The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Greenhouse Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushroom is a species in the genus Pleurotus, family Pleurotaceae, order Agaricales, also known as hiratake, winter mushroom, Xiuzhen mushroom, etc. It is a widely cultivated edible mushroom rich in nutrients, containing 20-23 grams of protein per 100 grams of dried product, and has extremely high cultivation value. Let us now take a look at greenhouse oyster mushroom cultivation techniques!

Greenhouse Construction

The oyster mushroom cultivation greenhouse should run east-west, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun, with a width of 5 m, a length of 30 m, and a depth of 0.5 m (from ground level). The surrounding walls should be built with bricks or piled with earth into a wall that is lower in the south and higher in the north, with the south wall 1 m high and the north wall 1.5 m high (above ground level). Leave a 40×40 cm ventilation hole every 3 m (one corresponding hole in each of the south and north walls), secure the roof frame with bamboo poles, cover it with plastic film, and add straw curtains on top. 3-5 days before loading the substrate, fill the greenhouse with sufficient water, and after the water has seeped in, spread a layer of lime at a rate of 1 kg per sq m.

Selecting Good Varieties

Oyster mushrooms can be cultivated all year round. Low-temperature varieties have an optimum temperature between 13-17°C, such as Dongjun and P2-2, while medium-temperature varieties have an optimum temperature range of 20-24°C, such as Fengweigu and Zibao oyster mushroom.

Substrate Preparation

Fresh cottonseed hulls of the current year should be mixed and piled to ferment for 24 hours, and can be bagged the next day. Aged cottonseed hulls from the previous year should be mixed and fermented for 4-6 days to eliminate contaminating microorganisms. When piling for fermentation, holes should be poked in the pile for aeration, and the pile should be turned at least 2 times during the process. The fermentation time must not exceed 1 week. During mixing, the substrate-to-water ratio must be strictly controlled. Overly wet substrate is neither good for fermentation nor for mycelial growth. Nitrogen sources and nutrients should be added in proportion, along with fungicides for sterilization and pest prevention. When bagging, the amount of spawn used should be no less than 20% to ensure rapid mycelial growth and prevent the bags from being contaminated by other microorganisms.

Mycelial Growth Management

After the substrate is bagged, the bags are placed in the greenhouse for mycelial growth. For autumn cultivation, place all the bags on the ground in only 1 layer. For spring cultivation, the bags can be stacked crosswise in 2 layers or in a grid pattern in 2-3 layers. For winter cultivation, stack the bags in piles of 4 layers and place two piles together to promote mycelial growth at both ends of the bags. For autumn cultivation, roll up the greenhouse film and cover the greenhouse with straw curtains to avoid temperature rise from the greenhouse being closed up. For winter cultivation, lower the greenhouse film to retain heat and pull open several straw curtains during the day to raise the greenhouse temperature. For spring cultivation, roll up the front part of the greenhouse film for ventilation and cooling. During the mycelial growth period, special attention should be paid to the temperature inside the bags. If it exceeds 30°C, immediately ventilate to cool down or rearrange the stacks to dissipate heat. If high-temperature burning of the mycelium occurs, dig out the areas where green mold has grown in the bags and fill them with plant ash mixed into a paste. If the green mold has already formed spores, use plant ash mixed with 20% limewater to fill the contaminated areas.

Fruiting Management

After the oyster mushroom mycelium has fully colonized the bags, the bags can be stacked on the ridges in the greenhouse for fruiting. For autumn cultivation, stack the bags to a height of 2-4 layers, placing 2-3 sorghum stalks or wooden sticks between each layer, open the ventilation holes in the back wall, pull up the straw curtains in the morning and evening for ventilation, and spray water at noon to cool down. For winter cultivation, the stacks can be placed in 8 layers, spray water at noon when it is hot, and roll up the front greenhouse film by 1-1.5 m for ventilation. Generally, ventilation time is between 10-20 minutes. After ventilation, promptly lower the greenhouse film and straw curtains. In the morning, part of the straw curtains can be pulled up to raise the temperature. For spring cultivation, stack the bags in 4-8 layers, roll up the front greenhouse film to a height of 1 m, and cover with straw curtains down to the ground or level with the greenhouse film depending on the temperature. Spray water 1-2 times per day to maintain the relative humidity in the greenhouse at around 85%. Water can also be added to the furrows to keep the area around the stacks moist. During spring and autumn cultivation, roll up the greenhouse film and lower the straw curtains to avoid the greenhouse becoming stuffy, and pay attention to the temperature of the mushroom logs. After harvesting one flush of mushrooms, stop watering for 3 days, and wait for primordia to form before spraying water again for fruiting. Generally, the first 2 flushes can account for 70-80% of the total yield. To bridge the production gap and improve efficiency, it is advisable to harvest 2-3 flushes of oyster mushrooms in greenhouse cultivation.