What do chops with mycelium look like? Planting and growing honey mushrooms from mycelium on wood sticks

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24.04.2018

The mycelium is the vegetative body of the fungus, which has the ability to change its structure, while forming special organs that ensure reliable attachment to the substrate, nutrition and subsequent reproduction. In fact, mycelium is nothing more than the mycelium familiar to everyone. It is from this that the mushroom actually begins to grow, so taking, for example, the mycelium of a porcini mushroom or an oil dish, you can very successfully grow them in any place suitable for this purpose.

The mycelium most often looks like a kind of formation that looks like cotton wool or fluff in the form of a fluffy coating, or may have the appearance of a light film or threads woven together in the form of a fine mesh.

The branched threads of the mycelium are very thin (from 1.5 to 10 microns thick) and have a light shade. Biologists call them hyphae. A fine network of miniature lateral processes is formed on the hyphae ( haustorium). With their help, the fungus easily penetrates the internal tissues of plants, drawing nutrients and water from the substrate. It is noteworthy that the total length of hyphae in some types of fungi can reach 35 (!) kilometers in length.

Thin and branching bundles of hyphae ( rhizoids) look like the root system of plants, and they really help the fungus to securely attach even to a very hard base.

Nutrient-rich hyphae located close to each other can form thread-like branching clusters ( sclerotia), which are dense black formations and act as protective capsules. Thanks to their strong structure, they preserve mycelium during the winter cold.

With the onset of warmth, sclerotia germinate, releasing spore-forming organs.

Cords and cords can be formed from parallel and homogeneous hyphae, which represent an fused branched network of thin filaments. With their help, the fungus attaches to the substrate.

To reproduce, mushrooms use special seeds - spores.

Fungal mycelium is usually divided into two classes:

· Immersed(if the mycelium is completely immersed in the nutrient substrate)

· Air(when the mycelium only partially touches the nutrient base)

Varieties of mycelium

There are two main types of mushroom mycelium:

"Non-cellular" or coenotic(devoid of transverse partitions between cells and representing one large cell with a large number of nuclei)

"Cellular" or septate, in which intercellular partitions exist between the mycelial cells and each cell can contain a certain number of nuclei

Mushrooms are usually divided into three main groups:

Hat

This is the most common group, which in turn is divided into two types:

- Pipe mushrooms

- Lamellar mushrooms

Mold

Yeast

Preparing mycelium at home

Useful mushroom mycelium can be easily grown independently at home, such as kombucha, well known for its medicinal, nutritional and taste qualities, or traditional cultivated types of mushrooms, such as champignons, honey mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, and so on.

Mycelium for subsequent cultivation of mushrooms can be purchased at a retail chain or obtained independently from mushroom stems.

Depending on the basis of the nutrient medium, the mycelium of edible mushrooms can be divided into three types:

Grain

Substrate

Liquid

To grow mycelium at home, it first needs to create conditions for normal existence and, first of all, take care of two significant factors: sufficient humidity and ambient temperature, which should not rise above 25 ° C, otherwise the mycelium will die. Low temperature is also undesirable, as it will slow down the growth and normal development of mushrooms.

Among other conditions, the growing room must be sufficiently lit and well ventilated.

The easiest way to grow mycelium

Pour wheat grain into a large metal container and add water so that it covers the seeds a couple of centimeters above. Place the dishes on the fire and cook for half an hour, after which the grain must be strained and then dried, scattered on a flat surface.

We pour the dried grain into liter jars (two-quarters full) and sterilize them in a large container. When the jars have cooled down, you can put a little mycelium in each one.

To prevent infection of the mycelium by harmful microbes, it is advisable to carry out all manipulations under the light of a quartz lamp.

The first signs of mycelium in the form of white fluff will appear on the fourth day, and after a week the mycelium can be sown on straw and the mushroom crop can begin to be grown. The main thing in this matter is desire and patience.

You can read in more detail about how to grow champignons at home.

Interesting facts about mushrooms and mycelium

It turns out that mushrooms are, on average, 90% water.

Fungal mycelium has the ability to use even toxic substances such as oil or E. coli as a nutrient medium

Fungal DNA is different from the DNA of most plants and is closer to the formula of human DNA

In terms of amino acid content, mushrooms are ahead of plants such as peanuts, soybeans, beans and even corn.

