This article teaches you how to cultivate your own oyster mushroom spawn for production, or you can buy already-made spawn from us now
Oyster mushrooms are a gourmet mushroom that grows naturally in the Northeast part of the U.S. These beautiful mushrooms come in an array of colors are also easy to cultivate both inside and out.
Today we are looking at the processes for growing these delicious mushrooms, including the preparation for growing them on straw and other substrates. We also have information and buying options for our pre-made oyster mushroom spawn and our ready-to-fruit oyster mushroom grow kits (which include pink, blue, and yellow oyster mushroom strain options).
Oyster mushrooms are an easy mushroom to grow
Oyster mushrooms are easy to grow through a range of techniques. For instance, growing oyster mushrooms on coffee grounds or toilet paper is a great way to start out.
If you are growing on coffee grounds it is good to use 50% sawdust and 50% coffee grounds as the substrate. This combination increases aeration and affords the mycelium plenty of room to breathe while it grows.
If you are interested in the toilet paper method for growing oyster mushrooms, then check out this article and video that share and demonstrate the process.
Steps for cultivation oyster mushroom spawn on straw
Oyster mushroom cultivation on straw can be broken into four parts:
- Treatment of the straw
- Inoculation
- Incubation
- Fruiting
Each step is crucial to the next and impacts the overall oyster mushroom yield.
First, chop the straw and firmly pack your plastic bags with it. Make sure there are no air pockets in the bag or the mycelium will have a harder time colonizing. Then treat the straw. This can be done by how water pasteurization, hydrated lime soak, or cold fermentation (download our free eBook on oyster cultivation for details on each of these methods for treating the straw).
Once the straw is treated it is time to inoculate it. You can do this by adding the oyster mushroom spawn to the straw.
Incubation comes next, and should ideally occur for three weeks at 75°F, depending on the inoculation rate. Position bags at least palm distance from each other to avoid overheating.
The fruiting stage is next and there are four important parameters to be aware of when fruiting. These include: Light, Humidity, Temperature, and CO2 level. For most oyster mushrooms, a well-lit room at 85-90% humidity, 65 - 75°F, and CO2 below 800 PPM is best.
Harvesting is the last step once the fruiting stage is complete. Harvest typically happens 5-10 days after the substrate is removed from the fruiting conditions. The mushrooms should be harvested before the caps become completely flat.
3 of the best oyster mushroom spawn strains for big, beautiful yields
- Blue Oyster Amycel 3015: This quick-growing blue oyster strain will fruit in a wide range of temperatures between 50°F – 75°F, and it will produce a large yield. The fruiting clusters have large caps that range in color from blue to white, depending on the temperature the mushrooms are grown in and the stage of life.
- Pink Oyster VDE-1: This extremely-fast colonizing pink oyster has the ability to grow on a wide range of substrates between 60°F – 85°F, and it produces a medium yield of mushrooms with pink to red fruited bodies. Note that storage and shelf life is limited for this mushroom. This mushroom cannot survive temperatures below 40°F, so take that into account before trying this strain.
- Yellow Oyster AM1: This strain produces a vibrant yellow oyster mushroom when grown in temperatures between 60°F – 80°F, and is responsible for a medium to high yield. The caps are typically small and numerous, and the stems are large and edible, too.
Oyster mushroom spawn for sale: Plug, Grain, Sawdust, and More
Oyster mushroom grain spawn: Interested in growing on wood or straw? Check out our grain spawn options. Also, if you want to grow in large amounts or commercially, grain is for you.
Oyster mushroom sawdust spawn: Another great producer on wood or straw for commercial or hobbyist settings. You can also use coffee grounds with sawdust or grain spawn. Check out our sawdust spawn options now.
Oyster mushroom plug spawn: A wonderful option for indoors or out (anyone say log and totem cultivation?!) You can count on large fruited bodies and a fast spawn run with our various spawn options. Check out all the plug spawn now.
Oyster mushroom growing kit: We did the work for you! All you have to do is follow the simple instructions of cutting some holes in the kit and misting it daily. Learn more, see videos, and check out all of your growing kit options.
We hope you enjoy our oyster mushroom spawn as much as we do!
