Edible Oyster Grow

[shroom_seeker]

I've got two blocks of Blue Oysters that have colonized on wheat straw (see 1st photo right side) and two blocks of Golden Oysters that have colonized on newspaper scraps (see 1st photo left side).

All blocks have been used as bag culture.. the Blue Oysters blocks gave out several impressive flushes (see 2nd photo for typical pinset) and are noticeably lighter in weight. The Golden Oysters on the other hand have been lackluster, only producing a few shrooms.

I've pulled all blocks from their plastic bags and are dunking them overnite. I'd like to know if anyone has any suggestions as to how I could get these blocks to produce some more? Perhaps I could crumble them and spawn to another substrate? or maybe the best thing to do is put 'em back in their plastic bags. Probably worth mentioning that I'm growing indoors so am limited to bag culture, rubbermaid, etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[crazy1]

them are some great looking blocks there.
I usually toss my blocks into the compost pile when they're done fruiting.
I end up with a few more flushes this way.
Good Luck

BTW did you let the blocks "rest" for a week or so before initiating the next flush?

[shroom_seeker]

Originally Posted by crazy1

BTW did you let the blocks "rest" for a week or so before initiating the next flush?

Yup, those blocks have been chilling for about ten days now.

The Blue Oyster substrate seems to be spent and falls apart easily. The Golden Oyster blocks are still dense and fragrant with snow white mycelium, they just don't want to fruit - maybe not enough nutrients?

Unfortunately I cannot toss these into a compost pile as I'm limited to an indoor grow on this one.

[crazy1]

have you tried a cold shock to get those to fruit?
That might do the trick

[shroom_seeker]

They're going on about 8 hours in the dunk tank as we speak - I plan to pull them in another 8 or so.

I wouldn't be surprised if this triggers the Blue Oysters to fruit again, but I'd like to try something different on the Golden Oysters. Maybe crumbling and spawning to straw with some nutrients added for good measure? If so I'd like to colonize and fruit 'em in a rubbermaid or bag culture.

Thanks for your input, crazy1

[crazy1]

hey no prob, but I wouldn't add nutes to the straw if you're going to try the expansion. The myc does run fast but all oysters really need is the straw. And the extra nutes may help a contam get a good foot hold.

edit: bag culture is great for oysters. That's how I grow them.
Good Luck

[crazy1]

if you do bag cultivation be sure you poke holes in the bag right after adding the straw/spawn mix.
This allows for FAE and it also helps keep the heat from colonization down.
The myc needs as much air as possible at this stage

[shroom_seeker]

Originally Posted by crazy1

I wouldn't add nutes to the straw if you're going to try the expansion. And the extra nutes may help a contam get a good foot hold.

Thanks for pointing that out, I forgot that extra nutrients could lead to contam. I think just getting these Golden Oysters off newspaper and onto straw will help.

Is it necessary to sterilize the straw when spawning from the colonized newspaper block?

Anyone know a good source for bags used in these bag grows?

Thanks

[Umbo]

Hey Shroom, nice pics, I was wondering what kind of spawn you used with these, grain or sawdust or other? Ive never grown oysters on newspaper myself, always straw so I cant really weigh in on that, although I know that when I use grain spawn they produce quite a bit more than with sawdust, more nutes with the grain. What I use is poly ducting that I buy from Fungi perfecti, it makes great 'columns' I use the 12" diameter unvented stuff, and poke my own holes right after straw stuffage, Its durable. Ive read that goldens dont produce quite as much as blues anyway, but it sounds like you havent had much of anything, I say experiment, then you'll know for next time. Also I pasteurize my straw instead of sterilize, can do quite a bit more at a time, got a 55gal drum setup. Good luck and totally keep us posted, one more thing, i know getting long, I tried straight pine needles, dried ones, with my last batch, works f-ing great, colonized and fruited a couple days quicker than straw. I read that on an old post here. Goodluck!

[crazy1]

Also if you're going to use straw it should be shredded or chopped up.
This can be done in a few different ways, one with a chipper/shredder or even with a weed whip in a garbage can. Then pasteurize it.
this helps the myc get a hold of the available nutes in the straw.
And you can only use the water for 2 runs of straw after that it'll end up contaminating your straw.

[shroom_seeker]

Originally Posted by Umbo

Hey Shroom, nice pics, I was wondering what kind of spawn you used with these, grain or sawdust or other?

I used rye berries as spawn.

What I use is poly ducting that I buy from Fungi perfecti, it makes great 'columns' I use the 12" diameter unvented stuff, and poke my own holes right after straw stuffage, Its durable.

Thanks for the tip, Umbo, I think I'm gonna try that

Also I pasteurize my straw instead of sterilize, can do quite a bit more at a time, got a 55gal drum setup.

