Mushroom varieties

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We have just started growing mushrooms. We purchased 150 growing bags and seem to have two different types. One is the white oyster mushroom het nang faa (I think) and the other which which is very similar but is more brown and I think it is called het poo taan. But I can't find any reference to the latter.

I have also seen what I understand is Het Hu Nu (The Cloud Ear Fungus) in the local market. Is this cultivated or does it grow wild?

[JungleBiker]

There are many types of oyster mushroom. Sounds like you have two of them.

Het Hoo Noo - translates as "mouse ear mushroom" but in English it may be called Jew's ear mushroom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auricularia_auricula-judae It is usually cultivated.

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I have made more than a few mistakes. But am learning slowly. The poo tan shrooms don't do much the higher the temperatures go and I am looking at ways to cool the mushroom house down. I also have a ton of questions about bugs, diseases and what one should be doing to fumigate and control what does go wrong. Am keen to share with others who might be doing the same.

[tamone]

The whitish one call Hed Nang Rom(เห็ดนางรม) they said this mushroom like hot weather but I'm not succes growing this one. Darker one call Hed Nang Faa(เห็ดนางฟ้า) or Hed Bhutan (เห็ดภูฏาน). I grow Bhutan mushroom all year round at my farm in Buriram. It's about a variety of the mushroom itself (there are more than one of Bhutan mushroom varity), the grow house design, and how you watering it. To control the pest you can choose to go to chemical(I'm in this way) or bio.

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Interesting rack set up. I made the mistake of using bamboo and those bugs are having a hell of a time chewing their way through them. What do you use to control bugs and disease? Do you not find that the Bhutan go quiet when temperatures rise above 35C?

[tamone]

Interesting rack set up. I made the mistake of using bamboo and those bugs are having a hell of a time chewing their way through them. What do you use to control bugs and disease? Do you not find that the Bhutan go quiet when temperatures rise above 35C?

I used to use bamboo and eucaliptus tree to build grow house before when I first start because it is cheapest material to use to build, but it's only last for 1year+. the other down side of wood in grow house is the competitor mold can grow in wood or bark and other pest fly can hide in it too, that make it impossible to control. And if you use to do the same way of watering, like watering every day morning and evennig that is a big WRONG

I'm not a professor but I will share my experience(with my poor english ). To control all flies and other bad mold, you need to change your house from the floor to the roof, change the way you grow and watering. I use concrete floor(change from sand)because it's easy to clean, not dirty when you walk in, protect some pest from the ground. Metal frame to solve wood problem above, use shade cloth wall for good fresh air exchange(more air flow more temperature you can drop) and less hiding place for the flies. I build my house double layer roof, first layer is UV plastic sheet (it is the one they use to build greenhouse) and second layer is 80% shade cloth above it, distance between layers is 20-30cm. to protect the heat from sunlight. This will give your mushroom enought light and fresh air to grow.

watering every day is the wrong way to grow. that will give a chance for mold continue to grow and destroy your mushroom mycelium. You must change the way you grow by force it to fruit the same time. You need to train them this way since the first flush. Only spray the water when it's start to friut until harvested all. The first day I set my timer to spray every 30 minute from 5 am to 4 pm, after that just 3 times a day or more depend on outside humidity. This should take only 4-5 days, between these days spray "White oil(petrolium oil)" every morning after you done daily harvested to kill fly larvae. After day 5th stop watering open your grow house to let it dry this step will stop mold to grow and wait for 5-7 days or until you see it start to fruit 30% of all bag then spray water for 2nd flush and start new cycle.

This summer temperature at my place rise up to 43-44C for a week, after that still too hot. But I think it's more easy to control the mushroom to fruiting cause when I stop watering and it's hot like this, in the house is completely dry and mushroom is completely stop fruiting as long as I want. So I let it dry for 10 days then I start watering it, You know, I got 120+ KG in one day (5200 bags in 1 house), 80 KG in the morning and 60+ at afternoon. This what I mean it's easy to manage.

Heat is good for fruiting stage as I describe above. But in the same time, I lost 15K bags in mycelium training stage. That's a big punch!!!

Edited June 12, 2016 by tamone

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I am still very busy making all the mistakes one has to make and am only doing 1kg to 4kg on some days.

I get a deposit of the rice husk used for casing in the mouth of the growing bag. It appears to be held together with a very fine web. What is responsible for this? It seems to inhibit growth. But if I dig it out there is a 50/50 chance the bag starts producing mushrooms again. I also get a black powdery fungus growing on the outside lip of the mouth of the bag.

[tamone]

I am still very busy making all the mistakes one has to make and am only doing 1kg to 4kg on some days.

I get a deposit of the rice husk used for casing in the mouth of the growing bag. It appears to be held together with a very fine web. What is responsible for this? It seems to inhibit growth. But if I dig it out there is a 50/50 chance the bag starts producing mushrooms again. I also get a black powdery fungus growing on the outside lip of the mouth of the bag.