In nature, there are more than 70 varieties of mushrooms that grow in complete darkness. The fact is that these types of mushrooms are capable of producing light using bioluminescence, so in ancient times people used them for lighting at night

Mushrooms, like human skin, when exposed to sunlight, are capable of producing vitamin D

More than 80% of all land plants are similar to fungi, since the roots of most crops are similar to mycelial hyphae

There is a symbiosis of plants and fungi, in which mycorrhizal endofunges penetrate directly into the roots of plants, forming a mycelium in them. Thus, mycelium helps many crops strengthen the immune system, fight pathogens of various diseases, and also absorb water, phosphorus and other nutrients from the soil.

An antibiotic called penicillin was derived from a fungus ( lat. Penicillium)

The largest mushroom on the planet is considered to be the honey mushroom in the Blue Mountains (Oregon). It covers an area of ​​about four square miles (!) and, according to some experts, is over 8,000 years old.

Good afternoon We are a laboratory for the production of mycelium, we would like to offer cooperation in the production of mycelium on sticks in large volumes.

In 2015, the range of grain mycelium and mycelium on sticks expanded, and packaging was improved.

Saprotrophs—fungi that feed on organic compounds of dead bodies or excretions (excrement) of animals—are well suited to artificial cultivation.

Packages with mushroom mycelium on sticks, photo:

What should a high-quality seed mycelium of edible mushrooms look like?

When choosing mushroom mycelium, you should first pay attention to its packaging. Qualitative the seed mycelium must be sterile! It is produced using sterile technology and packaged in special breathable bags with a biofilter.

Next is the labeling of the package. Mushroom strain name, planting date, batch number and barcode. A good manufacturer must have such a marking. If this is not the case, then you have a product of dubious quality and there is no guarantee that you will be able to grow the desired mushrooms.

High-quality seed mycelium of mushrooms has a uniform white color and a pleasant mushroom aroma. The presence of a small number of primordia (the rudiments of fungal fruiting bodies) is allowed; this happens with high mycelial activity, and this is a good indicator of a productive strain. BUT - too many primordia indicate improper storage or transportation and reduce the quality of the proposed mycelium.

The presence of mold stains of various colors (green, black, pink, etc.) and the sour smell of bacterial decay NOT ACCEPTABLE, this indicates very low quality.

Mycelium: grainy or on sticks?

Grain mycelium is usually used for industrial cultivation of mushrooms using intensive technology (in special premises). Its use for extensive technology (in natural conditions on wood) is impractical.

Mycelium on sticks is intended exclusively for extensive technology - in natural conditions on wood. This is exactly what summer residents need.

Mycelium on sticks is stored much longer than grain - 1 year at temperatures from 0°C to +4.

Currently, the production of champignons and oyster mushrooms is quite a popular and profitable business. A good product is obtained from a high-quality and pure mycelium culture, which, if desired, can be grown at home. The detailed information presented in the article answers the questions of what mycelium is and how to properly cultivate it.

What is mushroom mycelium and its functional features

Mycelium or its other name, mycelium - the vegetative body of fungi (thallus) - is a system of thin branching threads or hyphae. Thallus is divided into two types:

• substrate, designed to attach to the substrate and transport nutrients and water;
• air, forming reproductive organs above the surface of the substrate.

The network of hyphae forming the thallus can spread over long distances under favorable conditions. You can see such plexuses in the soil with the naked eye; they look like a white cotton coating.

The mycelium performs a number of important functions:

• promotes attachment of organisms to nutrient substrates;
• with the help of enzymes, it processes cellulose, obtaining from it substances available for growth and development;
• has the function adaptations to the environment;
• participates in sporulation and is responsible for preserving the formed spores.

The mycelium is a very important organ; in addition to transport and nutritional functions, it is responsible for the vegetative reproduction of organisms.

Types of mycelium and what they look like

There are 7 types of vegetative body:

• Film, consisting of light, densely woven hyphae of different sizes. The main function is to attach to the substrate and obtain nutrients from cellulose.
• Corded, formed by the fusion of hyphae and responsible for the attachment and spread of fungi due to strong branching.
• They are powerful cord-like weaves of threads of different colors that determine the resistance of organisms to unfavorable environmental conditions.
• , consisting of thin and airy cord-like clusters of hyphae and serving for the attachment and spread of organisms.
• Sclerotia formed by tightly woven and highly branching threads. Like rhizomorphs, it helps to withstand aggressive living conditions.
• are formed in places of contact with the tissue of the host plant, merging tightly with it, and are intended to preserve fungal spores.
• Fruiting body is the site of formation and maturation of fungal spores.

Thus, the mycelium is a unique formation involved in the distribution, nutrition and reproduction of fungi.

