Why is mushroom basket and box cultivation so profitable?

If a farmer's family does not have the conditions to use sunken-bed cultivation for mushrooms, they can adopt the economical and practical basket and box cultivation method. This method is simple and easy to carry out and can be used year-round. The method is:

1. Prepare baskets or boxes. Use old broken bamboo baskets, wicker baskets or miscellaneous wooden board packing boxes, and coat the bottom and all four sides with wheat straw mud mixed with a small amount of lime powder. The purpose is to keep warm, retain moisture, and prevent pests and diseases. After that, put the mud-coated baskets and boxes in a ventilated place to dry for later use.

2. Formula and ingredients. Put clean cottonseed hulls without mold in the sunlight to dry. Take 50 kg of cottonseed hulls, add 2% gypsum and 3% phosphate fertilizer and mix evenly, then add 65 kg of clean water and mix further, then put into baskets or boxes, spread flat and press firm. The thickness should preferably be kept at 10 cm to 15 cm.

3. Inoculation and sowing. Find a sturdy wooden stick, cut one end into a cone point with a knife, and use it to drill holes in the leveled material surface. The holes should reach the bottom of the basket or box, with a hole spacing of 5 cm to 10 cm. Then, put the mushroom spawn in a disinfected basin, and sow it into the holes at a sowing rate of 4 bottles to 6 bottles of spawn per square meter. After placing the spawn, cover with a layer of old newspaper, and then add a layer of plastic film on top.

4. Management method. About one week after cultivation, if a small amount of water accumulates between the newspaper and the film, use gauze or a towel to absorb the water cleanly. After 20 days, when the mycelium has grown over the slanted surface, the plastic film can be propped up 20 cm to 30 cm. After another 1 week to 2 weeks, when mushroom buds appear, spray water once at noon. The amount of water sprayed should be determined according to the size of the mushrooms. The principle is that larger mushrooms need more water, and vice versa less, so it should be handled flexibly. Special reminder: during this period, the temperature should be kept at around 25°C. If the summer temperature is high, use a shade net or straw curtain to shade light and cool down. If the winter temperature is low, use straw curtains for covering to increase temperature, so as to ensure good mushroom growth.