Welcome to the world of enoki mushrooms! Are you ready to embark on a rewarding journey of growing your own supply of these delicate and flavorful fungi? Look no further than our comprehensive guide, where we provide you with all the information you need to successfully cultivate enoki mushrooms in the comfort of your own home. From selecting the perfect substrate to creating the optimal growing conditions, we've got you covered every step of the way. Not only are enoki mushrooms a culinary delight, but they also offer a plethora of health benefits, making them a valuable addition to your diet. Join us on this exciting adventure and start growing your own enoki mushrooms today!
Natural Habitat
• Ecosystem:
On hardwoods, particularly elms and willows
• Locations:
Worldwide
• Seasons:
Winter
• Climate:
Temperate
• Substrate:
Wood
Growing Params
• Difficulty:
Moderate
• Total Time:
32 - 46 Days
• PH Range:
5.5 - 6.5
• Pref Suppl's:
Wheat Bran
Yield Performance
• Units:
% Weight of Substrate
• Poor:
10
• Average:
20
• Good:
30
• Excellent:
40
Culture Instructions
Agar Cultivation
Supplies Needed
- • Agar Powder: Cellular medium for agar plates.
- • Petri Dishes: Containers for pouring agar medium.
- • Agar Jar: Narrow Mouth Jar with Sealing Lid is optimal.
- • Parafilm: For Sealing the agar after innoculation. Grafting Tape is also sufficient.
- • Scissors: Tool for cutting sealing tape to length.
- • Stir Plate: Optional: Thorough mixing with sagenetic stirrir improves results by distributing nutrients evenly
- • Nutrient Medium: Nutrition can be Light Malt Extract, Honey, Karo ext. For Mycelial Expansion.
- • Suppliments: Suppliments not required, but can sometimes be added to the liquid culture medium to increase growth rates.
- • Clean Environment: Flow Hood is optimal, but a still air box can be used.
- • Pressure Cooker: Equipment for sterilizing agar mixture and Petri dishes.
- • Scalpel or Innoculation Loop: Tool for transferring mycelium to agar plates.
- • Alcohol Lamp or Burner: Sterilization tool for flame sterilizing instruments.
Growing Params
Recipe: MEA
Temperature Range:72 - 77 °F
CO2 Range:5000 - 10000 ppm
Growth Duration:10 - 20 Days
Cultivation Notes: Standard agar conditions
Liquid Culture
Supplies Needed
- • Sterile Jar: Clean container for liquid culture inoculation.
- • Modified Lid: Lid should have a filter port for gas exchange. Syringe Port Optional.
- • Clean Environment: Flow Hood is optimal, but a still air box can be used.
- • Nutrient Medium: Nutrition can be Light Malt Extract, Honey, Karo ext. For Mycelial Expansion.
- • Suppliments: Suppliments not required, but can sometimes be added to the liquid culture medium to increase growth rates.
- • Pressure Cooker: Equipment for sterilizing liquid culture medium.
- • Scalpel or Syringe: Tool for transferring mycelial mass to growth medium.
- • Alcohol Lamp or Burner: Sterilization tool for flame sterilizing instruments.
Growing Params
Recipe: PDBLC
Temperature Range:72 - 77 °F
CO2 Range:5000 - 10000 ppm
Growth Duration:20 - 25 Days
Cultivation Notes: Standard LC conditionsStir Daily
Agar Cultivation
- Prepare the agar medium by mixing water, agar powder, and nutrients such as malt extract or potato dextrose agar in a flask.
- Autoclave the agar medium to sterilize it and let it cool to around 50°C.
- Pour the agar medium into petri dishes or culture tubes, leaving some space at the top for inoculation.
- Inoculate the agar medium with a small piece of enoki mushroom tissue or spores using a sterile technique.
- Seal the petri dishes or culture tubes with parafilm or tape to prevent contamination.
- Incubate the agar plates or tubes in a dark, warm place (around 25-30°C) for several weeks until mycelium growth is visible.
- Monitor the growth regularly and transfer healthy mycelium to fresh agar plates to continue the culture.
- Use the agar cultures to inoculate a substrate such as sterilized sawdust or straw to grow enoki mushrooms.
- Continue to maintain and propagate the culture for future use or experimentation.
