Detailed Explanation of Mushroom House Management Techniques in Winter and Spring

In winter, the variety and quantity of fresh vegetables decrease, and edible fungi begin to sell well on the market. Overwintering mushroom house management must be strict; a slight carelessness can cause relatively large losses.

When the temperature of a mushroom house cultivating edible fungi drops below 10°C, autumn mushroom production has already ended, and the overwintering management period begins. During this period, the main focus is to prevent the casing soil particles on the mushroom bed from becoming excessively dry, the mycelium from shriveling and shrinking, and the indoor waste gas from becoming too abundant, which can freeze the spawn to death and cause reduced spring mushroom yields.

Water spraying and topdressing should be done at fixed times and in fixed amounts. In winter, the climate is dry, and the evaporation from the bed surface is high. To help the soil particles retain temperature, generally spray water once every 5-7 days, using 150 grams of water per sq m, so that the fine soil does not turn white, can be pinched flat, and can be rubbed apart. Absolutely avoid using too much water, so as to prevent the newly sprouted mycelium from suffering cold damage, or because of excessive water accumulation, affecting aeration and causing contamination by weed molds. While spraying water, combine it with topdressing. Farmyard manure can be used at a concentration of 20%-30%, or a 1% glucose solution can be sprayed to improve the cold resistance of the mycelium.

Heat preservation and ventilation. The room temperature of the overwintering mushroom house should be kept above 4°C, and freezing must be strictly prevented. If the room temperature is too low, do not light a stove indoors, to prevent carbon dioxide from becoming too concentrated and inhibiting mycelial growth. In addition to building windbreaks on doors and windows and hanging straw curtains, electric heating methods such as installing electric heating panels can also be used. Ventilate appropriately at noon on sunny days; a method of leaving air holes in the windows can be adopted to remove harmful gases and keep the indoor air fresh.

Loosen the soil once before the Spring Festival and remove old roots. This can improve the aeration of the casing layer and promote the growth of new mycelium. Stop spraying water 7 days before loosening the soil, then scrape open the upper layer of fine soil, loosen the coarse soil, and pull out the yellowed old mycelium and dead mushrooms in the soil layer. Do not disturb the white mycelium near the coarse soil, so as not to affect spring mushroom production. Use a finger-thick wooden stick to poke holes from the reverse side of the mushroom bed, and do not disturb the coarse soil on the surface. Level the loosened soil layer into a sloped surface and apply topdressing once more as appropriate.