Ah yes, 160-180 degrees for ~1hr should do the trick, I can't wait to get my 55 gallon setup (borrowed a friend's on this last grow).

Good luck and totally keep us posted, one more thing, i know getting long, I tried straight pine needles, dried ones, with my last batch, works f-ing great, colonized and fruited a couple days quicker than straw. I read that on an old post here. Goodluck!

Thanks for the nice words. Really cool hearing another success story with pine needles - they're all around, have to give 'em a shot myself.
SS

[shroom_seeker]

Originally Posted by crazy1

Also if you're going to use straw it should be shredded or chopped up.
This can be done in a few different ways, one with a chipper/shredder or even with a weed whip in a garbage can. Then pasteurize it.
this helps the myc get a hold of the available nutes in the straw.
And you can only use the water for 2 runs of straw after that it'll end up contaminating your straw.

Thanks for reminding me about the weed wacker method, probably much more efficient than sitting in my living room with a scissors for long hours. Someone should really write a book on mushroom farming in a urban/apartment environment - of course lots of info out there already.

I've been told similar about a max of two runs with the water while pasteurizing, anything past that and you're cooking up a herbicide. My friend says rice straw can boost yields up to 30% over wheat.

[Myc]

Watching this thread closely.
Umbo, can you link that pine needle thread please?

shroom_seeker, those bags can be found here:
http://sporeworks.com/store/catalog/...p-1-c-258.html

[Hippie3]

oic o' month nominee
http://forums.mycotopia.net/attachme...ue-oysters.jpg

[hyphaenation]

Here's a local thread on using pine needles for Oyster cultivation...

for the record

http://forums.mycotopia.net/oyster-m...e-needles.html (FOAF's Oysters On Pine Needles !)

[Umbo]

Yeah Myc that link Hyphae gave is the one I had seen. Thanks for the original post of that Hyphae, worked great!

[hyphaenation]

I got the idea from a lurker/member/friend that tried it successfully , he passed it to me, then to Umbo ... over to Myc ... and so it goes.

I love how ideas spread quickly in this day and age.

[shroom_seeker]

Well that dunk did the trick, less than a week later and more shrooms appeared. We made tempura out of these

[hyphaenation]

Those look yummy !

Bon Apppatite !

[shroom_seeker]

Originally Posted by hyphaenation

Those look yummy !
Bon Apppatite !

Thanks Hyph

To answer your question I'm not really sure if the caps did open up all the way. I usually harvest them a few days after pinning before they fully mature, so perhaps they could open more?

I could poke more holes for fresh air exchange, if you think it would help. This is the forth flush off these bags!

[hyphaenation]

Its very easy to clone a nice specimin at this stage.

[shroom_seeker]

Originally Posted by hyphaenation

Its very easy to clone a nice specimin at this stage.

If it flushes again I'll make a cloning attempt (something I haven't tried yet ).

I have petri dishes, pre-sterilized malt extract agar, an alcohol lamp and surgical scalpel (Basic Agar Culturing Kit from Sporeworks) just begging to be used!

[shroom_seeker]

Originally Posted by Hippie3

oic o' month nominee
http://forums.mycotopia.net/attachme...ue-oysters.jpg

[shroom_seeker]

Originally Posted by Myc

shroom_seeker, those bags can be found here:
http://sporeworks.com/store/catalog/...p-1-c-258.html

Myc - the bags I'm looking at in that Sporeworks link are called "Large Presealable Autoclavable Gusseted Bulk Spawn Bags " - are those the one's you're suggesting? They look like they'd work, but based on their name I wondered if they are best for the spawning stage? and maybe I need something different for fruiting stage?

[Freaky]

I'm super hungry now!!!!! Tasty Tasty!


I've only had success fruiting in bags with oysters.

[Myc]

Originally Posted by shroom_seeker

Myc - the bags I'm looking at in that Sporeworks link are called "Large Presealable Autoclavable Gusseted Bulk Spawn Bags " - are those the one's you're suggesting? They look like they'd work, but based on their name I wondered if they are best for the spawning stage? and maybe I need something different for fruiting stage?

Those are the ones I use.
I just prepare and load up my substrate
PC
Spawn with grain spawn and seal
Allow to fully colonize
Cut little X's in the bag when ready to fruit
Getting ready to fruit one right now
Pear Oysters spawned to a russian olive woodchip substrate
Can't wait to see what happens.

Have successfully used this idea with Shiitake and
A succesful Reishi experiment is fruiting for me right now.
No yeild comparisons though.
I like the bigger bags posted earlier in this thread.
You could still use the colonized spawnbag to spawn the larger bags.

[shroom_seeker]

Cool, thanks
and good luck with your oysters.