Five Easy Steps to grow Shiitake Spawns In Your Home

Are you just starting out on your journey of mushroom cultivation? Then an ideal way to start your process is with shiitake mushrooms. Growing such mushrooms is easy. If you are thinking of producing them on a commercial basis then they have high market values in both fresh and dried form. Shiitakes are produced most efficiently on oak logs. Most of the fungi have medicinal benefits and contain anti-tumor properties.

High dose of vitamin D

You will find the shiitakes available in the supermarkets are grown on sawdust. So they lack in nutritional value compared to the ones grown on logs. It is also found that the use of logs help the fungi in getting exposure to the sun and so these types of mushrooms have higher doses of vitamin D. These are easy means of increasing the nutritional content in your diet and at the same time imparting exceptional flavor. It is important for you to understand that the life cycle of this fungus is different from that of any botanical fruit. You can make shiitake spawn at home using mycelium with a substrate. The following tips will help to accomplish this job.

1. Choosing the edible mushrooms

Be careful while you begin hunting for these fungi. You should be aware that some of those mushrooms can be poisonous. They can be so toxic that they may even have fatal consequences. If you face any difficulty in getting the right kind of mushrooms or if you have confusion about whether they are edible or not then you should not pick them from the wild. Instead, you should buy pre-made shiitake spawns which are available on websites such as Agrinoon.

2. Choice of the right mycelium

You should always make use of the right mycelium to get a high yield. For that, it is necessary to get hold of stems of edible mushrooms. The common choices are oysters and morel mushrooms. Start looking out for mushrooms whose stems is not damaged in any way. The bottom part of the stem plays an important role in the preparation of spawn. Cut that portion and save them in the spawn making process.

3. Previously inoculated tree

You can grow mushrooms by making use of a previously inoculated tree. You can buy one of those trees which come all equipped with spores and mycelium. Instructions are given in the packages and if you follow their instructions diligently along with the proper maintenance tips then you will have a higher production. These work well in moderate climatic conditions and you can undertake those projects in your backyard.

4. Stimulate growth with kits

You can start the cultivation process by using spawn kits. Cultivation becomes a great deal easier with these packets. The packet will give you detailed information about additional requirements. You may be required to add the sandy type soil or wood in certain cases.

5. Hanging a dislodging the spores

You can hang a shiitake from the top of the plate and scatter the spores into the layer of agar. Once the spores are scattered all over you will notice the appearance of white strands called mycelium. When it is removed and mixed with the moist grain then within a month you will see the development of spawn.

Check the date

Most of the materials nowadays are found in local stores. You may also examine the net to get some better deals. You can set the parameters so as to refine your search further. Examine the date carefully as most of these materials will lose their utility within a short span of time.

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