Mycelium or mushroom mycelium: what is it and what does it look like, how to grow it in the country and at home? Mycelium of cultivated mushrooms: what is it? What is the structure of the mycelium

Home cultivation of mushrooms is very popular. The simplicity of technology and low cost make it possible to grow mushrooms anywhere - on the balcony, in the garage, basement or in the country. Experienced hobbyists know that a quality mycelium for a high yield is just as important as a good seedling for growing vegetables. What is a mushroom? Is it possible to grow it at home, and what is needed for this?

Mycelium or mycelium of mushrooms: what is it?

What is a mycelium can be understood by understanding how a mushroom lives in symbiosis with a tree. Most of the cells of the filamentous fungus are under the surface of the earth. Mycelium consists of thin threads that entangle the roots of plants. From time to time, he throws out his reproductive organ to the surface - the fruiting body, which we appreciate for its taste, smell and beneficial properties.

The mushroom picker is also called mycelium. It is a complex system of thin filamentous structures (hyphae). In the forests, the threads of the mycelium and the roots of the plant together form a single system, which is a symbiosis. How it looks can be seen in the photo below. Sometimes the hyphae are joined together, such a structure looks like a plant and is called a fruiting body.

In nature, there are several types of fungi. Their mushroom mycelium differs in its structure. If the hyphae form partitions (septa) between the segments, thereby forming a multinuclear system, then the mycelium that entangles the roots of plants is called septate mycelium. In the absence of partitions, the entire system is one giant single-nuclear cell. Most of the mushrooms cultivated by humans have septate mycelium.

What are the types of mycelium?

To grow mushrooms, you need a special seed. Mushroom mycelium suitable for cultivation can be of several types:

• uterine - made in the laboratory, by the method of removing strains in test tubes;
• pieces of the fruiting body prepared in a special way;
• sowing - spores collected in a cultivated area from fruiting mushroom caps.

Three main forms of mushroom mycelium are commercially available: grain, substrate and liquid. Each of them can be used for cultivation. Adhering to the appropriate technology, any shape can be obtained at home. The most difficult thing is to grow a liquid substance because of the special requirements for sterility. Substrate mycelium has a longer shelf life than grain.

Basic cultivation methods

In order to grow oyster mushrooms, you need to pick up a few slightly damaged stumps with tree roots in moist shade. A place near a well or garden pond will do. Mycelium is poured into the cuts on the stumps and around the stumps, and all this is covered with a mixture of earth and humus.

Growing at home

If you have a desire to grow mushrooms at home or in the country, you need to take care of the room in which you can create the conditions described above. Many champignon growers make a special shelving system that saves space.

At home, in spring and autumn, mushrooms can be grown on the balcony, if this a private house- basement or garage suitable for year-round cultivation.

Media Options

The easiest way is to buy ready-made compost in an agricultural store. There are many substrate recipes for self-preparation. Below is a basic recipe in which you can replace the ingredients with analogues and vary the recipe:

• 100 kg of straw (rye or wheat);
• 75-100 kg of horse manure;
• 15 kg of plaster;
• 2 kg of urea;
• 2 kg of superphosphate;
• 5 kg of chalk;
• 300-400 liters of water.

Features of home technique

At home, be sure to take care of the preliminary disinfection of the room. Before doing mycelial sowing, you need to spray the walls and floor with copper sulphate, lime or formalin. When preparing uterine mycelium on your own, it is most important to observe the sterility of the medium and instruments.

Preparing healthy food is not easy. At the first stages, almost all mushroom growers make mistakes and failures. It is difficult not to plant spores, but to ensure the symbiosis of hyphae with plants. It is worth trying to first grow the right amount of grain mycelium from the finished mother mycelium, and only then begin to master the complex process of sowing fungal spores. To combat diseases, it is necessary to regularly identify them on the substrate and, if signs of the disease appear, remove the diseased segment.

Each novice mushroom picker is interested in several questions. The main ones are:

1. What types of mushrooms can be grown, what are the pros and cons of choosing one or another type, growing features?
2. What is mushroom mycelium and where can I get it? What conditions are necessary for its successful cultivation?
3. What conditions are necessary for growing mushrooms at home, and perhaps how to increase the amount of mushroom harvest to industrial volumes?
4. What mistakes should never be made when growing mushroom mycelium on your own?

Let's look at each question in detail.

