What I will teach:
The basics of the mushroom life-cycle – from spore to mushroom – using diagrams, illustrations and hands-on materials.
History of domesticated wild oyster mushrooms, how we cultivate them today and a brief explanation how the pure culture is maintained using sterile laboratory techniques.
How one can easily grow oyster mushrooms at home using spawn starter, straw and upcycled plastic containers.
Hands-on inoculation of pre-pasteurised straw with mushroom starter spawn, carefully placing the straw into upcycled plastic containers (bottles, plastic bags, buckets, etc.)
How to incubate the container – how to check for contamination and colonisation progress.
Initiating fruiting of the substrate container – how to know when to initiate fruiting, how to initiate, where to fruit.
Harvesting and subsequent flushes. When to pick the mushrooms. How long to wait for another flush.
How to extend the substrate block – continuing the colony outside in the garden.
Alternative growing methods.