Post by Bob on Mar 17, 2013 7:41:36 GMT -5
Oysters are one of the easiest mushrooms to grow on a wide variety of substrates. For this years cultivation meeting I chose toilet paper for it's ease of acquisition and preparation. I include the directions given out at the meeting here for anyone who was unable to attend but would like to try their hand at growing these themselves.
Toilet Paper Grow Directions
Prepare a large pot of boiling water.
Place a roll of toilet paper on a rack over sink and pour boiling water gently over the roll until thoroughly saturated.
Allow the roll to drain and cool to room temperature before placing in bag.
Place roll in bag and remove the cardboard core.
Dump spawn into hole in center of roll, spillage is fine and will actually help the roll colonize faster.
Loosely close top of bag to allow for gas exchange and put in a dark place with stable temperatures, 60 to 75 degrees preferably.
Once the toilet paper is completely covered with white growth it is time to initiate fruiting. Roll top of bag tightly down to the colonized tissue. Punch small hole around the bag. Place the kit in a place where it can get indirect light and lots of fresh air. Loosely cover with another plastic bag turned upside down over the kit. Maintain humidity by lightly misting the kit and/or inside of the covering bag as needed.
Watch for small pins starting to grow on the kit at the holes you punched in the container. If you see pins developing inside the container where there are no holes, it is best to completely remove the bag containing the kit.
Harvest mushrooms when the edges of the caps just begin to turn up. Oyster mushrooms can drop massive amounts of spores if allowed to mature on the kit. The spores can be a health hazard to some individuals.
Toilet Paper Grow Directions
Prepare a large pot of boiling water.
Place a roll of toilet paper on a rack over sink and pour boiling water gently over the roll until thoroughly saturated.
Allow the roll to drain and cool to room temperature before placing in bag.
Place roll in bag and remove the cardboard core.
Dump spawn into hole in center of roll, spillage is fine and will actually help the roll colonize faster.
Loosely close top of bag to allow for gas exchange and put in a dark place with stable temperatures, 60 to 75 degrees preferably.
Once the toilet paper is completely covered with white growth it is time to initiate fruiting. Roll top of bag tightly down to the colonized tissue. Punch small hole around the bag. Place the kit in a place where it can get indirect light and lots of fresh air. Loosely cover with another plastic bag turned upside down over the kit. Maintain humidity by lightly misting the kit and/or inside of the covering bag as needed.
Watch for small pins starting to grow on the kit at the holes you punched in the container. If you see pins developing inside the container where there are no holes, it is best to completely remove the bag containing the kit.
Harvest mushrooms when the edges of the caps just begin to turn up. Oyster mushrooms can drop massive amounts of spores if allowed to mature on the kit. The spores can be a health hazard to some individuals.