What is mycelium used for?

The main purpose of thallus cultivation is to harvesting edible mushrooms. As soon as people realized that clusters of hyphae perform the function of reproduction, they began to use parts of wild champignons to breed them at home. But such a product did not produce a high yield.

Over time, attempts have been made to grow pure cultures of mushrooms to increase their yield and sustainability. At the end of the 19th century in France it was possible to obtain such a culture of champignons grown on a special sterile substrate.

The grown mycelium showed excellent growth characteristics. Using the technology of obtaining thallus in laboratory conditions, it has become possible to produce cultivated mushrooms on an industrial scale.

How to get high-quality mycelium

Before you start cultivating mushrooms, you need to know where to get mycelium from. The highest quality mycelium is obtained in laboratories. This product can be bought in specialized stores with good reviews.

If desired, you can grow mycelium at home yourself, by properly preparing the substrate, ensuring comfortable environmental conditions and sanitation. It is quite possible to implement this idea.

The main requirement for successful cultivation of mushrooms at home is compliance with temperature conditions, lighting and cleanliness.

Obtaining mycelium with your own hands is a suitable method for novice mushroom growers, because it gives you the opportunity to try the method on a small batch and without high costs.

Features of growing technology

The technology of growing mycelium for the purpose of breeding champignons, oyster mushrooms, and honey mushrooms involves the sequential implementation of several procedures.

The first method for obtaining a pure culture from champignon spores is still widely used for cultivating high-quality mycelium, called mother mycelium. This method allows you to grow pure, strong crops that give good yields and have excellent characteristics.

The main task of the mushroom grower when obtaining the uterine thallus is to maintaining aseptic conditions, so as not to infect the culture with microorganisms present in the environment. Compliance with this rule guarantees a high-quality product with excellent taste.

Mature spores or part of the fruiting body are planted on a substrate, which is a sterile nutrient medium wort agar, oatmeal or carrot agar.

The media are prepared in test tubes, and after they harden, the culture is added there with a sterile instrument, which can be a wire or a knitting needle with a loop at the end. To maintain sterility, all manipulations are performed over the fire.

The tubes are sealed with a sterile cotton-gauze stopper and stored at a constant temperature. about 24 degrees within 2 weeks until a full-fledged mycelium is formed. Stock culture in test tubes can be stored for a long time at a temperature 1-2 degrees with periodic reseeding (once a year) to maintain good mycelium properties.

The next step is obtaining seed material from compost or grain mycelium. The highest quality compost is formed from the following ingredients:

• manure, preferably horse or cow;
• straw;
• gypsum;
• urea;
• superphosphate;
• alabaster flour.

Convenient to use as a substrate ready compost. It is placed in three-liter jars with 2/3 of the volume, a depression is made in the middle, and the jars are rolled up with a metal lid with a 2-3 cm hole in the middle. The hole is sealed with a cotton-gauze stopper and the containers are sterilized.

Under aseptic conditions, the royal mycelium is planted into the compost hole through a hole in the lid, which is closed again after the procedure is completed. Cultivation of seed mycelium is carried out similarly to the uterine mycelium.

For growing mushrooms at home, it is convenient to get grain mycelium. To do this, it is important to properly prepare the grain:

1. Boil the grain in water in a ratio of 1:1.5 for 30-60 minutes and cool it.
2. Dry the grain and place it in jars or polypropylene bags, filling them halfway.
3. Sterilize prepared materials.
4. Sow the mycelium, as in the case of compost.

Pure culture has the appearance of a white fluffy coating without green or brown spots. Ready-made seed mycelium is used to grow a crop of mushrooms on substrates.

The production of high-quality mycelium requires a certain skill and careful preparation of conditions. Therefore, before getting down to business, it is best to try growing a small batch of the crop and harvest the first harvest. The experience gained will be very useful and will allow you to evaluate all the pros and cons of the mushroom growing project.

The post What is mushroom mycelium and what does it look like first appeared About the farm.

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Advantages:

• less weight compared to grain mycelium;
• can withstand even the most severe frosts during transportation;
• a wide variety of mushroom species;
• possibility of growing in logs, stumps, bags;
• low cost;
• low cost of shipping (transportation) due to low weight;
• long shelf life (up to 4 years).

Flaws:

• afraid of moisture (the mycelium should not be allowed to get wet);
• germination takes a little longer compared to grain mycelium.

