What to Do If Straw Mushrooms Fail to Fruit? Causes and Solutions

Straw mushroom, also known as orchid mushroom or hemp mushroom, is popular at home and abroad for its delicious taste and rich nutrition, and is one of the main cultivated varieties of edible fungi at present. However, during the cultivation process, the phenomenon of failure to fruit often occurs, which seriously affects the yield of straw mushrooms and makes farmers very anxious. So what are the causes of straw mushrooms failing to fruit? How should they be solved? Let's take a look together.

I. Causes of Failure to Fruit

1. Uneven moisture

During cultivation, if the water content of the culture substrate is uneven, the phenomenon of failure to fruit will occur. Straw mushrooms have a relatively high demand for water, and if they are to fruit smoothly, water is indispensable. However, if the water content of the culture material is uneven, with the surface layer relatively dry and the lower layer relatively wet, then in many cases fruiting will occur below the culture material or on the reverse side of the bed frame. This situation is even more likely to occur when cottonseed hulls are used as the culture material, since cottonseed hulls inherently have poor water-holding capacity, which causes water to gradually seep downward.

2. Soil particles mixed into the bottom layer

During cultivation, if soil particles are mixed into the bottom layer of the culture material, the phenomenon of failure to fruit will also occur. Although the water content of the bottom layer is more favorable for fruiting, the mushrooms growing from this bottom layer have poor color because of poor lighting conditions, and many will also grow on the reverse side of the bed frame. Because of the bed frame, many are deformed mushrooms with poor quality, which affects their commercial value.

II. Solutions

1. For the phenomenon of uneven moisture, the water content of the culture material should be adjusted evenly. First, after the cottonseed hulls are sun-dried, soak them in lime water until thoroughly soaked. This helps the cottonseed hulls fully absorb water and can also adjust the acidity and alkalinity of the culture material, making it alkaline, which is favorable for the growth of straw mushrooms. Then pile them up for 1-2 days, and the cottonseed hulls will become soft and have uniform water content, and can then be used for cultivation.

2. The bottom layer of the culture material should be strictly controlled to avoid the phenomenon of soil particles being mixed into the bottom layer. The method of covering the material surface with soil to retain moisture can be used to keep the material surface moist and favor fruiting. For the soil-covering material, choose nutrient-rich garden soil, sun-dry it, then adjust its water content with lime water and set it aside for later use. After evenly sprinkling the spawn over the culture material, gently pat the surface of the material so that the spawn and material are closely connected, and then cover with a layer of soil particles.

The above is an introduction to the causes of straw mushrooms failing to fruit and the solutions, and we hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.