How To Grow Pink Oyster at Home

Agar Cultivation

1. Prepare the agar medium by mixing agar powder with water in a flask or beaker.
2. Autoclave the agar medium to sterilize it and let it cool to around 50°C.
3. Pour the agar medium into petri dishes, leaving some space at the top for inoculation.
4. Inoculate the agar plates with a small piece of pink-oyster mushroom tissue or spores using a sterile technique.
5. Seal the petri dishes with parafilm or tape and incubate them at the appropriate temperature for pink-oyster mushrooms (around 25-30°C).
6. Check the plates regularly for contamination and growth of mycelium.
7. Once the mycelium has fully colonized the agar plates, you can use them to inoculate your substrate for fruiting.

Liquid Culture Cultivation

1. Prepare a sterile work area by cleaning all surfaces with a disinfectant and using a flow hood or still air box.
2. Gather all necessary materials including a liquid culture syringe, sterilized liquid culture medium, and a sterile syringe filter.
3. Inject the liquid culture syringe into the sterilized liquid culture medium, making sure to avoid any contamination.
4. Seal the liquid culture medium with the sterile syringe filter to allow for gas exchange while preventing contamination.
5. Incubate the liquid culture at the appropriate temperature and in a dark environment to allow the mycelium to grow and colonize the medium.
6. Monitor the liquid culture for signs of contamination or growth, and adjust as needed to ensure successful colonization.
7. Once the liquid culture is fully colonized, it is ready to be used to inoculate substrate for fruiting the pink oyster mushrooms.

Substrate Prep and Innoculation

1. Prepare the substrate by mixing together pasteurized straw, sawdust, and gypsum in a large container.
2. Moisten the substrate mixture with water until it reaches the proper moisture content, similar to a wrung-out sponge.
3. Fill grow bags or containers with the substrate mixture, leaving some room at the top for the mushrooms to grow.
4. Inoculate the substrate by adding pink-oyster mushroom spawn to the bags or containers. Distribute the spawn evenly throughout the substrate.
5. Seal the bags or containers with a breathable filter patch or lid to allow for gas exchange.
6. Incubate the inoculated substrate at the optimal temperature and humidity for pink-oyster mushrooms to colonize the substrate.
7. Check the bags or containers regularly for signs of colonization, such as white mycelium growth spreading throughout the substrate.
8. Once the substrate is fully colonized, introduce fresh air and lower the temperature to initiate fruiting of the pink-oyster mushrooms.
9. Maintain proper humidity levels and air circulation to support the growth and development of the mushrooms.
10. Harvest the pink-oyster mushrooms when they reach the desired size and appearance, typically within a few weeks of initiating fruiting.

Fruiting Preparation and Conditions

1. Prepare a fruiting chamber by cleaning and sanitizing it thoroughly to prevent contamination.
2. Fill the bottom of the fruiting chamber with a layer of damp perlite or a similar humidifying material to maintain high humidity levels.
3. Place the colonized substrate blocks or bags containing pink-oyster mushroom mycelium into the fruiting chamber.
4. Maintain a temperature of around 75-80°F (24-27°C) and high humidity levels of 90-95% for optimal fruiting conditions.
5. Provide indirect light or low-intensity fluorescent lighting for 12 hours a day to stimulate fruiting.
6. Monitor the humidity levels regularly and mist the inside of the fruiting chamber with water as needed to maintain high humidity.
7. Check for signs of contamination or mold growth and remove any affected areas immediately to prevent spreading.
8. Harvest the pink-oyster mushrooms when they reach the desired size by cutting them at the base of the stem with a clean knife.
9. Continue to harvest mushrooms as they mature, typically every few days, until the substrate is exhausted or no longer producing fruit bodies.