You can grow almost any mushroom on your own. Most often, mushroom pickers choose for self-growing: chanterelles, truffles, porcini mushrooms, honey mushrooms, milk mushrooms, mushrooms. Aspen mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms are also in demand.

But if you're new to mushrooms, it's worth starting with the ones that are the easiest to grow. These mushrooms include: champignons, shiitake, oyster mushrooms. They have high palatability and grow very quickly. You can cope with their cultivation without experience and certain skills, without applying supernatural efforts for this. In this case, you do not need large financial costs.

What is mycelium, how does it happen, and where do they get it

Mycelium is fungal spores, i.e. vegetative body of the fungus. It is made up of numerous finest fibers, which are called hyphae. The hyphae grow in and on the substrate, absorbing the nutrients necessary for fungal growth. Hyphae can have several colors: white, yellowish or brown. It is from these overgrown threads that mushrooms begin to grow.

Mycelium can vary in internal structure. Depending on this, it is divided into two types:

Coenotic (non-cellular)

A feature of its structure is the absence of partitions between cells. Those. in fact, this type of mycelium is one huge cell filled with a huge number of nuclei.

septate

A feature of the structure is the presence of nuclei between cells (they are called septa). Each cell can have one or more nuclei.

Also, the mycelium is divided into several types, depending on the nutrient base intended for the growth of the mycelium:

1. Substrate.
2. Liquid.
3. Grain.

Grain type of mycelium

All of the above types of mycelium can be purchased ready-made in specialized stores, or you can do it yourself at home. Mushroom spores sold in stores are produced in the factory - in sterility.

Mycelium, made independently, may not bring the desired yield or even be useless. The reason for this is the high risk of infection with pathogenic bacteria and fungal spores.

That is why it will be easier for beginners to grow mushrooms using ready-made, purchased mycelium.

Types of mycelium	Advantages	Flaws
substrate	The mushroom picker based on this mycelium lends itself perfectly to storage - it survives for 1 year at room temperature.	The mushroom picker based on this type of mycelium grows very slowly.
Liquid	It is very difficult to distribute into the substrate without damaging it. The growth energy is too low.	Self-cooking will be difficult for a beginner, because. will require certain skills, knowledge and costs for the purchase of special equipment.
Grain	Thanks to the nutrients contained in the grain, accelerated growth of the mycelium is ensured.	Not long stored. Hard to take root on wood.

Mushrooms can be grown in two ways:

1. extensive– i.e. in the natural environment, spending a minimum amount of money;
2. intense– i.e. in an artificial environment by investing an appropriate amount of money. However, it should be said that if this event is planned for the purpose of business development, this method pays off very quickly. With 1 kg of mycelium, it is possible to collect up to 3 kg of mushrooms.

How to choose a quality purchased mycelium

The choice of mushroom mycelium, if you decide to purchase a ready-made seed option, should be taken seriously. You can buy it at garden centers. It is worth choosing a trusted and reliable supplier. If you don't know these
consult with people who already have experience in growing mushrooms. Or ask the consultants at your chosen garden center for advice.

Do not buy a large batch of mycelium at a time - it is better to take not a large number of for a test. If there are no special problems with growing this mycelium, you will get a crop that meets your requirements and will be satisfied with everything, opt for purchasing mycelium from this supplier. If something does not suit you, you should try to purchase mycelium from another manufacturer.

Be sure to check the packaging with mycelium. It should indicate the variety of the fungus, as well as its strain. The following information must also be indicated on the packaging:

• percentage and rate of fouling;
• mold resistance;
• storage period.

Before placing the purchased mycelium in the substrate, it must be crushed without opening the package. The temperature of the mycelium should be equal to the temperature of the substrate. Otherwise, the mycelium runs the risk of being subjected to temperature shock, as a result of which its properties will be lost.

Note! Mycelium intended for sowing is stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of 3-4 degrees Celsius. Under no circumstances should it be stored in a freezer.

Each purchased pack of mycelium should be kept at a distance from the other. Thus, air flow will be ensured for each bag. Opening packages with mushroom spores ready for sowing must be accompanied by their parallel treatment with a disinfectant solution.

Important! The laying of the mycelium should be carried out strictly with gloves. A huge role for the successful landing and successful growth of the mycelium is the observance of sterility.

