Cultivating king oyster mushrooms, 3-litre sleeves. The packaging consists of a plastic filter bag with a substrate of sawdust, a plastic container, and a lid. Any white bubbly growths indicate where mushrooms are forming and will later grow into king oyster mushrooms.
Cultivation
- If you see some tiny white bubbles at the top of the pack, you can completely remove the plastic bag from the package. Wash your hands well before touching the substrate block to prevent cross-contamination with any other fungi
- Soak the substrate block in water for 30 minutes, then place the substrate block back into the container and cover it with the transparent lid. This allows the package to absorb more oxygen and the mushrooms can start developing.
- Store the package in a sheltered, humid area at a temperature of about 16-19’c. Spray the package with water twice every day, so that the outside remains moist. The idea is to replicate an autumnal climate. Make sure the transparent lid remains seated on the container. This helps retain moisture better in the package while ensuring enough fresh air can enter the package.
- After a week, you will notice increasing numbers of bubble-like growths on the package which will later develop into king oyster mushrooms. During this phase, you must also keep spraying the package.
Harvesting
- You can start harvesting your mushrooms once the diameter of the cap of the smallest mushroom is around 2-4cm, and the cap has curled down.
- To harvest mushrooms, carefully grasp a bunch by the cap and break them off.
After harvesting the first crop, which is generally the largest, carry on spraying the package. After around 2 weeks, the second crop will appear. The yield in the subsequent crops tends to decrease because the nutrients begin to run out.
