Energy-saving and heat-preserving methods for winter cultivation of oyster mushrooms

In winter, when temperatures are low, cultivating oyster mushrooms often results in slow mycelial growth or no growth at all, and even if mushrooms do form, they may be deformed. Heating with coal stoves is costly and can easily cause poisoning symptoms in the mushrooms. The following measures make full use of biological heat to keep the mushroom bags at a relatively high temperature for mycelial growth, which can save cultivation costs.

If oyster mushrooms are bagged and inoculated in autumn, by the time the weather turns cold, half the bag will have well-developed mycelium. Keeping such bags warm during cultivation allows the mycelium to quickly fill the entire bag. For those not bagged and cultivated in advance, heating can be applied all at once to promote mycelial growth. After temperatures drop, for bags that have half-developed mycelium, stack the bags as high and as wide as possible to help trap, raise and retain heat. Stack 7 layers per row, leave a 50 cm gap between rows for ventilation, make every 4 rows a section, and leave 67 cm between sections for walking, management and turning the stacks.

After the bags are stacked, cover them with 2 layers of plastic film. Alternatively, stack newly inoculated bags together with the warm bags: first place 3 layers of bags with half-developed mycelium at the bottom, then place 4 layers of newly inoculated bags on top, and cover with plastic film. The bags generate heat during mycelial growth, so check the bag temperature every day. When the bag temperature exceeds 27°C, uncover the film to cool them down.

Once the bags are fully covered with mycelium, remove them immediately and move them to the fruiting area for mushroom production. Stack newly inoculated bags on top of bags whose mycelium has not yet fully grown, cover with film and keep warm for cultivation. In this way, gradually remove the bags full of mycelium and replace them with newly inoculated bags.

Move the bags full of mycelium to the fruiting site (indoors or in a shed) for mushroom production. Stack 7 layers per row, leave 40 cm between rows, stack 3 rows in a row and leave a 70 cm gap, then stack another 3 rows, to allow walking, management and mushroom picking. Stack them straight to prevent the stacks from collapsing.

When temperatures are relatively low, thin bamboo poles can be laid horizontally across the oyster mushroom stack and covered with plastic film to keep warm. When temperatures are high, open windows for ventilation to keep the air fresh. Follow conventional methods for other management practices.