for obtaining high yields. Around 65 percent is best. At different growth stages, there are different spraying methods and amounts of water. In the early stage of fruiting body formation, the main method is to spray and humidify the space, following the principle of small amounts and multiple applications, to keep the ground moist. When most of the caps of the fruiting bodies have grown to a diameter of more than 3 cm, water can be sprayed directly onto the fruiting bodies, and at this time the relative air humidity should be maintained at around 85 percent. If the air humidity is too low, the fruiting bodies cannot form, and those already formed will also shrink and die due to drying. If the humidity is too high, it is easy for contaminating bacteria to appear. After harvesting one flush, do not water for three days, then continue spraying water; this is more conducive to the growth of the next flush of mushrooms.

3. Control light

Light stimulation is beneficial to the formation of oyster mushroom fruiting bodies. After the mycelium has fully colonized the mushroom bag, appropriately provide scattered light, but not direct sunlight. A dark environment or light that is too weak is not conducive to the formation of fruiting bodies, and even if they form, it will cause a decline in yield and quality. Usually, light sufficient to read a newspaper is enough. In places with no sunlight, lighting lamps can be used to increase light to stimulate the formation of fruiting bodies.