King Oyster Mushroom Spawn
The king oyster or trumpet mushroom belongs to the oyster mushroom genus, Pleurotus. It’s the largest oyster mushroom featuring a thick and meaty stem (stipe) which has resulted in it being valued for culinary purposes around the world.
The king oyster is purposefully grown with elevated levels of CO2 to encourage the typical king oyster shape with a large stem and small-cap.
The king oyster is a ‘top-fruiting’ species as opposed to the pink, white, and yellow oyster species which fruit well from the side.
Substrate Types: King oyster grows best on supplemented hardwood sawdust in autoclavable grow bags. Supplement with wheat bran at 10-15%. King Oysters will also grow well on straw, however, unlike other Oyster species, the yield will be reduced.
Cultivators also report that the King Oyster will have a longer shelf life and a better texture if grown on hardwood sawdust rather than straw.
Fruiting Containers: Large gusseted autoclavable grow bags with a filter patch will produce the best results. For straw, logs use poly tubing. Can also be grown with success outdoors in garden beds.
Casing Layer: Unlike other Oyster mushrooms, the King Oyster will benefit from a casing layer. Use 50/50 peat moss and vermiculite with 1% hydrated lime to prevent casing contamination.
Yield: Typically, 1 lb can be grown from a 5 lb supplemented sawdust block on the first flush. Multiple flushes can be achieved. Some cultivators get 2 lbs from a block on a single flush.