Recently, wood sticks infected with mycelium have come on the market. Their shelf life is about six months, subject to humidity above 50%. This innovation is also convenient for those who do not want to spend time preparing mycelium.

Self-production of mycelium from the body of the fungus and uterine mycelium at home

In order to get mushrooms without buying ready-made mycelium, you will have to produce any of the following types of mycelium yourself:

1. Uterine.
2. Mycelium from the body of the fungus.

The sowing of the mycelium must be carried out under conditions of complete sterility. This requires constant access to water, gas, and electricity.

To prepare the uterine mycelium, you must purchase: test tubes with cork plugs, an alcohol burner, tweezers, sterile gloves, wort, hydrogen peroxide, and agar-agar (it has a jelly-like form).

Do you grow mushroom mycelium yourself?

YesNot

The working area is carefully sterilized and taken for the manufacture of the medium intended for sowing:

If mold is observed in test tubes with mycelium, they should never be opened in a room with healthy inoculum. The contents of such test tubes must be discarded, and the container itself should be thoroughly washed with a disinfectant and hot water.

Making mycelium from mushroom bodies also requires preparation. It is impossible to store this type of crops after production. Therefore, take care in advance about the preparation of the substrate or wood cuttings - depending on which mushrooms you plan to grow. For the preparation of seed, it is necessary to use mushroom caps - the latter must be ripe. It is desirable that the hats are large. They must not be damaged in any way.

Prepared mushroom caps are poured with boiled water that has cooled to room temperature for one day. After the specified time, the water must be drained. Mash the soaked caps into gruel - this is the seed. Now the gruel can be laid in wood cuttings or in layers in the substrate. After planting, the mycelium should be in a room with high humidity, subject to a temperature regime of 23-25 ​​degrees Celsius.

After the first shoots appear, the room temperature should be reduced to 12-18 degrees Celsius and maintained within these limits.

All the nuances of growing mushrooms indoors

For the successful development of the mycelium, it is important to properly prepare the room. It should contain shelves or racks for placing blocks and bags with mycelium. Alternatively, the bags can be suspended from the ceiling using special hooks. A well-thought-out ventilation system must be present.

Heat, light and ventilation - that's what you need for the development of mycelium!

The room must be heated - it is better that the heating takes place using gas. Using electricity will cost much more. Yes and temperature regime gas heating is much easier to control. This is very important, since at different phases of growth of the mycelium, the temperature regime must be individual. Another important requirement for the arrangement of the premises is the presence of artificial lighting in it. But if we are talking about growing champignons or shiitake mushrooms, they grow well in dark rooms with high humidity.

It is desirable that the room intended for growing mushrooms was not built of wood. The wooden frame and floors will rot very quickly from the conditions that must be observed in this room.

If the cultivation of mushrooms is not planned on an industrial scale, a garage, a greenhouse, or any existing basement may well be suitable for placing containers with a mycelium.

The technology of growing mycelium in open ground

Indoors, any mushrooms can be cultivated throughout the year, creating all the necessary conditions. But some prefer to grow mushrooms on their own garden plots. For this, it is recommended to choose the period from May to September. Best in open field champignons and forest mushrooms will take root. For their successful cultivation, we recommend that you follow the tips below.

For open ground, forest mushrooms or champignons are better suited.

When planting mycelium in the substrate, it is important to observe the correct proportions. This process is observed by increasing the temperature of the substrate (ordinary sawdust or straw can act as its role). Therefore, an excessive amount of fungal spores introduced can provoke the death of the entire mycelium due to excessive overheating.

Having chosen a shaded place, they dig a hole with a depth of no more than 40 cm. At the same time, it is recommended to retreat from the tree itself, ideally by 50-70 cm. A substrate must be laid out in the prepared hole - it can be leaves, coniferous needles, and sawdust. The layer thickness should be within 20 cm. Seed material is placed on the prepared substrate, having previously mixed it with the soil: local and forest.

For good germination and yield, crops need to create conditions that are as close as possible to their natural growing environment. It is important to monitor soil moisture - it should be moderate. In no case should it be excessively waterlogged or dried out. The ideal solution would be to carry out drip irrigation to crops. The first harvest after inoculation (planting) of the mycelium can be harvested after 3 weeks.

Summing up

Growing mushrooms is an interesting activity. Perhaps, after trying once, you will realize that you want to do this all your life and make your hobby a profitable business. In order to start growing mushrooms, you do not need large financial influences. Start with the simplest - choose one of the unpretentious species. If everything works out the way you planned, go ahead and start growing more whimsical varieties.

Mycelium is a vegetative body of fungi and actinomycetes, consisting of thin 1.5-10 microns thick in fungi and 0.5-1.0 microns in actinomycetes, branched filaments called hyphae. It develops in the substrate and on its surface.

Main functionsmycelium:

Responsible for attachment to the substrate;

Destroys cellulose with enzymes, facilitating its absorption;

Facilitates adaptation to adverse external factors;

Preserves fungal spores;

Participates in sporulation.

Therefore, the main functions of the vegetative component of the fungus are not only protection and nutrition, but also reproduction. This ability is used to grow some cultivated varieties at home: champignons, mushrooms or oyster mushrooms. You can buy white fungus mycelium, this species is also successfully cultivated in open ground.

Even if the mycelium has a non-cellular structure (there are no transverse partitions - septa), it solves the same tasks as the cellular one, which consists of individual cells. From its top, the body of the fungus is formed and grows, it is all riddled with hyphae. The purpose of the latter varies depending on their location.

The integumentary varieties of hyphae threads in the cap representatives of the fungal kingdom are responsible for pigmentation.

Transport hyphae deliver nutrients and water to the body of the fungus. They form dense vertically arranged threads from which the leg is formed. All useful compounds are transported through it to the hat. In it, as it grows, disputes ripen.

Mushroom mycelium forms:

The film mycelium is represented by dense and flat plexuses of hyphae, which differ in size, thickness and coloration. Responsible for attachment to the substrate and absorption of cellulose;

Cord-shaped mycelium is represented by fused filamentous hyphae, which are responsible for attachment to the substrate and the area of ​​distribution of the fungus. Hyphae may have short branching or long, rather strongly branched sections;

The rhizomorphic mycelium is represented by powerful cord-like areas up to 4-5 meters long, consisting of dense, dark-colored outer filamentous hyphae and rather loose light-colored cords;

Mycelium in the form of rhizoctonia, represented by thin and airy cords, which are used to fix in the substrate and are responsible for the distribution process;

Mycelium in the form of sclerotia, represented by very dense and well-woven hyphae, containing a significant amount of filamentous branches. Designed to facilitate the process of adaptation in adverse external conditions;

Mycelium in the form of stroma, represented by flat and dense growths, which are easily combined with the tissues of the host plant and contribute to the preservation of fungal spore powder

Types of mycelium:

Mycelium uterine. Bred in sterile laboratory conditions. In test tubes, strains of fungi are derived, which later serve as inoculum.

Mycelium of the body of the fungus. Seeds are pieces of ripe mushroom caps, harvested according to certain rules.

seed mycelium. Already almost ready for sowing material collected from fruiting mycelium.

Growing mushroom mycelium at home

If everything is clear with the finished sowing mycelium (it only needs to be laid in the substrate for germination), then the first two types of material need to be prepared. To grow uterine mycelium at home, you will need to buy some special laboratory equipment. It is also necessary to carry out sowing in sterile conditions and with access to gas, water, electricity.

Technology of growing uterine mycelium

First prepare a nutrient medium for sowing. The wort is mixed with agar and boiled over a fire until it thickens. Mushroom slices are prepared in advance. They must be treated in hydrogen peroxide and put in a sterile container.

The mixture of wort and agar is poured into sterile test tubes and placed in an inclined position until cool. The whole process must be carried out in complete purity. When the substance cools down and becomes jelly-like, a piece of mushroom is placed in each test tube with tweezers. The cork is sterilized over an alcohol burner and the tube is sealed.

Test tubes with sowing are cleaned in a dark warm place for 2 weeks. After this period, the material is ready for sowing in the substrate.

Seed mycelium from the body of the fungus

Oyster mushrooms and mushrooms reproduce best in this way.

To prepare the seed, collect ripe mushroom caps, it is advisable to select the best and largest, without damage. Soak them in clean boiled water for a day. Then drain the water, and mash the caps into gruel. It is impossible to store such a product, so immediately prepare the medium for sowing (substrate or cuttings).

If mushrooms are grown on stumps or cuttings, then the gruel is laid in pre-made slots (recesses in the tree). In the substrate, the mycelium of the fungal body is placed between the layers. For the germination of mushrooms, it is important that the entire incubation period maintains a temperature in the region of + 23-25ºC and high humidity where the bags with the substrate or cuttings are located.

