Pleurotus ostreatus — a young edible mushroom, very tasty (boiled for about 20 minutes). Eaten boiled or fried. Grows on fallen logs and stumps of elm and maple trees from the third decade of May to mid-August, often in large groups. Forms mycorrhiza with deciduous wood debris (elm, aspen, maple, birch, oak, rowan).
Cap: 3-12 cm in diameter, depressed, funnel-shaped, cup-shaped, pale or pale yellowish-brown, often with a wavy edge, fading or darkening with age. Gills: descending far down the stem, sparse, narrow, whitish. Stem: 2-5 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter, eccentric, tapering at the base, solid, light or pale. Flesh: thick, white, fleshy, hardening with age, with a pleasant taste and smell.
Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus on a home plot: in a shaded area, on an area of 2.5-3 m2, dig 30 cm deep, and fill with nutrient mix.
First layer: (laid at the bottom) fallen leaves, grass or tree bark (10 cm).
Second layer: forest compost or soil from under trees (10 cm). Then evenly sprinkle the dried mycelium previously mixed with 1 liter of dry soil over the entire area.
Third layer: plant residues, like in the first layer, but 3 cm thick.
Fourth layer: garden soil (3-5 cm). After sowing, water using drip irrigation.
First mushrooms appear after 1.5-2 months, then every 1-1.5 weeks. In greenhouses, cultivated similarly, but planted in trays. The mycelium lives up to 5 years. Can be cultivated at any time of year.
