Key Techniques for Summer Cultivation of High-Temperature Oyster Mushrooms

As summer arrives and temperatures gradually rise, edible fungi on the market become increasingly scarce. Cultivating high-temperature oyster mushrooms for market at this time can yield considerable economic benefits.

Variety selection. The main characteristic of high-temperature oyster mushrooms is tolerance to high temperatures; generally, any variety that can withstand 36°C can be selected. Currently, commonly used high-temperature varieties include 831, Shuangnai No. 3, and others.

Cultivation method. Summer cultivation of oyster mushrooms is generally suitable for indoor growing, as this makes humidity easier to control. Bed width 80-100 cm, layer spacing 60 cm, with 6-7 layers possible, leaving an aisle between beds. If cultivating outdoors, choose woodland without direct sunlight, or damp ground with a shade shed. Build the ground into mushroom beds 100-150 cm wide, 20 cm deep, and of unlimited length, leaving a small ridge of 5-10 cm in the middle, or dig a water channel 10-20 cm wide for irrigation to regulate bed humidity.

Compounding materials and spawning. Material selection for high-temperature oyster mushroom cultivation is similar to that for low-temperature oyster mushrooms; cottonseed hulls, rice straw, sugar residue, etc. can be chosen according to the variety's adaptability, but the choice of auxiliary materials differs. Because of the high temperatures, it is prone to contamination by competing microorganisms, and the substrate tends to acidify, so it is not advisable to add wheat bran, soybean cake, rice bran, sugar, or similar materials. To prevent competing microorganisms, 1% lime water, 1% carbendazim, etc. can be added when compounding. When cultivating with rice straw, the straw can be directly soaked in 2% lime water to soften for 48 hours, then rinsed until the pH drops to 8 before use. When loading high-temperature oyster mushroom substrate, the moisture content should be on the higher side (70%-75%), with substrate thickness of 10-15 cm; spot spawning, broadcast spawning, or layer spawning are all acceptable, but the surface layer must have an increased spawn rate so that it covers the surface as quickly as possible and prevents invasion by competing microorganisms. After spawning, press the substrate down slightly, cover with newspaper and plastic film to block light and retain moisture; for outdoor cultivation, also cover with straw mats.

Spawn-running management. This is mainly temperature control. Generally, it should be controlled at 30°C-32°C. When the temperature exceeds this, indoors you can cool it by increasing ventilation, spraying in the air, or spraying water on the floor; outdoors you can directly water the straw mats and plastic film to cool them. After about a week, the mycelium begins to connect and cover the surface. At this point, the film can be removed for ventilation, once every 2-3 days for half an hour each time. After 15-20 days of this, the mycelium will have fully run. At this point, increase ventilation, lower the temperature, and raise humidity; after 3-4 days of cultivation, it enters the fruiting stage.

Timely harvesting. Because of the high temperatures, it generally takes only about 3 days from mushroom bud to maturity, so it should be harvested promptly. After harvesting, let the mycelium rest for 2-3 days, then spray with heavy water to induce budding.