Oyster Mushroom Growing at Home
Oyster Mushrooms on Cardboard
Method for Beginners or Kids
Equipment needed:
Gallon Sized Ziplock
Breathable medical tape like Micropore, Transpore, or Durapore, available at most pharmacies
Corrugated cardboard- No ink or tape, you can use just the middle corrugated part.
Large Pot to boil water or Instant pot
Hydrogen Peroxide
Rubbing Alcohol 70%
Cutting Board and knife/ blender
Clean kitchen towels
Oyster Mushroom fruit
Preferred: Disposable gloves and mask to avoid contamination- otherwise, very clean hands
Oysters are the easiest to grow with minimal equipment. You can often find them for sale in grocery stores, and they can be cloned.
Here's a simple method that's fairly easy for kids to help with. Gather large ziplock baggies (one gallon or larger), breathable medical tape like Micropore, Transpore, or Durapore, (available at most pharmacies)
Cut some corrugated cardboard boxes into pieces that can be easily managed and fit into your large boil pot (avoid tape and ink, otherwise remove ink portions on cardboard). After boiling, drain and then squeeze as much water out with clean and gloved hands. Then press the pieces between clean bath towels to eliminate all excess moisture, and keep covered.
Next, take some oyster mushrooms and swish in hydrogen peroxide to reduce bacterial load - remember to use clean gloves or hands while handling materials.
Chop up the mushrooms into tiny pieces with a clean knife on a clean cutting board or tear into small pieces by hand (this allows stronger mycelium development) Alternatively, run the mushrooms lightly through a blender to make a paste or slurry.
Layer bits of mushroom throughout a thick sandwich or burrito made of the cardboard pieces, taking care to have some of the mushroom bits near the edges of the cardboard, so that you can begin to see the growth of mycelium early in the process. Place the cardboard in a ziplock bag with some airspace and zip closed. Cut a small hole in the baggie, about 1/2" square, not touching the cardboard, and cover the hole with the breathable tape. You'll see the cardboard get covered with white stuff over the next couple of weeks, especially between the edges of the layers. When it seems to be fully colonized, open the zip a little and press out as much air as you can, zip closed, and fold or roll the baggie tight around the cardboard, taping in place. Make a couple of half-inch slits in the plastic next to the myceliated cardboard, and place the baggie in a place that you can keep humid. A translucent trash bag tented over the baggie helps, and spritzing water from a spray bottle into the tent will keep humidity up. You also want to ensure that the fungus gets plenty of fresh air, so do this often. Watch the slits in the bag - one day you should discover a mass of tiny mushroom "pins" forming there. That's it. There are lots of variations on this and google is really helpful in finding an approach that most closely suits you.
