Substrate Pleurotus Pulmonarius
The Pleurotus Pulmonarius Substrate allows you to easily grow mushrooms inside the Grow Box. Simply make a few cuts on the packaging and place the block inside the machine. Ideal for beginners, it does not require complex sterilization operations or mixing of mycelium and culture soil. Let's discover its features together!
Basic Information
Class: Basidiomycetes
Scientific name: Pleurotus pulmonarius
Common names: Indian oyster, Italian oyster, Phoenix mushroom, lung oyster, German (Lungenseitling), Dutch (Bleke oesterzwam).
Characteristics
Cap: 5-15 cm in diameter, starting convex before becoming flat or slightly depressed. Its shape is fan-like or semicircular.
Gills: run along the stem and can be close or almost distant, with short gills being frequent. Initially whitish, they may fade to yellow with age.
Stem: the stem can be absent or rudimentary but is often present. It measures 1 to 4 cm in length and 0.20 to 0.39 inches, 5 to 1 cm in thickness, and can be eccentric or lateral, or even central. The stem is peeled and whitish, with a white basal mycelium.
Flesh: white, somewhat tough, with a mild odor and sweet taste.
Spore: white in mass.
Natural Habitat
It is a saprophytic-parasitic fungus, found on tree trunks, especially broadleaf. It usually fruits from spring to September: with the grow-box, you can extend the maturation period, achieving harvests even in late autumn!
Cultivation Requirements
Temperature: 27°C for mycelium growth, 18-27°C for fruiting
Humidity: 95-100% during colonization, 85-90% during fruiting
Tips
- Growth Stages: most mushrooms have two main growth stages: substrate colonization by the mycelium and fruiting (production of fruiting bodies). These stages often require slightly different conditions.
- Ventilation: besides temperature and humidity, proper ventilation is crucial, especially during the fruiting stage. It helps prevent the formation of unwanted molds and bacteria and stimulates the formation of fruiting bodies.
- Substrate: the type and quality of the substrate significantly influence growth. Each species has specific substrate preferences.
- Light: although mushrooms do not perform photosynthesis, many species require a certain amount of light to stimulate fruiting and determine growth direction. In this regard, the Grow Box with its lighting bodies is useful for cultivation!
- pH: the pH of the substrate is another important factor. Most mushrooms prefer a slightly acidic environment, with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. In the case of a ready-to-use substrate like this, you don't have to worry about it as the product is already mixed and inoculated!
- Thermal Shock: thermal shock can create problems in mycelium propagation or fruiting, generating molds and contaminants in the substrate, on primordia, or on the mushrooms themselves. Only some species, like Shiitake, benefit from a thermal shock (temporary exposure to lower temperatures) to stimulate fruiting.
- Humidity Cycles: some growers practice humidity cycles, alternating periods of high humidity with periods of slight drying, to stimulate fruiting body production. In this case, it will be sufficient to monitor the tray and the display. If the temperature rises excessively and humidity drops below a certain threshold, it is recommended to temporarily turn off the lights.
- Contaminations: controlling temperature and humidity is also essential to prevent the growth of contaminating organisms such as molds and bacteria. If yellow spots or yellow liquid appear on the substrate, it means the mushroom has come into contact with a contaminant and is reacting by producing an antibiotic substance (the liquid).
- Adaptation: fungal species can slightly adapt to conditions different from optimal ones, but this can affect the yield and quality of the fruiting bodies.
- Constant Monitoring: given the sensitivity of mushrooms to environmental conditions, constant and precise monitoring of temperature and humidity throughout the growth cycle is essential. Since the grow box is not only a cultivation tool but also a piece of furniture, you can always keep your mushrooms under surveillance comfortably in your living room!
Organoleptic Properties
This edible mushroom is widely cultivated. With a sweet fragrance, it has a delicate flavor and good texture. To enjoy it at its best, it should be consumed no later than a couple of days after harvest.
Nutritional Properties
Pleurotus are among the most cultivated mushrooms in the world, after button mushrooms and shiitake, and among the most appreciated. They have a high protein content (some species up to 35%), high digestibility, and high fiber and mineral content, including potassium. Clinical studies on Pleurotus are not abundant, but some suggest effects of reducing cholesterol and blood sugar. The beta-glucan fraction contained in these mushrooms, once extracted, has anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects.
