Her finder du en pasningsvejledning til vores SvampeBlok med Shiitake-svampe. Guiden er skrevet af Thomas Kyle Cometta fra @fungafarm, hvor shiitakeblokkene er forkultiverede. Guiden er på engelsk - hvis du har spørgsmål, skriver du bare her.
God dyrkelyst!
Shiitake Kit:
If you have purchased our Shiitake kit, what you have is an artificial log made up of Danish Beech wood and øko Danish grass that has been colonized by Shiitake mushroom mycelium. Given the right environment, this mycelium will produce a bounty of beautiful fresh Shiitake mushrooms, all you have to do is give it what it needs!
What does it need?
When the mushroom mycelium completely colonizes the log, it is ready to start producing mushrooms. Shiitake mycelium is a bit slower growing than other mushroom species but they all need the same things to make healthy mushrooms: light, oxygen, and most importantly, humidity.
Light: Light tells the mycelium that it is no longer underground and can grow mushrooms which will successfully release their spores to be carried off in the wind. Avoid direct sunlight. Imagine the forest floor and use this as your guide.
Oxygen: Fresh air also tells the mycelium it is above ground and provides the mycelium with the ability to breath as it increases its energy to produce mushrooms. Note: mushrooms breath in oxygen and out CO2 just like we do. Although Shiitake mushrooms are more tolerant to high levels of CO2, it is still important to give it fresh air a couple times a day if you are growing in a container.
Humidity: Mushrooms are mostly water and they need quite a lot of water to stay happy. If the mushroom mycelium dries out too much it can die so keep it moist! If you are growing this kit indoors, then spray it twice a day and consider using a plastic bag or bucket to create a humidity tent. If you are growing this mushroom outdoors, then chose a moist area of the yard and make sure to water it during dry spells.
Temperature?: Shiitake mushroom mycelium is tolerant to a wide range of temperatures but like it best right around 20* just like we do. Colder temperatures will make the mushrooms grow more slowly and warmer temperatures leave the mycelium more vulnerable to contamination. If you are planning on growing them outdoors expect the mushrooms to form between spring and fall, they will survive the winter but the mycelium will be dormant as it waits for conditions to improve.
Should I grow them indoors or outdoors?
Indoor growing: When growing indoors it can be hard to keep humidity high but lighting and air conditions are usually optimal. To keep humidity up, we suggest you make a “tent” by using a plastic bag with holes punched in it or a plastic bin or bucket to cover your Shiitake kit. To keep the humidity high you will need to spray the block liberally at least twice a day. Opening the tent to spray with water will also introduce oxygen if you are using a container without holes. To make a more attractive display, you can use an terrarium or a glass cloche (osteklokke) if you have one large enough.
Important notes: To avoid contamination from bacteria and molds, clean everything thoroughly before putting your Shiitake kit inside it. You can do this with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and/or boiling water.
When preparing your spray bottle, fill it first with boiling water and let it cool before you use it to spray your kit.
When unpacking your kit, use rubber or latex gloves. Remove any mycelium that has begun to crawl its way up the side of the bag and run the block underwater in the sink to remove any debris. Place it directly in the growing container to avoid unnecessary exposer to possible contaminants.
Outdoor growing: This method is much more simple and relies greatly on nature, so depending on the time of year, you may have to wait a while. These Shiitake kits can make a wonderful addition to your garden and when conditions are right (and they often are in Denmark with all the rain) mushrooms will form in abundance!
When is my kit ready to open?
Shiitake mycelium grows more slowly than most other mushrooms and is usually ready when the outside of the mycelium begins to turn brown. This can take anywhere from 2 – 4 months from when the kit was produced. The strain used in these kits (M3776) can form mushrooms even before the mycelium has turned brown so long as you see small lumps forming on the surface. These lumps will turn into mushrooms if the kit is opened and introduced to the right conditions (detailed above). You can also wait until the mycelium turns brown, if you do, keep the kit in a dark place. Light will trigger it to form mushrooms. Check often and if mushrooms begin to form inside of the bag, you should take it out and find it a home.
How do I harvest?
Shiitake stems are quite tough and it is best to use a knife or sharp scissors to cut them at the base close to the log. If the stem is left on, it can be a sight for contamination but if you cut it close to the log the mycelium will heal itself. When a mycelium log grows mushrooms, it is referred to as a flush. Each log can have multiple flushes each being a little smaller than the last as the food source is diminished. Between flushes, let the log dry out a bit and then raise humidity to begin the process again. To accomplish this, you can completely submerge the kit under cold water for a day until it soaks up enough water to begin producing mushrooms again.
Fun notes: Shiitake are one of the oldest cultivated mushrooms and the first recording of their production was in China in the early 1200s! Since then, quite a culture has developed and along with it some strange but interesting techniques for encouraging the mushrooms to grow. Soaking in water (as suggested above) is said to emulate flood like conditions and therefore encourage the mushrooms to grow but there are more tricks to try which simulate natural disasters that trigger mushroom growth in nature. Smacking or striking you Shiitake kit is said to emulate a falling tree and trigger mushrooms to grow, just don’t hit it so hard that you break it or damage the newly formed mushrooms. Playing loud music is said to emulate thunderstorms and help to trigger growth. Some have gone so far as to send electricity through the log to simulate lighting strikes! In nature, mushrooms form with the changing of the seasons, usually in the fall, so putting your kit in the fridge for a day can tell the mushroom that winter is coming and help to induce growth, especially for the second or third flush, but submerging in cold water will also do the trick.
