GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

120 EVALUATING A MUSHROOM STRAIN
Figure 97. Phototropic response 01 i-'silocybe
cubensis to light.
riety of substrates. Oyster and King Stropharia
are good examples. Oyster mushrooms, native
to woodlands, can be grown on cereal straws,
corn stalks, sugar cane bagasse, coffee leaves,
and paper (including a multitude of paper byproducts).
These species' ability to utilize
such a spectrum of materials and produce
mushrooms is nothing short of amazing. Although
most strains can grow vegetatively on
a wide assortment of substrates, many are narrowly
specific in their substrate requirements
for mushroom production.
5. Speed of colonization to fruiting Here,
strains can fall into two sub-categories. One
group produces mushrooms directly after colonization.
This group includes the Oyster
mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius, some
warm weather P. ostreatus strains), Lion's
Manes (Hericium erinaceus) and the Paddy
Straw (Volvariella volvacea) mushrooms. Others,
like the Woodlovers (Hypholoma capnoides
and H. sublateritium) require a sustained resting
period after colonization, sometimes taking
up to several weeks or months before the onset
of fruiting.
6. Microflora Dependability/Sensitivity
Some gourmet and medicinal mushroom species
require a living community of microorganisms.
The absence of critical microflora
prevents the mycelium from producing a
fruitbody. Hence, these species will not produce
on sterilized substrates unless microflora are introduced.
The King Stropharia (Stropharia
rugoso-annulata), Zhu Ling (Polyporus
umbellatus), and the Button Mushroom
(Agaricus brunnescens) are three examples.
Typically, these species benefit from the application
of a microbially enirched soil or "casing"
layer.
The Blewitt, Lepista nuda, has been suggested
by other authors as being a microbially
dependent species. However, I have successfully
cultivated this mushroom on sterilized
sawdust apart from any contact with soil microorganisms.
The Blewitt may fall into an
intermediate category whose members may not
be absolutely dependent on microflora for
mushroom production, but are quick to fruit
when paired with them.
7. Photosensitivity The sensitivity of
mushrooms to light is surprising to most who
have heard that mushrooms like to grow in the
dark. In fact, most of the gourmet and medicinal
mushrooms require, and favorably react to,
light. The development of mushrooms is affected
by light in two ways. Initially, primordia
form when exposed to light. Even though thousands
of primordia can form in response to brief
light exposure, these primordia will not develop
into normal looking mushrooms unless light is
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