Common Oyster Mushroom - Brood

Growing oyster mushrooms with grain spawn is a fun way to grow fresh mushrooms at home. Here is a step-by-step guide to successfully using common oyster mushroom grain spawn.

Use the brood as soon as possible after receipt or store it in the refrigerator for a maximum of several weeks.

Supplies:

  • Common Oyster Mushroom Grain brood
  • Substrate (e.g. wood pellets, straw or coffee grounds)
  • Large plastic bag or growing container
  • Optional: Gloves, face mask and/or alcohol for cleaning the area

Steps:

  1. Substrate preparation:

    • Hydrate the substrate by soaking it in water. For wood pellets and straw, soak the substrate for 1-2 hours, for coffee grounds it is often already moist enough after brewing coffee.
    • Allow the substrate to drain well until the moisture content is between 60-70%. This means that the substrate feels moist, but does not drip water when you squeeze it in your hand.

  2. Pasteurize the substrate:

    • To remove competing molds and bacteria, it is important to pasteurize the substrate. This can be done by placing the substrate in a pressure cooker and heating it at high pressure for 60-120 minutes. To pasteurize straw, immerse it in hot water (70-80°C) for 1-2 hours.

  3. Inoculation:

    • Wear gloves and a face mask to prevent contamination.
    • Work in a clean environment, preferably with disinfectant or alcohol to clean the work surface.
    • Open the bag of common oyster mushroom grain brood.
    • Mix the grain brood evenly with the cooled, sterile substrate in the plastic bag or growing container. Make sure the grain brood is well distributed so that the mycelium can spread quickly.

  4. Incubation:

    • Close the bag or growing container and make some small holes for gas exchange.
    • Place the bag or growing container in a warm, dark place with a temperature between 20-25°C.
    • The mycelium should grow completely through the substrate within 1-3 weeks. Check regularly for signs of competing mold or bacteria.

  5. Fruiting:

    • Once the substrate is fully colonized, increase the humidity by placing the bag or growing container in a humid environment, for example in a humid room or by placing a damp cloth over the growing container. Provide adequate air circulation to prevent mold growth.
    • Make larger holes or cut openings in the plastic bag to give the mushrooms room to grow. If you are using a growing container, open the lid or remove the cloth to lower the humidity and encourage the mushrooms to grow.
    • Keep the temperature between 15-20°C and provide a bright place, but not in direct sunlight.
    • Mist the substrate and the inside of the bag or growing container regularly with water to keep the humidity high. Make sure the substrate remains moist, but not soaked.

  1. Harvest:

    • The common oyster mushrooms are ready to harvest when the edges of the caps begin to curl or when the caps have reached a diameter of about 5-10 cm.
    • Harvest the mushrooms by gently grasping them at the base and loosening them with a twisting motion. Try to take as little of the substrate as possible with you when harvesting.

  2. Second and subsequent harvests:

    • After the first harvest, the substrate can produce even more oyster mushrooms. Give the substrate a few days to rest and then repeat steps 5 and 6 for additional harvests. The substrate can produce fruiting bodies 3-5 times before the nutrients are depleted.

  3. After the last harvest:

    • When the substrate no longer produces mushrooms, you can compost the used substrate or spread it in the garden to enrich the soil.

Have fun growing your own oyster mushrooms!