Techniques for growing Shiitake

1. Biological characteristics of mushrooms

Mushrooms

Shiitake is one of the saprophytic fungi of the mushroom group growing on wood, whose scientific name is Lentinus edodes; suitable for temperate climate. Temperature for mushroom fruiting bodies to form and develop on average about 15-16 ^o C, development of mushroom mycelium temperature (mixed fiber) is about 24-26 ^o C.

1. Substance moisture: 65-70%
2. Air humidity: ≥ 80%
3. Neutral pH.
4. Unnecessary light in the stage of mycelium development. The formation of fruiting bodies requires diffused light.
5. Average ventilation.

Nutrition: Using direct cellulose source when the mushroom has light pink color, the complete body shape has distinct parts: stalks, coating films, plates, mushroom caps. The size of fruiting bodies and the surface of mushroom caps are different in shape depending on the type of mushroom. Shiitake is one of the most naturally collected and cultivated mushrooms. It has an aromatic, delicious, and popular taste. Currently, Japan, China, Korea . are the most mushroom-growing countries in the world. The total annual output is over 1 million tons / year. Mushroom products are used mainly in fresh form and dried.

2. Planting mushrooms on sawdust

a. Material handling:

- Choose the type of sawdust without essential oil, no mold, no toxins (grease, chemicals .). Humidification reaches a water content of 70%. Compost pile with a weight of 300kg / pile or more. The incubation period lasts 4-6 days, once every 2-3 days apart.

- Sawing and composting, add 3% light powder (CaCO ₃ ) or 1.5% powdered lime to heat-resistant plastic bags. Bag size is 25cm wide, 40cm high. Weight 1.5kg / bag. Insert the collar of the bag with plastic and cotton tube, put the sawdust bag into the pasteurization pot in two ways:

- It is possible to steam in a drum or build a kiln according to the structure: the bottom uses cast iron pan, wrap the iron around, insulate the layer of glass wool, asbestos and brick covering. Burning fuel uses coal or firewood. Put the sawdust bag in a watertight container at a temperature of 100 ^° C for 10-12 hours after boiling.

- Steam the sawdust bag in Autoclave pot at a temperature of 121 ^o C, 90 minutes duration.

b. Transplanting fungi:

The bag of sawdust has been pasteurized in one of the two ways, remove it in a clean room, until it cools. Transplanting fungi in sterile culture cabinets to a sawdust bag at the rate of 2.5-3% of the amount of seed compared to raw materials, (1 bottle of 400g seeded into 20-25 sawn season bags).

Average mushroom yield when a harvest cycle runs out, each bag harvests 600-800g of fresh mushrooms. Harvested mushrooms can be consumed in fresh or dried form at 40-45 ^o C. Keep the mushrooms dry in plastic bags, fasten. In the people who have a habit of hanging upstairs, they will preserve mushrooms longer.

3. Planting mushrooms on woody plants

a. Choose wood:

Shiitake growing on woody plants
(Photo: news-themen)

In general, all kinds of woods do not have essential oils, trees are still fresh, pest-free are grown with mushrooms. The timber group is most suitable for growing and developing mushroom for high productivity, good quality, including oak, chestnut, after . In early spring every year (April calendar or October and November) conducted cut the woods. Select straight wooden sections, cut into sections with a diameter of 5-20cm, length of 1.0-1.2m. Do not rub the cover. Keep wood in the house cool, clean, after 5-9 days it is possible to grow.

b. Seed culture and nursery:

- The standard wooden sections above are washed, using solid lime water to sweep the two ends of the wood. Take a specialized hammer or drill to create holes in the wood section, the hole diameter is 1.5cm, 3-4cm deep, every 15-20cm create a hole; every other line 7-10cm away from the other; staggered holes.

Look for the mushroom variety which is close to the mouth of the hole, the amount of seed used is 3kg / 1m ³ , use the wood chip created as a cover (the thickness is equal to the thickness of the bark), cover the seed layer. On the outside, cement is used to form powder like the plaster on the lid to seal the hole.

- Put wood in the style of 'pig cage' into a pile, 15-20cm high from the ground 1.5cm high, depending on the volume of wood grown. At the top, use a thorny sack to dry the water to cover the whole pile.

- Daily take care of compost pile, mainly watering. The amount of irrigation water is only enough to wet the sacks. Absolutely not watering much, water will penetrate deep into the wood body to kill the seed. It is best to grow for 6-16 months (depending on the type of wood). Every 2 months, we will reverse the pile of timber once. When the island needs to check the moisture content of the wood. If you find that the wood is too dry, use it to spray light water around the woody body, then compost it again.

During the nursery period, it is necessary to control some fungal pests and diseases: fish of mold, insects, mice . When detecting diseased wood sections, they need to be isolated from the compost pile to avoid spreading to other wood sections.

c. Caring for and collecting mushrooms:

At the end of the nursery period, shiitake begins to form fruiting bodies. Observing on the surface of the wood there are pale pink dots, they grow gradually like corn grains and form complete mushrooms. Stands of wood stems, arranged in gun style, 50-60cm away from the other. It is possible to arrange wood in a covered house, airy, high air humidity, very short diffuse light (from 3-6 months / year), so the productivity will be low. It is necessary to calculate the time of cultivation so that when the fungus comes out in cold weather.

- When growing on woody stalks, the harvest time is only 3-6 months / year, the air temperature is higher than 20 ^o C, it needs to be stowed and then incubated like the first time to transplant the seed to the right cold year then continue to water and collect.

The time to start planting (transplanting) mushroom from October to April is the best (grown on woody plants) (if grown on sawdust from October to January next year).