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Shaggy mane mushrooms, information about cultivation technology
Shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus) is considered a humicolous mushroom, in nature it is found on sandy, calcareous soils with high humus content (gardens, cultivated land, lawns, etc.). The period of appearance in wild flora is June-December.
It is considered a species suitable for directed cultivation, but its use is rather demanding, as the mushrooms lose their commercial appearance within a few hours after harvesting.
Botanical particularities
The mushroom’s cap is cylindrical, elongated like a bell, 5-8 cm high, and 3 cm in diameter. The cuticle is white-orange with a pinkish tinge on the edges.
The stem is elongated with a thickened base. The pulp softens when ripe, so the mushrooms should be harvested before opening and eaten immediately or preserved.
Cultivation
It is not very demanding in terms of nutrient substrate, being resistant to attack by saprophytic and parasitic fungi and especially nematodes.
The nutritive substrate for shaggy mane mushroom culture consists of 20% chicken manure, 20% pig manure, and 60% wheat straw or other grasses. After the end of the composting period, the nutrient substrate is processed by the following methods: in a flat layer on mats, in polyethylene bags, or in plastic crates.
Mycelium inoculation
It is done by hand incorporation into the nutrient substrate mass (600 g per 100 kg nutrient substrate). At a temperature of 18-22ºC, after 12-15 days the mycelium is spread in the nutrient substrate. The substrate acquires a milky-white color and a pungent smell characteristic of this species of mushroom.
About 15 days after, when the incubation is finished, when the mycelium has spread in the nutrient substrate, it is covered with a mixture of 1 part black peat + 1 part limestone/ 2 parts mix soil + 1 part sand/ 1 part mix soil + 1 part coal dust (lignite) + 1 part sand.
To these mixtures add 5-6% calcium carbonate and chalk dust. 20-25 days after covering the nutrient substrate the fruiting buds appear.
Harvesting
The best time to harvest is when the mushrooms have the edges of the cap close to the stalk. Mushrooms whose cap has opened no longer have any commercial value.
Harvesting occurs in 3-4 waves, with one wave being much larger (5-8 harvests), and the resting period is much shorter. Shaggy mane production is 8-9 kg/m² or 10-15 kg/100 kg nutrient substrate.
