Strain Spotlight: Pleurotus ulmarius ElmA grown with the lime method

The Elm Oyster, also known as Pleurotus ulmarius or Hypsizygus ulmarius scientifically, is a hearty mushroom providing large clusters of meaty fruitbodies. Tasty and substantial these mushrooms provide excellent additions to any meal, adding extra texture and flavor to a dish or fine to eat cooked on their own. The Elm oyster mushroom get its name from the types of substrates  it is commonly found on in the wild, the titular elm tree.  In a controlled environment however many substrates can be used with pasteurized straw providing high yields, wood-chips or sawdust from elm trees and other biological waste is also come as recommended viable substrates.

Our Elm A strain is a quick growing strain, the mycelium colonizing a variety of media and substrates in a few short weeks, making it perfect for low tech or low cost growing operations interested in outgrowing contaminants that may reduce or completely inhibit yields from other strains. Our Elm oyster strain performs best on a pasteurized straw substrate, with a quick first flush and providing many flushes thereafter, reaching around 150%+ biological efficiency (calculated via wet weight) if cared for properly. Elm A fruits optimally in temperatures ranging from 55-65 °F (10-18 °C), however is hearty enough to survive at higher temperatures with some loss in biological efficiency. All around Elm A is an excellent strain recommended for beginners to mushroom growing, or to someone looking for quick and cheap homegrown all natural food with an easily grown strain.

 Aloha Medicinals Inc. is the major provider of cultures and spawn of P. ulmarius ElmA. They also grow this mushroom using a very simple method of substrate disinfection  -called the lime method. If you would like to grow this particular mushroom strain visit their website and place an order for Elm Oyster mushroom spawn. Once you have your 'mushroom seeds' you will need the following materials:

• Drum (55gal used in this description)
• Clear Polyethylene bags, 2mil thickness
• Pitchfork or similar tool
• Gloves
• 70% isopropyl alcohol
• Straw
• Water
• Hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide, available from most gardening supply stores).
• pH test strips (aquarium section of a pet store)
• Small knife
• Rubber band or other closure method
• Sharpie
• Grinder (Machete or cane knife if unavailable)
• Mesh Screen that fits in the mouth of the drum
• Weights
• A rack or shelf, with small gaps for draining
• Grain or liquid spawn of your desired culture

PROCEDURE

1. Obtain a amount of straw or hay from a feed supply store in your local area, untreated if possible. (If already thoroughly shredded into pieces smaller than one inch skip Step 2).
2. You now need to shred the straw into pieces one inch or smaller, you do not want long or solid pieces of substrate in your grow bags. This can be achieved in any number of ways. If you have access to some sort of hammer mill or midsized grinder run it through that till achieving desired size. If no such implement is available to you can use a machete or cane knife to chop your straw is reduced to the required length.
3. Fill a drum with water, tap or from the hose is fine.
4. Add hydrated lime to your drum, 0.75 pounds per 55 gallons (355g per 200L) and stir it in with your pitchfork until the water is uniformly pale.
5. Check the pH levels of your water with pH test strips, you're looking for a ph level of 10 or higher.
6. Put on your long gloves and begin to add straw in large handfuls to your drum filled with water. Push the straw under the water so it is submerged. Continuing adding straw until you are no longer able to submerge any more straw. If necessary add more water to make sure you are able to completely submerge the straw.
7. Put your mesh grating and weights on top of your straw to keep it submerged in your lime water.
8. Every 2-4 hours use your pitchfork to turn your straw, this helps to keep the lime suspended in the water and the pH levels high and uniform throughout the substrate.
9. After 18-24 hours of soaking, remove the weights and the mesh, and lay out your rack that you will use for draining.
10. Use gloves again for this step. Take handfuls of straw, wringing excess water from the substrate before laying it out on your rack. Repeat this process until the first handful of straw has stopped dripping.
11. When your straw substrate has stopped dripping excess water, remove it from your rack and put it into your grow bags. Introduce 2 large handfuls of straw then do Step 12, add two more handfuls and repeat step twelve until your bag reaches the desired weight (6lbs suggested).
12. Inoculate the straw with your desired grain or liquid culture, adding small amounts in a layered process described in Step 11. This promotes more even and quick growth.
13. When the inoculation process is complete press down on the straw into the bag, twisting the excess bag down to keep the straw compressed into a tight block. Ensuring a tight solid block of substrate is key to a healthy grow bag, make sure your bag is as compressed as you can get it before ting off the top, using a rubber band or wire tie.
14. Label and date your bag properly and put it on a shelf to sit for 24 hours.
15. After letting for 24 hours stand your grow bag on end and use a alcohol sterilized knife to cut small 1/2 inch slits in the bag about 1 inch apart horizontally and 3 inches apart horizontally all around the outside of the bag.    
16. Introduce your bag into a room or container of the proper humidity and temperature with good air flow.
17. Wait for your new mushroom culture to fruit! 

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