How to Fruit Mushrooms Indoors and Outdoors using the Kit
First let us look at what is the best fruiting environment for different varieties of mushrooms. The table below gives you an overview of what each mushroom likes. However, if for example the temperature drops below 5°C, it does not mean the fungus would die. The fungus may not grow as fast if the parameter is outside the range.
首先让我们来看看什么样的环境最适合蘑菇生长。下面这个表里列出了每种蘑菇喜好的环境指数。如果能满足所有的条件当然好，不过条件不符合不代表蘑菇菌不能活。比方说，温度低于5°C蘑菇也不一定会死，只是长的会比较缓慢。
Strain 品种 | Temperature 温度 | Humidity 湿度 | Light 光照 | Carbon Dioxide* 二氧化碳浓度 |
Blue Oyster 平菇 | 10°C - 25°C | 80% - 90% | 500 – 1000 Lx | < 0.1% |
King Oyster 杏鲍菇 | 10°C - 18°C | 80% - 90% | 500 – 1000 Lx | < 0.1% |
Enoki 金针菇 | 8°C - 15°C | 80% - 90% | 500 – 1000 Lx | < 0.5% |
Shiitake 香菇 | 8°C - 15°C | 80% - 90% | 200 – 1000 Lx | < 0.1% |
* The CO2 level in a home with good air exchange is below 0.1%.
* 普通家庭空气流通较好时二氧化碳浓度是低于0.1%的。
Growing mushrooms in Alberta is a little tricky because it is very cold in the winter and relatively dry all year around. Indoor fruiting is really a challenge as you can tell from the table that most mushrooms love humid places but dislike high CO2. Therefore, we need to create a "fruiting chamber" in order to make them grow comfortably.
在艾伯塔省种蘑菇比较麻烦，因为相比哥伦比亚省这里冬天寒冷，终年干燥。从上面的图表里可以看出蘑菇喜好潮湿但是不爱太多的二氧化碳围绕着它，所以室内养殖的要求还是比较高的。因此，我们在这里给大家演示如何给它们创造一个舒适的“出菇箱”。
We experimented with mushroom fruiting by two different methods, both of which can be used either indoors or outdoors. The first method needs some prep work but once it is set up, the rest is easy. It holds moisture better than the second one, but tends to have a higher CO2 if you place the box indoors. The second method requires very little prep work which might make it more appealing. However, it may require misting or watering more frequently if it is super dry due to the hot weather or the indoor heating.
我们尝试了在室外或室内都可以用的出菇方法。第一种方法需要一些前期准备工作，但是搞定后之后的步骤就简单了。这种方法比第二种方法保湿性好，但是如果在室内使用的话二氧化碳浓度会比较高。第二种方法不需要那么多前期准备工作，所以比较受欢迎。但是它没第一种方法保湿时间长，所以天气炎热或者室内暖气开的比较大的时候需要增加洒水次数。
Instructions:
Tools & Materials needed
Scissor
Drill (method 1)
Hygrometer (Canadian Tire or Home Depot)
Spray or misting bottle
Small clear storage container – 10 to 15 L with minimum height of 8 inch
Large clear storage box (method 1 or 2) – 60 L or bigger size with minimum height of 1-1/2 feet
Plastic container or clean Tofu box (method 1)
Sawdust/Chopped straw (method 2) (Walmart / Superstore / Pet store)
Step 1: Cut a three-inch cross on one side of the Kit. Fill the small storage container with water and soak the Kit with the slit facing down for one day. Make sure you submerge the whole Kit under the water.
Method 1
Step 2: Drill ½-inch holes evenly spaced around the sides of the large storage box, about every 6 to 8 inches. Put the small plastic container or Tofu box upside down in the big clear storage box. Place the large storage box in a shaded area near the window where there is good air circulation. Then place the Kit on top of the container or Tofu box with the slit you cut facing either up or side.
Step 3: Spray on the interior wall and lid of the storage box at least twice a day. Leave a 2-inch wide gap every time you cover the box with the lid. Place the hygrometer in the corner to monitor the humidity level. Although a humidity of 80% to 90% is the best for mushrooms it is hard to keep at that level in Alberta. Based on our experience as long as it is above 70%, the mushrooms would grow at a reasonable pace.
The mushroom pins (as seen in the picture below) would normally show up within three weeks after the Kit cuts open. Do NOT spray water directly on the pins or mushrooms. Harvest the mushrooms when the cap starts to flatten or no longer grows bigger (usually 8 to 10 days after the pinning).
Method 2
Step 2: Fill the small or large storage box half full with sawdust or chopped straws (known as “casings”). Spray or water thoroughly and ensure all the sawdust or straws in the box gets wet but with no water standstill at the bottom. Place the Kit in the box and cover it with a thin layer of casings.
Step 3: Place the box outdoors where there is no direct sun light in the summer or indoors where the air exchange is sufficient in the winter. Spray or mist at least twice a day, and three or four times when it is above 25°C. When the pins show up, make sure you cover them with sawdust or straws before you spray water on them.
Place the hygrometer in the corner of the box to monitor the humidity level. Since it is open to the air, the moisture escapes very quickly when it is hot and dry in the summer. Keep the humidity on the surface of the sawdust or straw above 60%.
Personally I prefer the second method because the mushroom harvested tends to be bigger. But I will use the first method if I am away for a couple of days because it holds the moisture better.
After the harvest of one crop, continue to spray water twice a day. Wait for one week and then cut another cross on the opposite side of the Kit or a different spot from the previous cuts. If you use the second method, turn the Kit so that the slit you just cut is facing up. Cover the Kit with the casing layer. The usual interval between two crops ranges from 10 days to 1 month.
Check out our Gallery for some amazing pictures of the mushroom pinning and growing from the Yaki mushroom kit!
http://urban-mushroom-farm.site123.me/gallery
Last but not least, even when the Kit stops growing as it looks after a few crops, this may not be the end of its life cycle. Dump the bag in the garden near your plants; cover it with soil and water it with your other plants… and it may give you “surprise”!
