Selecting the best substrate comes down to a few factors. This gives your mushroom mycelium a clean slate on which to grow. Last but certainly not least, there must be no competing organisms on your substrate. A minimum moisture content of 50-70% is essential for your substrate.(Some mushrooms, such as oyster mushrooms, can withstand a PH of up to 8.) Your substrate should be slightly acidic, with a PH between 5 and 6.5.To reach this barrier, most substrates (such as sawdust or straw) require additional ingredients. Nitrogen content of 1 to 2% is required in your substrate.This is required for the mycelium to colonise effectively. To allow for air exchange, your substrate must have a suitable structure.You’ll probably have to play around with this to see whether you need to supplement with more minerals. These minerals are present in most raw substrates, but this varies depending on the origin of the material. A modest amount of magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulphur, and phosphorus should be present in your substrate.When selecting a substrate, keep the following factors in mind: Straw or hardwood sawdust are common substrates for growing mushrooms, but there are a variety of other good options to consider. These are high in carbon, which is your mycelium’s primary food supply. Whilst humidity in the growing environment prevents the fruiting mushrooms from drying out, ensuring your substrate has both the ability to retain moisture and has the optimal water content is key!Īside from water content – and to get a little more technical – a suitable substrate often contains lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, which are woody, fibrous components. Most mushroom bodies are made up of 70-90% water which is entirely sourced from the substrate. The amount of water in the substrate is key for almost any type of mushroom. In reality, a substrate is only as good as its match to a specific species’ requirements. There are several factors that make up a “good” substrate. Different mushroom species have different preferences so it’s important to pair your mushrooms with the right substrate for optimal results. Urban growers work with a range of various substrates. To put it simply, a mushroom substrate is a material that the mycelium uses for energy, nutrition and structure. The substrate offers the nutrition, moisture, and energy that mushrooms require to grow and fruit. It’s important to understand how mushroom mycelium develops in order to achieve the best results.īy the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what a mushroom substrate is, how to select the best substrate for your chosen species of mushroom, and how to prepare it for successful mushroom growth! What is a mushroom substrate?Ī mushroom substrate is a medium that allows mushroom mycelium – the vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching threads called hyphae – to develop and establish itself. Much like how plants prefer different types of soil and growing conditions, different species of mushrooms prefer different substrates.ĭespite the few similarities between plants and mushrooms, the way in which mushrooms utilise a substrate is very different to how a plant grows within soil. It is here that your mushroom mycelium will obtain all of the nutrients it needs to develop and produce beautiful mushrooms. Growing mushrooms on a substrate is somewhat like growing plants in soil. Choosing the right mushroom substrate can make or break any mushroom growing project – whether it is your first time growing using a mushroom growing kit or your 10th year in business.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |