A mushroom growing business can be a source of additional or main income. You can grow various types of mushrooms, among domestic mushroom growers the most popular are oyster mushrooms, champignons and honey agarics. The technology of growing mushrooms is simple and does not require special skills, and the harvest can be obtained all year round.
Features of the technology of growing mushrooms
First of all, you need to prepare the room, you can grow mushrooms in the basement of a private house or in a barn. It is recommended to treat the walls in the room with a disinfectant solution.
To grow mushrooms, it is necessary to prepare a special substrate, which may include sawdust and straw. There are technological features of the preparation of the substrate for various types of mushrooms. To grow oyster mushrooms, the substrate should be finely chopped and steamed in hot water. The substrate for honey agarics is pasteurized with a hot nutrient solution, to which starch, jam or corn flour are added. Ready-made compost is added to the mushroom substrate.
The substrate is placed in layers in polyethylene bags 40 x 90 cm in size. The mycelium is laid out between the layers. A small hole is made in the bag every 10-15 centimeters.
Mycelium should be purchased from a trusted supplier, since the yield depends on the quality of the mycelium.
Mushrooms should be germinated in a closed, dark and humid room at a temperature of about 22 ° C. As soon as mushroom shoots appear in the cut holes, the bags with myceliums should be transferred to a cooler room. In order for the mushrooms to grow quickly, it is necessary that the room temperature is about 15 ° C, for 12 hours a day the room with the myceliums should be illuminated.
Fluorescent lamps can be used to illuminate the room.
Organization of business and product sales
At the initial stage, mushrooms can be grown in the basement of a rural house, in a garage or in a barn. It is recommended to insulate the walls in the room with expanded polystyrene. It is recommended to divide the room into three zones. In the first zone, the substrate and mycelium will be laid in packages. In the second zone, mushrooms will sprout, and in the third zone, they will grow and develop.
In order for the mushroom business to bring a stable income, you need a large premises (about 600 sq. M.), So at the first stage it is worth treating this business as a source of additional income.
The most difficult thing is not to grow mushrooms, but to sell them. Finding a regular wholesale buyer for a novice mushroom grower is difficult. You can sell mushrooms through restaurants and shops, but for this you need to obtain documents confirming the quality of the mushrooms. Therefore, at the first stage, it is best to sell mushrooms through friends and acquaintances. You can store mushrooms in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days.
The cultivation of mushrooms can be turned into a waste-free business, the used substrate can be used as an excellent fertilizer for the soil and sold to rural residents.
