Organic Piopino Cultivation Block

The Variety

• Pioppino variety, also known as "agrocybe aegerita"
• Ready-to-grow cultivation block.
  
• Yield: between 0.7 and 1 kg of fresh mushrooms over 2-3 harvests.
  
• Composition: wood chips, grains, pioppino mycelium. Net weight of the block: approximately 5.2 kg. Dimensions: 25*20*20 cm (L*W*H)
   

Excellent edible mushroom. Its texture is quite crunchy, and its slightly sweet taste is reminiscent of hazelnut. The caps (3-5 cm) are dark brown at first, then the edges lighten to beige-cream as they mature. The stems are not too fibrous if harvested young and remain quite crunchy when cooked.

Note: The harvest indications are estimates based on our production experience but are not guaranteed. The productivity of the blocks depends on the cultivation conditions and the experience of the grower.

(*) Our blocks are certified organic "BE-BIO-01" by Certisys (Belgium).

Usage

If you cannot use the block immediately, you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

This variety prefers warmth (20-27°C) but can also be cultivated at cooler temperatures down to 12°C. Harvest young, just before the caps open for better preservation and a more tender texture. Be careful, mushroom growth is very rapid.

There are two fruiting methods:

• Open the top of the bag, leaving 15-20 cm of plastic above the substrate, and wait for the appearance of primordia ("mushroom buds"), then gradually lower the plastic to the level of the substrate.
• Make a cut on the side of the block at the substrate level and expel the air from the bag through this opening. Similar to oyster mushrooms, keep it moist. This technique takes a little longer and tends to produce slightly less. However, it promotes the development of caps more than stems, resulting in mushrooms with slightly different taste and texture.

Maintain 80 to 90% humidity during mushroom growth. You can use our minispray or our other professional mist makers.

Fruiting Parameters

Where to Cultivate?

Indoors (kitchen, garage, cellar). Pioppino mushrooms need some light to grow. Prefer indirect sunlight, avoid anything that may dry out the block: drafts, radiators, direct sunlight. Pioppino mushrooms like humidity but do not like to be constantly soaked.

Tips: To encourage growth and productivity for the second and third harvests, you can:

• Rehydrate the bags by soaking them overnight in water before draining and putting them back into cultivation
• Create a thermal shock: place the block in a cool place (fridge or outside) for a night or more. This simulates the arrival of winter and encourages the mushroom to reproduce.