Exotic Mushrooms

New Age United

Well-Known Member
Has anyone grown oyster and/or shiitake mushrooms? I'm going to be starting soon indoors in a 70 Sq ft space. They sell for $25 a lb in my area so I figure I should be able to get $10 wholesale. Any tips or advice on species, lights, mold control etc.? Also if anyone has any good ideas for an automated mister please share, thanks.
 

cannetix Inc

Well-Known Member
Growing some of these species can be particularly difficult, which is precisely why they sell for such high prices. Some of the medicinal varieties, such as Chaga are borderline impossible to grow.

That being said Oyster and Shiitake are two of the easier ones to grow, so they are a good choice.

6500k Lights are considered by Mycologists to be the best for mushroom cultivation - As I'm sure you're aware, you don't need anything too powerful as Fungi do not photosynthesize like plants. In fact, lighting isn't considered necessary at all but most professional growers consider it highly beneficial, especially if you're growing edibles and not psychoactive species. This is because light exposure is necessary for Fungi to synthesize Vitamin D3 thus giving them a much greater nutritional value.

If you decide to use lights, which I personally recommend, I would suggest going with 6500k Fluorescent Bulbs with a CRI of 98. These bulbs are a good representation of natural daylight, are cheap, and contain a good amount of UV light which helps Vitamin D synthesis and helps prevent (although will not eliminate) mold growth.

If you're on a budget, a small room air-purifier with a HEPA filter, UVC germicidal lights, etc. will help keep dust and mold spores in the air to a minimum, but the best way to prevent mold is to ensure your grow chamber/area is sterile prior to inoculating. The best way is to use a setup known as a flow hood but setting one of these up isnt exactly inexpensive.

I don't have any tips or advice on species besides, but there are lots of spores available from reputable suppliers online, you just have to look into whats best for you.

For an automated mister, there are a number of products out there that measure soil/medium moisture and interface with irrigation systems, so I do not see why you could not modify one to interface with a something like a terrarium mister.

https://www.amazon.com/Reptile-Humidifier-Fogger-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B01CO9582Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1509372514&sr=1-1&keywords=terrarium+mister

Cheers! :leaf::peace:
 

farmerfischer

Well-Known Member
how's your endever going? I'm ordering some oyster and garden marals .. next maybe shiitake..
I was curious to see how things are going for you
.
 

New Age United

Well-Known Member
how's your endever going? I'm ordering some oyster and garden marals .. next maybe shiitake..
I was curious to see how things are going for you
.
I've decided to invest my funds in cubes for now. I'm hoping that after I start growing cubes and save up some cash I will then be able to turn my spare bedroom into a grow room for oysters. It's just that the market for oysters is limited and I already have 2 lbs of cubes a month sold, though with my closet space I'm only expecting to grow 1 lb a month. It' just that I worked out all the numbers and it's a lot more work and time to make relatively the same amount of money the only thing that appeals to me is that it's 100% legit.
 
Top