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Key Components of Cultivation
"Learn about managing substrate, sterilization, inoculation, incubation, and fruiting conditions for successful mushroom cultivation."
Regardless of the technique, successful cultivation depends on managing these factors:
- Substrate: The food source, such as straw, wood chips, sawdust, or coco coir.
- Sterilization/Pasteurization: Heating the substrate to eliminate competitors (molds/bacteria).
- Inoculation: Introducing spawn (mycelium) into the substrate.
- Incubation: Placing colonized substrate in a warm (70-78°F), dark place for mycelium to spread.
- Fruiting: Introducing light, fresh air, and high humidity (90-95%) to trigger mushroom formation.
- Light Cycle: A 12-hour on/off cycle using 6000K-6500K LED light can increase yields by up to 38%.