Cultivating oyster mushrooms involves several key steps: preparing the substrate, inoculating it with spawn (mycelium), and providing the right conditions for fruiting. Oyster mushrooms thrive on a variety of materials like straw, sawdust, and other agricultural waste.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

1. Substrate Preparation:

• • • • Choose your substrate: Oyster mushrooms can grow on a wide range of materials, including straw, sawdust, coffee grounds, and other agricultural byproducts.
        
        
      • Clean and sterilize: To prevent contamination, it’s essential to sterilize the substrate. This can be done through methods like steaming or hot water treatment, or using lime.
        
        
      • Cold water lime sterilization using hydrated lime, is an easy and best method, steep the straw in cold water adding 175 g of hydrated lime to 100 litres for around 24 hours. Allowing the mushroom substrate to sit in this lime water increases the pH, killing off bacteria and fungi.
        
        
      • Strain excess water to ensure the substrate has the right moisture content for optimal growth.

1. 2. Inoculation (Spawning): Obtain oyster mushroom spawn (mycelium) from a reputable source
      
      Inoculate the substrate: Mix the spawn with the prepared substrate and ensure it is evenly distributed.

3. Spawn run (Incubation): Place the inoculated bags or containers in a, cool, and humid environment.

• • • • Monitor for colonization: The mycelium will slowly grow through the substrate, taking several weeks to completely colonize it.

4. Fruiting (Create fruiting conditions): Once the substrate is fully colonized, expose it to brighter, more airy conditions to encourage fruiting.

• • • • Harvest: Oyster mushrooms will begin to appear after several days. Harvest them when they reach the desired size.

5. Make fresh cuts on the bags and water regularly for second and third flushes of mushrooms.
   
   
6. Key Considerations:

• • • • Temperature: Oyster mushrooms generally prefer temperatures between 18-29°C.
      • Humidity: Maintain a relative humidity of 55-70%.
      • Light: While they don’t need intense sunlight, some indirect light is beneficial for fruiting.
      • Ventilation: Provide good air circulation to prevent the buildup of carbon dioxide, which can hinder healthy growth.