Key Technical Points for Shiitake Mushroom Harvesting and Mycelium Recovery Management

Harvesting and Mycelium Recovery Management After the shiitake fruiting bodies form, it is essential to judge their maturity so they can be harvested in time. Mushrooms that are large, with round caps and straight stipes are harvested as fresh-market mushrooms, and they must be harvested promptly when the cap is about to open. Flower shiitake and vegetable shiitake are harvested when the partial veil has just split. Pay attention to the harvesting method: when picking, hold the mushroom bag with the left hand, and with the right thumb and index finger pinch the base of the flower shiitake stipe firmly, first twist left and right, then gently pull upward, and do not let the stipe base remain on the mushroom bag, so that the stipe base does not rot on the bag and affect later fruiting. If the base is deep, a small knife can be used to dig it out from the base of the stipe; do not pull off the substrate or damage the mycelial film on the surface of the mushroom bag. Choose a suitable picking time, generally harvesting on a sunny morning. Strengthen protection of the mushroom bags and prevent exposure to direct sunlight. Just after one flush of mushrooms has been harvested, the nutrients in the mycelium have been supplied to the shiitake, reducing the reproductive capacity of the mycelium. If the bags are then soaked in water to force mushrooms, the quality of the mushrooms will be poor, growth will be slow, they will not grow large, and in dry, cold weather they are prone to shrinking, so the mushroom bags should be used for mycelium recovery. In winter, mycelium recovery temperatures are low, so the mushroom bags should be placed in the incubation room for mycelium recovery, with the temperature kept at 23-27°C, humidity around 80%, and mycelium recovery for 15 days. Ventilate 3 times a day for 40-60 minutes each time; if the temperature is low, it can be heated. In spring, mycelium recovery occurs as temperatures rise, and after harvesting shiitake the mushroom bags must be managed properly. They must not be placed randomly on the ground, and even less should they be exposed to sunlight for long periods. If the mushroom bags are sunned for too long, the surface mycelium forms high temperatures under the action of light, becomes severely short of water, and the vitality of the mycelium weakens; the surface dies from drying, the mushroom caps are thin and open quickly, mold is easily produced after soaking, and the mushroom bags become soft. The mycelium recovery time is generally 10-15 days, and the standard is that the mycelium at the harvested spots turns white and exudes yellow water. The mycelium recovery methods are: (1) Stack them near the mushroom shed in a "well" pattern in 5-7 layers, cover the top with straw or stalks to shade light, at a temperature of 20-25°C and humidity of 60%. (2) Recover the mycelium inside the mushroom shed, cover the top with shade material and ventilate appropriately to ensure fresh air, and sprinkle a small amount of water inside the shed appropriately so the humidity reaches 70%. (3) Recover the mycelium after soaking: after the mushroom bags are soaked, stand them upright in rows on the ground, let them be exposed to wind and sun so the surface dries, and cover with film at night; after about 5 days, the mycelium can grow vigorously. In this way, several batches can be harvested continuously until spring.