You can grow mushroom mycelium on sticks in hardwood logs or in plastic bags with a substrate (sawdust, sunflower husks, straw, coconut substrate or corn cobs). There are some peculiarities here. Packages with substrate germinate faster, but bear fruit only for 1-2 months, because... the mycelium completely decomposes the substrate. Logs and stumps germinate more slowly, but can bear fruit for up to 7 years, until the wood is completely destroyed.

The favorable time for planting mushroom crops on a woody base in natural conditions is from April to October, indoors - all year round at temperatures from 15 to 27 degrees.

Growing mycelium on sticks in bags.

Special packages and bags for growing mushrooms can also be purchased from us.

Take a 6-8 liter bag and pour a little substrate (about 5 cm) into the bottom. The substrate must be pre-moistened to such an extent that when squeezed in the palm of your hand, a little water appears.

Evenly place 3 sticks infected with mycelium on the substrate. Place a new layer on top. And so on until the package is completely filled. Make sure that the bag can be tied later.

Using a toothpick, make holes in a checkerboard pattern over the entire surface except the bottom. After this, the bag with mycelium can be placed in a tray or tied under the ceiling. If you have a plantation, then use both methods to save space.

Light is not necessary in this process; the main thing is not to let the substrate dry out. To do this, you need to periodically spray the bags with water from a spray bottle. If growing occurs in the basement, then it makes sense to place open containers with water to maintain high air humidity.

After 7-12 days, the substrate will begin to become overgrown with mycelium - a white “web” will appear inside the bag. 20-30 days after planting, the first mushrooms will begin to appear through the holes in the bag. At this time, the substrate intertwined with mycelium will turn into a dense, homogeneous block. Using a knife, make 4 cuts 1-2 cm long on the sides of the bag to release the fruiting bodies.

To stimulate fruit formation, place the mushroom block in the refrigerator for 2-3 days at a temperature of 3-5 °C or in a lighted room at a temperature of 15-20 °C.

Moisten the substrate through the cuts made using a sprayer. After 3-4 days, “primordia” will appear - these are the rudiments of mushrooms. Within 4-5 days the primordia will grow to the size of a mushroom. They can be picked and used for food.

From one 5-8 liter bag you can collect 3-5 kg ​​of mushrooms, and fruiting will occur in waves.

If you put not 16 sticks (one package) in a bag, but 32 (two packages) and arrange them more often, the growing process will speed up and the harvest will be higher.

Growing mycelium on sticks in logs (stumps, logs).

In this way, mushrooms are usually grown in gardens (outdoors) and in greenhouses.

The main advantage of this method is long-term fruiting, up to 7 years.

We choose a log (burned stump) of deciduous species (aspen, birch, poplar, etc.) without signs of rot, with a diameter of 10-15 cm and a length of 30-50 cm, with bark (without branches).

Soak it in water for 2-3 days, then leave it in a clean, ventilated area for 1 day to evaporate excess moisture.

We drill holes with a diameter of 0.9 cm and a length of 5 cm in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of about 20 cm from each other. The more mycelium sticks are used per log, the faster it will germinate with mycelium and begin to bear fruit.

With clean hands or gloves, insert the sticks with mycelium into the holes until they stop, then close them with wooden plugs or wax (garden pitch) to prevent the penetration of bacteria.

You can cover the log with burlap, which will significantly speed up the development of the mycelium. Place the wood in a shaded, well-ventilated place at a temperature of 20-25 °C. To maintain wood moisture: when growing mushrooms outdoors, water the soil near the stump (log) 2-3 times a week; when growing indoors, place the wood in a tub with damp soil, or, if you covered the log, simply moisten the burlap by spraying.

Log growth occurs within 1-2 months, depending on conditions. The wood is overgrown if white mycelium is visible at the infection sites and at the ends. Fruiting will begin 2-6 months from the moment of planting at an air temperature of more than 15 ° C.

For the winter, sprinkle with leaves and cover with burlap.

Fruiting occurs in waves, up to 3-4 years on soft wood (poplar, birch, willow), 5-7 years on hard wood (beech, maple, rowan). In one year you can collect 3-6 kg of mushrooms from each log.

In late autumn, the logs should be sprinkled with leaf litter and covered with burlap.

Best before date

3 years when stored at a temperature not exceeding +24°C.

4 years when stored at temperatures from +2 to +4°C.

Today I would like to talk about how to grow oyster mushrooms. Everyone knows perfectly well that oyster mushrooms and champignons are the mushrooms that we buy in supermarkets, because they are sold fresh. Why not try growing them yourself? You don’t have to be an expert in growing mushrooms to do this. It will be enough to follow a certain sequence of actions and you will succeed.

