Growing Oyster

Mushrooms In A Box
Dennis Morgeson
Agent for Horticulture
Washington County

Oyster Mushrooms
Scientific Name: Pleurotus species
A delicate woodland fungi native to temperate
forests around the world
Cultivated worldwide on a variety of
substrates (straw etc.)
Aggressive colonizers making them easy to
cultivate

Who Should Eat Oyster Mushrooms?

Everyone! Especially:
1. Those who are anemic: oyster mushrooms improve haemopoietic factors.
2. Those who are trying to control hypertension, obesity and diabetes: oyster
mushrooms are high potassium yet have a low sodium/potassium ratio, and are
also low in starch, fat and caloric value.
3. Those who suffer from hyperacidity and constipation: Oyster mushrooms have
beneficial high fiber content and alkaline ash content.
4. Those who wish to lower cholesterol levels: oyster mushroom naturally contain
0.4%-2.7% of lovastatin, commonly used in cholesterol lowering drugs.
5. Those wishing to bolster their immune systems: Oyster mushrooms contain
some antibiotic properties and immune boosting properties

Nutritious
High in vitamin B complex and protein
Contain mineral salts the human body needs
Also contains high levels of vitamin A
Contains double the amount of calcium,
phosphorus, and iron than beef, pork, or
chicken
Fat and cholesterol free!

Oyster Examples

Golden Oyster
A luminous citrine yellow mushroom
with a tangy flavor perfect in small
quantities as an edible garnish.
This mushroom lightens in color
when sauted to provide a fungal
feast for both palate and eye. Golden
Oysters fruit naturally in late spring
and again in late summer - perfect for
outdoor summer cultivation.
Provide 600 lux for the deepest
yellow color: In other words, for best
results, supplement your regular
lighting by placing near a south facing
window when growing indoors.
Fruits at 60-85 degrees

Oyster Examples
Grey Dove
Grey Dove Oyster strain is prolific
and reliable, setting the standard
to which every Oyster strain is
compared.
Steel blue pins slowly change into
silvery grey as the cap matures,
so if you want blue colored
Oysters, harvest them early.
The shape is classic Oyster;
graceful stem with a shell-shaped
cap, sturdy, and a good shipper.
Fruits at 45-65 degrees

Oyster Examples
Italian Oyster
A mild flavored mushroom
featuring robust, thickstemmed, mushrooms in
gorgeous clusters.
Ideal for customers who prefer
a larger, sturdier Oyster
mushroom.
Mature mushrooms have a
delicate brown colored cap
with beautifully contrasting
white stems. A vigorous
producer.
Fruits at 50-70 degrees

Oyster Examples
King Oyster
This species is different than many
others in the Pleurotus group as the
stem is entirely edible and is in fact,
superlative.
The fat, dense stems can be sliced
into coin-shaped pieces and cooked
until crispy. The smaller caps are
lighter and crunchy when sauted. It
is a more difficult mushroom to fruit
and prefers sterilized, supplemented
sawdust as a substrate.
Best for experienced growers. Fruits
at temperatures between 55-65 F.

Oyster Examples
Pink Oyster
Pink to salmon in color, this
warmth-loving Oyster is
perfect for the farm market
season.
Tuck one small cluster in a
box of mixed Oysters and
prepare for your customers
to fall in love! This Oyster
doesn't like the cold! Grow
March through October
only.
Fruits at 65-85 degrees

Oyster Examples
PoHu Oyster
The Orient unveils another
productive Oyster strain for
growers using pasteurized and
unpasteurized substrates.
The PoHu strain is a heavy
producer of large, thick leafy
clusters of ocher to white
colored mushrooms, fruiting at
temperatures between 55-85
F.
A good summer strain. Fragile
caps require gentle handling.

Getting Started
There are different methods for growing
oysters at home:
Bed or Box of Straw Method
Poly Bag Method
Pasteurized or Unpasteurized
We will concentrate on the easiest method
which is unpasteurized bed or box method on
straw

Oysters in a Bed or Box

Select your variety, for home use
PoHu or Grey Dove are the
easiest most consistent
producers, generally spawn or
inoculum are on grain and called
grain spawn
Select a Box: Bigger is better, no
smaller than 2 X 2 X 2 (smaller
boxes dry out too fast)
Cardboard boxes work great but
decompose and can only be
used once
Plastic totes work the best and
stay moist longer

Soak the Straw

Straw from wheat or
oat work best but other
grain straws can be
used
Pull apart straw and put
in large clean tubs,
trash cans etc.
Fill the tubs with water
and add a weight to
hold down the straw
Soak for 5 days

Pack The Box

Drain the water from the straw
Use 10% of the wet weight of the straw in grain
spawn (40lbs of wet straw would be inoculated
with 10lbs of grain spawn)
Layer straw and spawn in the box, add three
inches of straw and sprinkle with grain and repeat
until the box is full
When the box is full cover the top with clear
plastic and tuck it securely between the straw
and box

Pack The Box

The goal is for the top of the
straw to not dry out
If using a cardboard box pull
flaps over the top for
darkness, if using a plastic or
clear container place the tub
in the dark
Maintain temperatures at 6575 degrees for 4 weeks
(basements work great year
round for this) temperature
is dependent on variety
grown as well

Fruiting
When the box is ready to fruit the straw will
be knitted together on top with a mass of
white mycelium
Pull up the plastic so as it isnt touching the
top of the straw and make a tent over the box
to maintain moisture but do allow some air
exchange
Move the box to at least some light for 6-8
hours per day natural or artificial

Fruiting
Keep the humidity up
by misting the top of
the box daily with water
Its best if you can keep
the temperature 10
degrees cooler for
fruiting than during the
inoculation phase
After 1-2 weeks tiny
mushrooms of pins
should form, keep
misting until oysters are
big enough to eat

Fruiting
Harvest by gently pulling
them from the straw
Keep misting and
harvesting until no more
mushrooms form then
chuck the straw in the
compost pile!
You can drill holes in the
side of the containers just
before fruiting with drill
bit on 8 centers (this may
increase yields)

No Set Rules

No Set Rules: Other Substrates

Wood shavings
Saw Dust
Newspaper Pellets
Soybean Hulls
Basically if it is organic oysters will feed on it and
reproduce i.e. make mushrooms for you to eat.

After Harvest Oyster Mushrooms

After harvesting place in a
plastic bag and place in the
fridge, dont clean or wash
until you are ready to use
Some people dont wash
mushrooms but gently clean
them with a brush (I rinse
with water and dry with
paper towels)
Cut off the tip end of the
stalk as it is tough and may
contain bits of straw or
substrate

Preservation
Saut mushrooms in butter and freeze in plastic
bags, or blanch mushrooms in boiling water for 3
minutes dry and freeze
Drying is the easiest and maintains quality, simply
clean mushrooms, slice if you like but you dont
have to, and place them in a food dehydrator for
the recommended time for your model
Bag dried mushrooms and store at room
temperature

Preservation
When ready to use dried
mushrooms poor boiling
water over them and let
them stand for several
minutes until they plump
up and then use as you
would fresh mushrooms
If using for soups you
dont even have to
rehydrate them you can
simply put them in the
soup!

Questions?