Liquid Culture Cultivation
- Prepare a sterile work area by cleaning all surfaces with a disinfectant and using a laminar flow hood if available.
- Gather all necessary materials including a liquid culture syringe, sterile water, malt extract agar, and a pressure cooker.
- Prepare the malt extract agar by mixing it with sterile water according to the manufacturer's instructions and sterilize it in the pressure cooker.
- Allow the agar to cool to around 50-60 degrees Celsius before inoculating it with the liquid culture syringe.
- Inject the liquid culture into the agar by inserting the needle through the top layer of agar and releasing a small amount of culture.
- Incubate the inoculated agar in a warm, dark place for 7-14 days, or until mycelium growth is visible.
- Once the mycelium has fully colonized the agar, it is ready to be used to inoculate your substrate for growing enoki mushrooms.
Spawn Instructions
Supplies Needed
- • Mason Jars or Bags: Containers for sterilizing and inoculating grains.
- • Modified Lid: Lid should have a filter port for gas exchange. Syringe Port Optional.
- • Grains: Substrate material for spawn inoculation. (e.g. Rye, Millet)
- • Clean Environment: Flow Hood is optimal, but a still air box can be used.
- • Suppliments: Suppliments not required, but can sometimes be added to the grain medium to increase growth rates.
- • Pressure Cooker: Equipment for sterilizing grain substrate.
- • Inoculation Tool : Tool for transferring colonized spawn to substrate. (e.g. Scalpel, Syringe)
- • Alcohol Lamp or Burner: Sterilization tool for flame sterilizing instruments.
Growing Params
Spawn Material: Whole Oats
Temperature Range:72 - 77 °F
Moisture Content:49 - 55 %
Fresh Air Exchange:0 - 1 / Hour
CO2 Range:5000 - 10000 ppm
Growth Duration:7 - 14 Days
Grain Spawn Prep and Innoculation
- Prepare your grain spawn by soaking it in water for 12-24 hours to hydrate the grains.
- After soaking, drain the grains and fill your jars or bags with the hydrated grain spawn, leaving some space at the top for shaking.
- Sterilize the grain spawn by pressure cooking at 15 PSI for 90 minutes to kill any contaminants.
- Allow the grain spawn to cool to room temperature before inoculation.
- Inoculate the cooled grain spawn with enoki mushroom culture using a sterile syringe or agar wedge.
- Seal the jars or bags with a breathable filter patch or micropore tape to allow for gas exchange.
- Incubate the inoculated grain spawn at the optimal temperature for enoki mushrooms (around 70-75°F) in a dark, draft-free area.
- Check the grain spawn regularly for signs of colonization, which will appear as white mycelium spreading throughout the grains.
- Once fully colonized, the grain spawn is ready to be used to inoculate your fruiting substrate for growing enoki mushrooms.
Substrate Instructions
Supplies Needed
- • Substrate Mix: Substrate material for mushroom growth. (e.g., Sawdust, Wood Chips, Fast Fruiting Mix, Brown Rice)
- • Suppliments: Suppliments not required, but can sometimes be added to the grain medium to increase growth rates.
- • Substrate Container: Polypropylene Bags or Plastic Containers for sterilizing and inoculating substrate.
- • Mycelial Mass: Typically Colonized Grain Jars or Liquid Culture for inoculation.
- • Clean Environment: Flow Hood is optimal, but a still air box can be used.
- • Pressure Cooker or Steam Sterilizer: Equipment for sterilizing substrate.
Growing Params
Substrate: Hardwood Sawdust
Sub to Spawn Ratio: 3:1
Sub to LC Ratio: 4ml/qt
Temperature Range:72 - 77 °F
Humidity Range:90 - 100 RH
Fresh Air Exchange:0 - 1 / Hour
CO2 Range:5000 - 10000 ppm
Growth Duration:20 - 30 Days
Substrate Prep and Innoculation
- Prepare the substrate by mixing hardwood sawdust with wheat bran in a ratio of 5:1.
- Moisten the substrate mixture until it reaches a field capacity moisture level.
- Fill sterilized plastic bags with the substrate mixture, leaving some room at the top for the mushrooms to grow.
- Inoculate the substrate with enoki mushroom spawn by evenly distributing it throughout the bags.
