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What's happening in the field?

At the Missouri State Fruit Experiment Station

Mushroom bags are packed and ready to grow!

July 19, 2018 by Marilyn Odneal

Yesterday (July 18) took the pasteurized straw out of the soil sterilizer (note to self – the mesh bags tended to melt so use loose straw next time). We wet it to about 65% moisture content by using the squeeze test (squeeze hard and one drop if any will come out). Then we weighed a bag with straw and calculated that 45 grams of grain spawn would be used for the approximately 850 gram bag of moist straw. We are using grain spawn of PoHu Oyster Mushroom purchased from Field and Forest Products. We put 4 layers of straw down and added about 15 grams of spawn in the middle of the layers. We layered the straw up to just below the air patch on the poly bags. We then put the bags in the well house where we hope to maintain a consistent temperature and high humidity level. In fall we will try growing the mushrooms in the high tunnel when temperatures are cooler as part of the demonstration plantings for the 2018 Greenhouse and High Tunnel Workshop where we will feature Dr. D. K. Lee and Jeremy Shafer’s work on oyster mushroom production in high tunnels at the University of Illinois.

The moist straw is weighed to see how much spawn (5% by weight) needs to be added.
The moist straw is weighed to see how much spawn (5% by weight) needs to be added.
We calculated that we need 45 grams of grain spawn per bag.
We calculated that we need 45 grams of grain spawn per bag.

The straw is layered in the bag.
The straw is layered in the bag.
Spawn is sprinkled in between each layer and then the bag is secured with a zip tie.
Spawn is sprinkled in between each layer and then the bag is secured with a zip tie.
A temperature probe was placed in one of the bags.
A temperature probe was placed in one of the bags.
The bags are placed in an insulated well house in order to maintain optimum temperature and humidity. We will take the bags out of the yellow lugs when it comes time to punch the holes in the bags for the mushrooms to grow out of.
The bags are placed in an insulated well house in order to maintain optimum temperature and humidity. We will take the bags out of the yellow lugs when it comes time to punch the holes in the bags for the mushrooms to grow out of.

Filed Under: Alternative crops

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