Mashki Mushroom — a very tasty, edible mushroom, used similarly to field mushroom, not inferior to it in taste qualities: fresh (boiling for about 10 minutes) in first and second dishes, pickled, marinated. Mashki Mushroom has an increased content of aromatic substances, and this mushroom is also valued for its content of such microelements as copper, iodine, manganese, zinc. Grows: in coniferous forests (with spruce), on litter, singly and in groups. Cap diameter 10-20 cm, very firm and fleshy, initially hemispherical then convex, turns yellowish-cream with touch. Gills: thin, free. Stem: 4-8 cm long and 2-4 cm in diameter, cylindrical, short and thick. Flesh: thick, fleshy, very firm and hard, white, with pleasant aroma and good taste.
When growing Mashki mushrooms, the following compost compositions are used:
Variant 1. Fresh, unspoiled, dry straw — 12 kg, fresh poultry manure — 8 kg, preparation time — 24-26 days.
Variant 2. Fresh, unspoiled, dry straw — 12 kg, fresh horse manure — 8 kg, preparation time — 22-24 days.
Variant 3. Fresh, unspoiled, dry straw — 12 kg, fresh cow manure — 8 kg, preparation time — 23-25 days. Compost preparation: layering straw and manure to form a stack (burrow). After stacking, the burrow is watered daily, without allowing it to dry out, no need to form a swamp. Shake the burrow 4-5 times during the entire substrate preparation period so that the outer layers end up inside and the inner layers outside. The sign of ready substrate is the disappearance of ammonia odor. Ready compost is laid in rows (open ground) in a layer of at least 10 cm, in boxes and polyethylene bags — in a layer of at least 20 cm.
Variant 4 (no preparation required). 20 kg of ready compost (manure, aged over a year, without ammonia odor) of any type except swine.
Planting rate: Planting depth 5-7 cm. Sowing is done by sprinkling mycelium into holes spaced 15-18 cm apart. During the mycelium colonization period, the row is protected from drying out with straw or burlap. After mycelium colonization (12-15 days), rows (surface of compost) are covered with a protective layer of soil (soil mixed with peat in a 1:1 ratio or just garden soil), 2 cm high (6-7 kg). Fruit production: Optimal temperature range 16-29°C, day-night or 4 hours per day lighting in enclosed spaces, favorable air humidity should be no less than 85% (if necessary, drip irrigation). Approximately 20-30 days after planting, the first mushrooms will appear. Fruit production occurs in waves and lasts for 6 weeks, with intervals of 7-10 days between waves. Yield: 18 kg over three waves.
Consumption norm: one package is intended for 20 kg of compost. Growing mushrooms on a household plot. On open plots, mushrooms grow in shaded areas, in partial shade under trees, shrubs, in raspberry patches, on strawberry beds, on the shaded sides behind buildings and fences, where they are not exposed to direct sunlight. Soil on S=2.5-3 m2 needs to be loosened. During this process, weeds and roots of grasses, if they do not harm other crops, should not be removed. Sow mycelium on the loosened surface. Then spread compost evenly in a 5-7 cm layer on top.
The mushroom bed will start fruiting after 2-2.5 months. During this time, no visible changes on the soil surface are noticeable. Fruit production lasts from early spring to late autumn. Throughout this period, mushrooms can be planted. The yield of cultivated mushrooms is very high — up to 12 kg of mushrooms per square meter per month.