So, if you are seriously thinking about growing oyster mushrooms, then you need to purchase mushroom mycelium. Fortunately, there shouldn’t be any problems with this now, since you can make a purchase on the Internet, and there are plenty of companies that are engaged in growing mushrooms, selling them and selling everything that is necessary for growing them. If you are a beginner mushroom grower, then 1 kg of mycelium will be quite enough, let’s say for an experiment. Perhaps something won’t work out, you won’t like it, why pay more? Mycelium should be stored at a temperature of +2-4 °C, for which a refrigerator is quite suitable. Let's start by preparing the substrate.

Preparing substrate for oyster mushrooms?

To prepare the substrate, you can use various components (raw materials), namely: corn cobs, barley or wheat straw, buckwheat and sunflower husks. So, for example, when using straw, it must first be crushed so that the substrate is as dense as possible, because in nature oyster mushrooms grow on trees. Naturally, the material for the substrate must be clean, there should be no traces of mold. About 10 kg will be enough.

The likelihood of contamination of the substrate with various harmful organisms can be reduced to almost zero by first subjecting it to heat treatment. The substrate is poured into a container of sufficient volume, filled completely with water and boiled for about 2 hours. After this treatment, drain the water and let the substrate cool to 25-28 ° C. Speaking of humidity: the substrate should be wet, but not so wet that water flows from it.

Forming blocks from the substrate

The next step in growing oyster mushrooms is the formation of blocks, since mushrooms are grown with their help. The blocks are usually plastic bags filled with substrate. Let's divide our 10 kg in half, i.e. 5 kg per two bags. Again, do not forget about disinfection - place the bags in a bleach solution (1-2%) for a couple of hours. Next, we form bags - our future mycelium: we fill them with layers of substrate and mycelium. The substrate layer is 5-6 cm, the mycelium is 0.5 cm on top, and so on until we fill the bag. The top layer is the substrate. After filling, tie the bag and make holes 1-2 cm long, like a chessboard, every 10-15 cm.

Incubation period - ripening of oyster mushroom

Once the packages have been prepared, they should be placed in proper conditions. The incubation period is about 2-3 weeks. It is necessary to maintain the temperature in the room around +18-22 °C. In addition, ventilation must be provided (several times throughout the day). Measures must be taken to control flies. Adhesive tapes usually do a good job of this. During the first few days the substrate will heat up. The main thing is to monitor the temperature in the bags: it should not be higher than +30 °C. Otherwise, the mycelium will simply disappear. To reduce the temperature, you can use the same fan, because we are talking about growing oyster mushrooms not on an industrial scale. There is no need for lighting during this period. After 10-12 days, the mycelium will completely grow throughout the substrate, which will look like a homogeneous mass.

Oyster mushroom fruiting

The next stage is fruiting, which we have all been looking forward to. If you have reached this process, then you can draw conclusions about the correctness of the work done. However, fruiting is not yet harvesting, so the following series of actions must be performed:

Reduce the room temperature to +10-15 °C;
unlike the incubation period, lighting will now be required for 8-10 hours using fluorescent lamps;
increase air humidity to 90-95%;
the room should be ventilated about 4 times a day.

How to grow oyster mushrooms?

Many may wonder how to maintain the required humidity? To do this, you can spray both the floor and the walls with water, but you should avoid getting water on the substrate itself. If all conditions are met, then in the near future it will be possible to observe the appearance of small fungi, although it is still difficult to call them mushrooms. The fruiting period is about two weeks. Since the caps have significantly increased in size in recent days, this period is considered optimal for harvesting. It is worth noting that the mushrooms need to be twisted out of the substrate, and not cut off, as many are used to. This also applies to picking mushrooms in the forest. The fact is that when cutting a mushroom, harmful organisms penetrate through the remaining stem and damage the mycelium.

After you collect the first harvest of oyster mushrooms, the room is well ventilated and then we wait for the second harvest. In time it is about two weeks. As for the subsequent conditions for growing oyster mushrooms, they remain the same as previously described. From such “myceliums” you can harvest up to 4 crops, with the first two being the most productive. After harvesting the fourth harvest, the contents of the bags will have to be replaced, unless, of course, you want to continue growing oyster mushrooms. As can be judged from the material described above, growing oyster mushrooms is not particularly difficult. In fact, mushroom growing is quite a fascinating activity, because how nice it is to see mushrooms grown with your own hands on your table.