Optimal Substrate - Pellets for growing woody mushrooms

Our pelletized substrate, optimized for the production of woody mushrooms:

Usable in Organic Agriculture. The substrate is composed of sawdust (without glues or treatments) and cereal residues of organic origin. We are controlled and certified by Certisys (BE-BIO-01).

Pelletization of the ingredients allows the standardization of the substrate, the elimination of a large part of the contaminants during compaction. Storage takes up 4 times less volume, you save space. Conservation is guaranteed for the long term, you can use it when you need it.

Productivity. We have studied the composition of the different ingredients to provide the mycelium with an optimal substrate in terms of the carbon/nitrogen ratio, sugars and minerals. Composed of a base of beech sawdust, this substrate is suitable for lignicole type mushrooms, which decompose wood: oyster mushrooms, eryngiis, namekos, lion's manes as well as shiitake mushrooms which are generally more demanding in terms of substrate.

Content: +- 2.25 kg of substrate included in a micro filter bag (Unicorn XLS-A) or 25 kg bulk.

Use

Add +- 3.3 liters of water to the bag (=60% humidity on the total weight of pellets+water), let the pellets absorb the water and pasteurize/sterilize the bag.

For varieties with rapid and aggressive mycelium such as oyster mushrooms, it is possible to put boiling water (99°) directly on the pellets and inoculate with +- 10% of mycelium once the pellets have cooled.

You therefore need 3 bags of substrate for 1 mycelium of 1.5 kg.

Note, however, that it is a substrate rich in nitrogen and sugar, which gives it excellent productivity but increases the risk of contamination if the sterilization and inoculation conditions are not optimal.

Harvest potential: 1.5 - 2 kg of fresh oyster mushrooms per bag over 3 harvests.

Note

The bag bagging process may cause a slight variation in bag weight. We recommend a humidity of +-60% of the substrate (=600 gr of water for 400 gr of dry matter to arrive at 1 kilo of wet substrate).

It is a substrate that is richer in sugars and nitrogen than sawdust alone. It is therefore more productive, but the risk of contamination is higher. We therefore advise working as cleanly as possible and, if possible, in sterile conditions.

The Master Mix?

In the mushroom growing community, we often refer to Master Mix. 

What exactly is this?

The Master Mix is ​​a mixture popularized by a mushroom producer in the United States, known as T.R. Davis. This mixture is composed of 50% hardwood sawdust and 50% soy husks. This substrate is known for its very high productivity on its first flush in particular. It is suitable for most wood-growing mushrooms and in particular for oyster mushrooms. On the other hand, it is less suitable for oyster mushrooms.

Is the optimal substrate the master mix?

We analyzed the composition of the master mix in terms of nitrogen levels, sugar composition, minerals and we recreated a new recipe based on local ingredients.

Indeed, in our European regions, we produce almost no soy and importing it from far away makes no sense. One of the benefits of mushroom cultivation is precisely to promote local resources. On the other hand, we have other co-products from local cereal production which can just as easily provide the nutrients necessary for the perfect nutrition of our mushrooms.

Our recipe is therefore based on a base of beech sawdust with a mixture of organic cereals, to which we have added sugars and minerals. All in the form of pellets, and PAF! It makes Optimal Substrate!

We also wanted this substrate to be suitable for all woody mushrooms, including shiitakes which are a little more demanding. After numerous tests, we have achieved higher productivity than the majority of substrates tested on the market.