Oyster var. winter

Pleurotus ostreatus

Available as

Mother cultures (Petri dish)
Grain spawn
Sawdust spawn
Plug spawn

About this strain

Large, heavy and firm fruiting bodies, dark grey to dark brown, with a light, almost white stem. Distinctive features: fast and aggressive spawn run, easy pinning and high yield. With good recirculation and ventilation, this strain also shows good resistance to bacterial blotch.

Best suited to autumn and winter cultivation. Cap colour can be steered with light — the more light, the darker the mushrooms. It has excellent flavour and keeps well when pre-packed, which makes it a good choice for the fresh market.

Gallery

How to grow it

Preparation

Substrate: wheat or rye straw chopped to 3–5 cm, steam-pasteurised (58–60°C for 10–12 h), then conditioned at 45–50°C for 1–2 days; at spawning moisture 70–72%, pH 7–7.3
Spawn rate: approx. 2% of wet substrate weight (25–30 l per tonne)

Growing stages

Spawn run (incubation)
Temperature
air 20–23°C, substrate 26–28°C
Duration
14–16 days
If the mycelium has not grown into the substrate after 5 days, an infection or poorly prepared substrate is likely.
Primordia formation
Temperature
16°C (substrate 1–2°C warmer)
Humidity
approx. 95%
CO₂
1,000–1,500 ppm
Light
75–100 lx, 12 h / 24 h
Cut holes in or remove the film — the number and size of the holes determine the number and size of the pins. When the mushrooms reach 1.5–2 cm, lower humidity to 85–90%.
Fruiting
Temperature
8–16°C
Humidity
85–90%
CO₂
<800 ppm
Fresh air
stable, strong
Light
8–10 h / 24 h
Recirculation: high. A brief rise in temperature and excessive humidity while the pins develop reduce quality.

Harvest

Flushes: approx. 3 (over 6–8 weeks)
Between flushes: approx. 10–14 days

After a flush briefly raise CO₂, humidity and substrate temperature to trigger new pins, then lower them again while the mushrooms grow. First-flush yield: 8–10% of wet substrate weight.

Please note: these growing parameters bring together the experience of practising growers — a starting point, not a guarantee of results. Every grow has its own substrate, climate and equipment, and even small differences can noticeably change the yield. Adjust these values to your own conditions.