Casing ? which mushroom do you grow and need casing ? Bhutan mushroom don't need any casing material or open the bag's mouth. I only cut out the bag or open it wide for the last extra flush before throw it out to composting pile(4-6 months of harvest). The fine web you see might be mycelium of mushroom or mold.

another thing I was forget to mention in the last post. From my experience, I think a good amount of bag to start with is 1000-1500 bag(all in same age) per house minimum. 2500 bags is a good number. Because, you will get a good size of grow house to contain these number of bags for stability of temperature and humidity. You will get a good surface area (more bags more surface area) for water to evaporate, that effected to the temperature and humidity in your growing house too.

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Casing ? which mushroom do you grow and need casing ? Bhutan mushroom don't need any casing material or open the bag's mouth. I only cut out the bag or open it wide for the last extra flush before throw it out to composting pile(4-6 months of harvest). The fine web you see might be mycelium of mushroom or mold.

Sorry using the wrong word there. Its a deposit of rice husk used as the growing medium in the growing bag. It is deposited at mouth of the bag. I dig it out. And it is held together by a very fine web. It appears in the older bags and I assume its a creepy crawly digging about in the bag. It often precedes the appearance the very fine black powder fungus which forms on the lip of the bag.

[tamone]

Casing ? which mushroom do you grow and need casing ? Bhutan mushroom don't need any casing material or open the bag's mouth. I only cut out the bag or open it wide for the last extra flush before throw it out to composting pile(4-6 months of harvest). The fine web you see might be mycelium of mushroom or mold.

Sorry using the wrong word there. Its a deposit of rice husk used as the growing medium in the growing bag. It is deposited at mouth of the bag. I dig it out. And it is held together by a very fine web. It appears in the older bags and I assume its a creepy crawly digging about in the bag. It often precedes the appearance the very fine black powder fungus which forms on the lip of the bag.

Maybe it's just a spawning seeds. Usually, they use sorghum grain to spawn but whole rice(with husk) can also be use too. You need to clean those grain out at first day you've got your bags, if not, that black powder is a result. Can you show me some pic of the bag ?

this is bottle of sorghum I use to spawn the bag. maybe your bag is spawning by rice instead. the whitish web are mushroom mycelium growing out from the PDA at the center of the circle. I only add these grain just a thin layer spreading to cover the mouth of the bag. too much of grain easily cause black mold to grow on top. This bottle is not ready to use, I need to wait until the mycelium grow to cover all the grain then can use it to spawn my bags.

This might be what you've talking about, fine web(mushroom mycelium) holding the grain together

this pic show the mycelium after about 2 weeks after I spawned with sorghum. the grow media in this bag is all woodchip. I'd wait until these white hair growing all the bag, then open the cap, clean out the grain, wait until it's start to fruit then spray water.

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Will take some pictures. Black mould sounds about right. Midge like insects also seem to be part of the process.

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The black fungus forms on the lip of the growing bag. I take them outside, dust off a very fine black powder and then brush off the hairy threads. I put the bags back in my intensive care rack and watch them.

Edited June 18, 2016 by backtofront

[tamone]

The black fungus forms on the lip of the growing bag. I take them outside, dust off a very fine black powder and then brush off the hairy threads. I put the bags back in my intensive care rack and watch them.

How old are those bags? That black stuff looks like last stage of slimemold to me(don't know how to call),If you see yellow slime before it's turn to black dust(spore) like this, It's slimemold. This kind of

mold will appear when your grow house has contineuos high humidity or when mushroom bags are harvested for long time. I usually keep my bag just 4-5 months max. because if I keep it for for longer than

that it's less produce and start to molding, it is hard to clean it's spore in grow house and will contaminate the new set of bag.

IMO, your bag(in the pic) looks too bad to fruit again, cause it's turn dark in to half a bag. Next time before you take new bags in. You need to spray bleach(haiter) all inside your grow house, spreading lime to thefloor. (But like I said, grow house build by wood is hard to clean.) And you should change how you spraying water in your grow house.

In this pic, is my mushroom bags that I start to fruit them since february (4 months now). Usually I'll take them out at this age. But I decide to take them out next month, Becauase this summer I let it stay dry for too long when it super hot in March-April. So the nutrients still remain and they still looking good.

one more question, Where are your farm ?

Edited June 18, 2016 by tamone

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The bags are 4 to 5 months old. Will look for the slimemould. Thx.

Do you make your own racks or do you buy them in? Do you have a support shelf in each sling? Not really farming. Experimenting and making mistakes before taking the plunge. We are an hour outside Kanchanaburi.

Edited June 18, 2016 by backtofront

[tamone]

you mean to this things? yes, I make it myself from #14 galvanized wire, tie with 2.5mm nylon rope and hanging on the bar made from 1/2" water pipe. look at my plan.

[tamone]

some more pic

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Very neat. Water? Do you use the water pipes in your build structure with a spray nozzle ? Does one want to use a mist spray or is a standard spray nozzle OK. I am coming to the conclusion that too much direct watering results in pink slimy mushrooms.

[tamone]

Very neat. Water? Do you use the water pipes in your build structure with a spray nozzle ? Does one want to use a mist spray or is a standard spray nozzle OK. I am coming to the conclusion that too much direct watering results in pink slimy mushrooms.

yes, all structure is galvanized pipe, but each part has difference in tickness. In this pic is my new grow house. Just built in january.

