Glimpse into The Different Varieties Of Shiitake Mushroom Spawn

You are new to the world of farming, and so, you are not familiar with the terminology used. If you are keen on fungus farming, then, you have to understand the special significance of mycelium. The latter is nothing but the fungal product’s vegetative growth. For growing the fungus, you basically need two things, first the substrate and second the mycelium. The latter bears the germ of life, and if incubated in a proper atmosphere, it develops into a full-fledged mushroom.

Choose the base and the seeding package:

First, you have to choose the base or the substrate in which the product will grow. Secondly, you have to choose the shiitake mushroom spawn, if you are interested in cultivating this special variety of fungus which is mostly grown in the Asian countries including China and Japan. You are still new in the game, and so you may not have a sound idea about the choice of substrates. Using log as the substrate is the most common option, but there are other alternatives to bank on, as well.

One influences the other:

For growing the shitake mushroom spawn that you have purchased from the Agrinoon, you can use straw, hardwood chips, sawdust, logs, and cardboard as the foundation base. You will be interested to note, in this context that some farmers even use paper as the substrate. Just as there are substrates of different types, similarly, you can use and avail of different varieties of mycelium. The choice of mycelium depends on the selection of the substrate. First, you have to determine the foundation base, and depending on it, you have to choose the package of mycelium.

The plug mycelium:

Most farmers use freshly cut logs of hardwood as the substrate. If you are using the similar base, then, you can select plug-based mycelium, where you have to plug in the seeds into the hardwood log. You have to make holes on the log and have the plug mycelium drilled inside. The plug variety of mycelium colonizes conveniently on cardboard, paper and wood fibre-based substrates. It is easy to use and implement and thus most of the starters who are getting acquainted with odds and ends of farming, use this variety of mycelium.

The grain-based package:

If you are using pasteurized straw or enriched sawdust as the substrate, then, you can use mycelium that comes in the form of grains. But don’t use the grains outside, because the hungry birds and animals may feed on those, and spoil your very purpose. If you are carrying out an indoor project, then, the grain-based mycelium is the best option. On the other hand, if you are using wood chips as the substrate, then, you can go for the peg package of mycelium. There is yet another variety to come by and its name is the thimble spawn.

Thimble and sawdust:

The latter package (thimble mycelium) speeds up growth and development, and it is also easy to be inoculated. Just as you need to drill holes for tapping in the plug variety of mycelium, similarly, the thimble variety facilitates easy inoculation. But if you are looking for the most affordable package, then, using mycelium that has been packaged in the form of sawdust is the best possible solution.

Resource: https://agrinoonfujian.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/glimpse-into-the-different-varieties-of-shiitake-mushroom-spawn/