Black Pearl King Oyster - Pleurotus ostreatus
mushroom block
Difficulty: Beginner
Cold shock: 1 day @ 4°C
Fruiting temperature: 17-21°C
Duration until pin sets: 7-14 days
Duration until harvest: 2-5 days
Humidity: 90%
Fruiting directions
1)When ready to fruit, place the fruiting block in a refrigerator for 24 hours at 4°C. This will send signals to the mycelium fruiting block that it is time to reproduce by forming mushrooms
Using a sharp knife, cut a 15 cm sized “X” into the side of the mushroom block and remove any extra air that may be trapped inside the back by folding the bag onto itself.
2)Spray the surface of the exposed mushroom block 2-3 times a day to maintain a high humidity until small ‘pins’ start to form.
3)When you observe small tiny mushrooms growing, they will be ready to harvest within 2-5 days. It is important to maintain a good relative humidity while the mushrooms are developing to ensure soft caps, and to prevent the cluster of mushrooms from aborting.
Special note:
Black king mushrooms enjoy plenty of humidity as well as fresh air. If your place your mushrooms in a glass enclosure, your mushrooms may grow long stems as they are not receiving enough fresh air. If grown at a cooler temperature, the color of the mushroom cap will be a more vibrant dark blue compared to growing at warmer temperatures where the cap may become light grey. Make sure to harvest all of your oyster mushrooms at the same time as one large cluster. Picking only a few mushrooms at a time may cause the remaining mushrooms to abort.
