Growing a Pleurotus Cornucopiae

Description

• Pleurotus cornucopiae is native to Europe where it grows on the sides of trees or on decomposing logs. The fungus often develops clusters of fruiting bodies that are soft and fragile. Each mushroom develops irregularly on a stipe or may contain no stipe at all -- consisting of only the mushroom cap. Pleurotus cornucopiae do not last long after collection and are best used when freshly harvested.

Growing Outdoors

• The traditional method of growing pleurotus cornucopiae outdoors involves collecting wood with a healthy colony of the mushrooms from nature and then collecting a similar piece of wood to act as a growing medium. By placing a fresh piece of wood next to an established colony, the spores of the mushroom will eventually colonize the fresh piece of wood and develop a new colony. Growing pleurotus cornucopiae outdoors takes time and does not always guarantee success as other species of mushroom may colonize the fresh growing wood.

Growing Indoors

• Growing pleurotus cornucopiae indoors in a sterile growing medium is an easy way to grow healthy oyster mushrooms. Growing indoors involves inoculating a sterile cellulose-based growing medium, such as sawdust, with pleurotus cornucopiae spores and then allowing the mycelium to develop throughout the growing medium in a plastic bag. Place the plastic bag in a dark, warm location to allow the mycelium to develop throughout the growing medium. Simply cut a few small holes in the plastic bag to create space for the fruiting bodies to develop.

Benefits

• Growing pleurotus cornucopiae at home is a rewarding task and produces a rich composting material for home gardens. Pleurotus cornucopiae compost that remains from the growing medium contains twice as much nitrogen and phosphorous than compost from cow manure does. Simply spread what remains of the sawdust growing medium in your garden to provide nutrients to garden plants.