About water pipe and nozzle, I use PE pipe for water and mini sprinkler to spray.

mini sprinklers in left side that I use. I used the mist nozzle in the right side before. It just raising humidity in the house, that grow more mold. Water particle from this nozzle are too small, it not fall down straight, some bags are too wet some are too dry. Mushroom need (it's bag) to wet like rain but not alway wet. I've a lot experience with this kind of nozzle(cannot explain in english hahaha).

Edited June 19, 2016 by tamone

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There goes another theory. I was about to swap out to the mist spray

Why galvanised pipe and not PVC for watering?

edit: Had another look and the water pipe looks like black PVC? Is that right?

Edited June 20, 2016 by backtofront

[tamone]

There goes another theory. I was about to swap out to the mist spray

Why galvanised pipe and not PVC for watering?

edit: Had another look and the water pipe looks like black PVC? Is that right?

PVC for structure ? Nooooooo !!! Look at it bend when add those bags, too much weight PVC can support. I use the thickest pipe to made this bar.

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I meant your watering system. You use PVC piping for the sprinklers?

[tamone]

I meant your watering system. You use PVC piping for the sprinklers?

I use PE pipe (or tube ?) for watering system. It's more easy to work with.

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[tamone]

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I got 120+ KG in one day (5200 bags in 1 house), 80 KG in the morning and 60+ at afternoon.

What do you do with 120kg a day? Bangkok market? My wife pedals around to the neighbours selling our 2kg a day. But anything more than that has us running in circles. How many of you are needed to pick the mushrooms? Do you cut and clean the stalks, brushing them to remove any particles? What price do you get?

Oyster mushrooms go for 60B a kg at our local market rising to 70B and 90B just before the last rain we had.

[tamone]

Let me done these first

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[tamone]

I got 120+ KG in one day (5200 bags in 1 house), 80 KG in the morning and 60+ at afternoon.

What do you do with 120kg a day? Bangkok market? My wife pedals around to the neighbours selling our 2kg a day. But anything more than that has us running in circles. How many of you are needed to pick the mushrooms? Do you cut and clean the stalks, brushing them to remove any particles? What price do you get?

Oyster mushrooms go for 60B a kg at our local market rising to 70B and 90B just before the last rain we had.

just a local market. I'm a wholesaler(this word?) sell to the seller at local market and some restaurant in the city. I start my bussiness with 2 house(has 3 house but only 2 that put mushroom bags at a time)with 2500-3500 each house. First I let the kids in my village go to sell it at local market at a low price about 50 Baht (3-4 years ago). and it's take 3 days then some seller in that market come to take all my mushroom. That's how I find my customer. When my brother come to join me later I let him do like that again at another market, I've got more customer some are seller in that market some are restuarant in the city. For now I sell my mushroom 60 baht/kg all year round, go deliver or some come to take it at my place.

about 120 kg. It's kind of not that much everyday. When it come to that much If I cannot sell it all. I can put it in the fridge at 13C for a week and still fresh. I once got highest at 200+ kg. in one flush out of 1 house 5200 bags, 3 days of harvest(sound like impossible ?). That come after I fixed(which word?) green mold attack that make it not fruit for long time maybe 2-3 weeks. But in normally the peak is 100-150 kg. in 2nd or 3rd flush then it's get lower and lower. the 1st flush usually not a good harvest, It's likely come out misshape or rotten.

The key is, You should harvest the mushroom at a young stage, look at my last pic, you need to pick it when the fruit body still some curly rim not completly flat out. Other mushroom farmer like to pick it when it's too big. They think that give them more weight, That's not true. younger mushroom can longer storage life, and you will get the same weight. there are some point of mushroom to gain there weight then it's just go bigger with the sam mass only absorb water(like a sponge), that make it easy to rotten. The buyer like to buy a young and small mushroom than bigger one.

[tamone]

Early stage of slime mold. This likely to appear when bag is old.so, just throw it away. If it appear on new bag, I use 95% ethyl alcohol 400 ml. : 20 litres of water to spray. This mold can easily spread to other bag at this stage, be careful when touch it .

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Do spray the infected bag? Or do you remove it and spray the other bags in the rack?

[tamone]

Do spray the infected bag? Or do you remove it and spray the other bags in the rack?

spray directly in to the mold. alcohol act like a washer. you will see the mold get washed out as soon as it contact with solution. But it's best to do this early, when the mold not grow big like this. I did not going in harvest in this house cause it full of disease(mite, mold) I don't want to spread these things to another house.And it has not much mushroom to pick. so, I let my sister-in-law to pick in this house as a training and she just don't know what is what .

you can increase or decrease the ratio to experiment. I just accident found this way to remove slime mold when I added too much alcohol in my daily fertilizing (which word to use?) solution and I see the slime mold in one bag got washed out when touch with the solution I just spray in to it.

Edited June 21, 2016 by tamone

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You fertilise? I have been told to leave the bags alone and to ensure no water gets in the mouth of the bag. I attribute all my problems to the fact that the bamboo poles are uneven and some bags point the wrong way allowing water in when I spray. How do you fertilise? What do you use?