How to choose black fungus (wood ear mushroom) spawn? Master these selection tips
How to choose black fungus spawn? Are there any tips? We'd also like experienced readers to share their advice. The quality of black fungus spawn determines the yield of the mushrooms. Zhongdi Network has compiled methods for selecting black fungus spawn, listed below for readers' reference. Method 1: Superior black fungus mycelium is pure white, like fine wool...
How to choose black fungus spawn? Are there any tips? We'd also like experienced readers to share their adviceThe quality of black fungus spawn determines the yield of the mushrooms. Zhongdi Network has compiled methods for selecting black fungus spawn, listed below for readers' reference.
Method 1:Superior black fungus mycelium is pure white, like fine wool, with short, neat, dense, thick and vigorous strands that advance evenly to the bottom of the bottle, growing uniformly and consistently from top to bottom, coming out in a solid block when dug out, not loose.
Method 2:In good black fungus spawn, after the mycelium has fully covered the bottle, brownish water droplets generally appear on the surface of the mycelium. Later, pale yellow transparent gelatinous primordia appear around the walls and on the surface of the bottle.
Method 3:In superior black fungus spawn, the spawn column fits tightly against the bottle wall, and a small amount of white water droplets on the inner wall indicates fresh spawn. If there is pale yellow standing water at the bottom of the bottle and the spawn column has shrunk away from the wall, it is aged spawn and cannot be used.
Method 4:Normal spawn has the distinctive fragrant aroma of black fungus. If there is a stench or musty smell, or patchy and spherical areas where mycelium fails to grow, it is bacterial contamination. If other colors such as red, green, yellow or black appear, it indicates contamination by unwanted fungi, and it also cannot be used.
Method 5:In quality black fungus spawn, if a pale black gelatinous substance (fruit body base) appears between the substrate and the bottle wall, it indicates spawn that is early-maturing or has been subcultured too many times; after cultivation the fruiting bodies are small, numerous, difficult to grow large, of poor quality and low yield, and should be discarded.
Method 6:If wood particles are visible inside the bottle but there is very little mycelium, it indicates the black fungus spawn has not been cultured long enough and should continue to be cultured. If there is no significant change after culturing for a period, it indicates insufficient nutrients in the substrate and supplementation is needed.
Method 7:If the black fungus spawn stops growing after about halfway or in one corner, it may be due to being too dry or too wet. If the mycelium grows neatly and densely, then suddenly becomes sparse with an obvious dividing line, it indicates the upper substrate is suitable while the lower part is packed too firmly and too densely.
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