- Seal the bags with a filter patch or micropore tape to allow for gas exchange.
- Incubate the inoculated bags in a dark, warm (75-80°F) environment for 2-3 weeks.
- Check the bags regularly for signs of colonization by the mycelium, which will appear as white, thread-like growth.
- Once the substrate is fully colonized, move the bags to a cooler (55-60°F), well-ventilated area with indirect light to initiate fruiting.
- Maintain humidity levels around 90% and mist the bags regularly to keep the substrate moist.
- Harvest the enoki mushrooms when the caps are fully developed but before the stems elongate too much, typically around 3-4 weeks after initiating fruiting.
Primordia Instructions
Supplies Needed
- • Fruiting Chamber: Controlled environment chamber for pinning and fruiting.
- • Control Automation: Optional. Controller and sensors for maintaining temperature, humidity, lighting ext.
- • Casing Layer: Optional. Species Dependant. Humidification material for maintaining humidity in the fruiting chamber.
- • Hygrometer: Instrument for measuring humidity levels.
- • Humidifier: Optional. Could be spray bottle or humidifer. Tool for misting and humidifying the fruiting chamber.
Growing Params
Casing Layer: None
Temperature Range:50 - 55 °F
Humidity Range:85 - 90 RH
Light Wave Length:0 - 0 nm
Light Intensity:0 - 0 Lux
Light Duration: n/a Hours/Day
Fresh Air Exchange:4 - 5 / Hour
CO2 Range:0 - 1000 ppm
Growth Duration:2 - 3 Days
Cultivation Notes: Initial pinning phase
Primordia Initiation
- Prepare a clean and sanitized growing area with controlled temperature and humidity levels suitable for enoki mushrooms.
- Inoculate the substrate with enoki mushroom spawn, ensuring even distribution throughout the substrate.
- Cover the inoculated substrate with a casing layer to promote primordia formation.
- Maintain high humidity levels (90-95%) and low light conditions to stimulate primordia initiation.
- Monitor the substrate moisture levels regularly to ensure it remains moist but not waterlogged.
- Continue to provide proper air circulation to prevent the growth of contaminants and promote healthy primordia development.
- Within 7-14 days, primordia should start to form on the surface of the substrate. Once primordia are visible, adjust the growing conditions to support fruiting body development.
Fruiting Instructions
Supplies Needed
- • Fruiting Chamber: Controlled environment chamber for fruiting.
- • Temperature Control System: Equipment for maintaining optimal fruiting temperatures.
- • Fresh Air Exchange System: System to provide adequate fresh air exchange in the fruiting chamber.
- • Light Source: Light source to provide required illumination for fruiting. (e.g., LED Grow Light)
- • Harvesting Tools: Tools for harvesting mushrooms without damaging the mycelium. (e.g., Knife, Scissors)
Growing Params
Temperature Range:50 - 55 °F
Humidity Range:80 - 85 RH
Light Wave Length:400 - 700 nm
Light Intensity:395 - 480 lux
Light Duration: 12 Hours/Day
Fresh Air Exchange:4 - 5 / Hour
CO2 Range:0 - 1000 ppm
Growth Duration:14 - 21 Days
Flushes:2 - 3
Flushing Schedule:9 - 10 Days
Cultivation Notes: Standard fruiting conditions
Fruiting Preparation and Conditions
- Prepare a fruiting chamber by cleaning and sanitizing it thoroughly to prevent contamination.
- Fill the fruiting chamber with a substrate suitable for enoki mushrooms, such as a mixture of sawdust and rice bran.
- Inoculate the substrate with enoki mushroom spawn, ensuring even distribution throughout the substrate.
- Place the fruiting chamber in a dark, cool location with high humidity levels (around 85-90%).
- Maintain the temperature in the fruiting chamber between 45-55°F (7-13°C) to encourage fruiting.
- Monitor the humidity levels regularly and mist the substrate if necessary to maintain high humidity.
- Provide fresh air exchange by opening the fruiting chamber periodically to allow for proper gas exchange.
- Continue to monitor the growth of the enoki mushrooms, ensuring they receive adequate moisture and ventilation.
- Harvest the enoki mushrooms once they reach the desired size, typically around 3-5 inches in length.