Other options for growing mushroom mycelium at home are available only if you have a mini-laboratory with an autoclave and other special equipment in your house.

Also, sticks with mycelium are very popular today. They are sold specifically for seedlings at mushroom growing enterprises and in specialty stores.

These are ordinary small hardwood sticks infected with mycelium. They are stored up to 6 months at room temperature and humidity over 50%. It is enough to place such a stick in a nutrient medium, and mushroom shoots will soon sprout.

Mycelium is the scientific name for mycelium. It consists of many thin threads, making up the body of fungi and some bacteria. Function - attachment to the substrate or reproduction. There are several varieties of mycelium that differ in structure.

Mycelium structure

Mycelium is the vegetative body of fungi and actinomycetes. Actinomycetes are a type of bacteria. The mycelium contains many very thin, densely branched filaments called hyphae. Mycelium is formed both in the substrate in which the organism lives, and on the surface. Under natural conditions, the mycelium of mushrooms can reach as much as 35 km in length.

Mycelium grows exclusively due to cell division in the apex area. Mushroom mycelium is non-cellular or cellular. Non-cellular mycelium does not have partitions between cells and is itself one large cell with many nuclei. Partitions between cells are available only to separate the reproductive organs. Such a mycelium is found in zygomycetes, one of the departments of the kingdom Fungi.

Cellular mycelium in fungi is characterized by the presence of many intercellular partitions. Each cell can have one or more nuclei. In actinomycetes, the mycelium is completely nuclear-free, it can either divide into cells or remain intact. In the intercellular partitions of the mycelium, there are simple or complex pores. Simple are found in ascomycetes, a division of the kingdom of fungi, whose representatives have specific reproductive organs.

With complex pores, there are often buckles - outgrowths in the form of hooks that connect to one cell and fit to another. The cell has two nuclei. The buckles are important for cell division. This structure is found in ascomycetes and another department - basidiomycetes. The body of basidiomycetes consists of a false tissue, formed in fact by a plexus of hyphae of the mycelium. Mycelium grows in only one direction, while real tissue can grow in three. But such a fruiting body is perennial, while the rest of the mushrooms are annual.

Mycelium forms

There are several forms of mycelium. Mycelium in the form of films is a dense flat weave of hyphae, which have different sizes. Thickness and color are also different. Such mycelium destroys and absorbs cellulose.

Cords are hyphae fused together. They are short or long, strongly branched.

rhizomorphs- cords up to 5 meters in length, they are made up of dense filaments of hyphae. Inside the fruiting body is looser and has a light color.

Mycelium and fruiting body are the underground and aboveground organs of the fungus, respectively. Functionally, the mycelium is responsible for the absorption of moisture and nutrients, etc., and the fruit body is responsible for reproduction.

Mycelium functions

Mycelium is the underground and invisible to the eye parts of the fungus, which spread in depth and width over great distances. It consists of thread-like formations called vultures. Mycelium performs several functions:

1. Entering into symbiosis with plants.
2. assimilation organic matter from these plants.
3. Moisture uptake.
4. Asexual reproduction.
5. The formation of the fruiting body.

As you know, mushrooms cannot feed on their own; create from inorganic substances organic. Therefore, they are heterotrophs. For this reason, they often enter into symbiosis with plants, especially tree species. Mycelium envelops or penetrates inside the plant root, absorbing all the necessary nutrients from there. In return, the plant receives moisture, which is absorbed by the mycelium.

The fruiting body is an intertwined thread of mycelium. However, the mycelium is perennial, while the main body lives for a limited period of time.

Functions of the fruiting body

The fruiting body of the fungus is exactly that part, which in everyday life and in colloquial language is called directly "mushroom". It is visible to the naked eye, as it is located on the surface of the earth. The main function of the fruiting body is spore reproduction. Spores ripen at the top or inside of it, which are the organs of sexual reproduction of the fungus. Spores are small pollen-like formations that can be seen inside old and withered individuals. They are spread by wind and water. When hit in a suitable substrate, spores begin to germinate.

The fruiting bodies of many species of mushrooms are eaten with animals and humans and contain a large amount of useful substances. However, some species contain alkaloid poisons inside, so they can harm people's health or even lead to death.