When I started this as a hobby in 2016, little did I know that I would skip service because of it.

Fast forward to 2019, with the help of a good person, I have decided to turn this into a business due to the response that I have gotten from some individuals who bought the little that I produced. It was a funny moment the first time I produce mushrooms back in 2016 in my village in Abia state. The way my aunt held her chest and was shouting as if somebody died (Lol). My cousin would not just stop shouting "school is good, school is good."
Alas, I did not even study anything concerning mushrooms in school. Twas just a hobby as at then. They thought getting mushrooms is dependent on nature alone, but the world is moving farther from being dependent on nature and harnessing it's potentials for the benefit of mankind.

But my interest really took off when some of the women approached me to produce it for them to be taking to the big markets on market days. But I could not because of some of the challenges in the cultivation that I needed to overcome and also to gather enough experience in growing the crop to make it a worthwhile venture.

Two other interesting facts for this is the fact that the kind of mushroom I work on (pleurotus pulmonarius which is the oyster species) grows in 2-3 weeks and can be harvested between the 3rd and 4th week.
Secondly, growing mushrooms requires waste materials like dead leaves, sawdust, dead plants or wood remains and even paper/carton. My focus is on using sawdust right now.

Please teach me you will not die young
How did you even crack that? Ffing innovative. Respect

A 2016 picture...

Forgive the picture quality...boys were still growing up then.

TemmyWon:
Please teach me you will not die young
How did you even crack that? Ffing innovative. Respect

Things like this is been done already, most especially outside the country.... I am just interested in how we can fine tune things to fit our own environment and not meeting the stringent requirements the whites do to produce mushrooms.

But thank you for the compliment. A lot of things we will be talking about here...just grab a chair and sit back ma'am.

2017...still finding better ways of making things work.

More...

In 2019, it was time to setup a farm rather than all the little experiments that I have been carrying out from village to hostel to the house and all that.

Although this is not a recent picture of the farm. This was taken around April or thereabout.

Wow I thought you'd have to build some expensive shed or greenhouse or something

TemmyWon:
Wow I thought you'd have to build some expensive shed or greenhouse or something

Except you want to go into some full scale commercial production. Apart from that, you can use a small room to start up.

Maybe we can start a small operation on this thread. Anyone who's interested might want to signify and share a picture of any small space with some shade. Let's see how we can tweak things up.

RussellUba:


Things like this is been done already, most especially outside the country.... I am just interested in how we can fine tune things to fit our own environment and not meeting the stringent requirements the whites do to produce mushrooms.

But thank you for the compliment. A lot of things we will be talking about here...just grab a chair and sit back ma'am.

I love the bolded part of your response.
I salute your courage, and I wish you focus on getting all the parameters right, then start making cool money on this.

Do you make your own spawn? If yes, Have you attempted making spawn from our our native species?

I want to buy you data to watch some YouTube videos, send me your Facebook name let me see how I can give you some links to help you.

Best of luck!

anienge001:


I love the bolded part of your response.
I salute your courage, and I wish you focus on getting all the parameters right, then start making cool money on this.

Do you make your own spawn? If yes, Have you attempted making spawn from our our native species?

I want to buy you data to watch some YouTube videos, send me your Facebook name let me see how I can give you some links to help you.

Best of luck!

Thank you very much. I do make spawn. I will be starting another batch of it next week. The type that I produce now is the soft oyster mushroom cos most of my clients prefer it.
Gradually, I will move I to different species, especially the ones used for pharmaceuticals.

Russell Ubazoro is my Facebook name.

RussellUba:


Thank you very much. I do make spawn. I will be starting another batch of it next week. The type that I produce now is the soft oyster mushroom cos most of my clients prefer it.
Gradually, I will move I to different species, especially the ones used for pharmaceuticals.

Russell Ubazoro is my Facebook name.

Welldone. Been following your thread.

Consider making Reishi and Maitake spawns (ever heard of them?). Never seen them in our part of the world. Two very powerful mushrooms.

czarina:
Welldone. Been following your thread.

Consider making Reishi and Maitake spawns (ever heard of them?). Never seen them in our part of the world. Two very powerful mushrooms.

Yup. I've heard of them. Reishi is exceptional when it comes to the powerful healing of mushrooms.

RussellUba:


Yup. I've heard of them. Reishi is exceptional when it comes to the powerful healing of mushrooms.

Alright, glad you have. Try and find them.

My Dear Please Continue, Am Following You

Please I want to learn too

MikeBetty:
My Dear Please Continue, Am Following You

No problem sir. I will be posting soon. Just need to tidy a few things...

RussellUba:


No problem sir. I will be posting soon. Just need to tidy a few things...

Thanks Sir, Again Where Can I Get Oyster Spawn In Southeast, How Much Is A Kilo, And What Quantity Of Sawdust (substrate) Can Be Used For A Kilo Of Spawn? Thanks In Advance.

nice topic

With you bro

Ryan03:
With you bro

You welcome sir.

[quote author=MikeBetty post=85131405] Thanks Sir, Again Where Can I Get Oyster Spawn In Southeast, How Much Is A Kilo, And What Quantity Of Sawdust (substrate) Can Be Used For A Kilo Of Spawn?

My farm produces spawn. We are starting the production of another batch of spawn today. It is also located in the SE. Imo state to be precise.

Spawn is in grams. 500g is #800. With 500g, you can inoculate between 10-12 bags of sawdust substrate like the one shown up there. I use three spoonfuls of spawn for each bag.

Each of those bags contain approximately 500g of dry weight sawdust. But by the time you add other materials that I will be talking about soon, the weight might be getting to 1.5-2kg.
With proper management and conditions being set okay, each of those bags should produce at least 500g-1kg of fresh mushrooms.

But if things are not done properly, eerhmm let's just say one can at least get 200g of mushrooms from each of those bags.

You can also pick some idea from my experience too https://www.nairaland.com/3859776/mushroom-cultivation-simplified

benzion72:
You can also pick some idea from my experience too https://www.nairaland.com/3859776/mushroom-cultivation-simplified

Yeah. But there are some few adjustments that I have been researching and working on to reduce mushroom cultivation biggest problem...contamination.

In growing mushrooms...some of the basic materials needed are

1. Spawn
2. Substrate (dead leaves, grasses, sawdust, wood chips and even papers).

One can cultivate mushrooms with these materials., but to increase the amount of mushrooms one will harvest; we might need to add some material like wheat bran a calcium supplement in the substrate. Then one needs to arrange the conditions to be right for it to produce rightly.
These conditions include

1. Temperature
2. Humidity
3. Ventilation
4. Light

We should be talking about these, what I am doing at my farm to enhance efficiency.
Time to start some work at the farm this morning.

SPAWN

This is the seed material that is used to inoculate the substrate.

(Please o, it is not like we are learning some kind of big grammar here. Buy there are certain terminologies that are need to be know if one is to be involved in mushroom cultivation. At least that will make you to be able to relate with whoever you are working with).

The spawn is like the seeds of the mushroom. In nature, when you want to get an orange seed, you open up the orange to get the seed.
For mushrooms, what they produce is called spores. These spores are invisible to the eyes. In nature, when these spores land on favourable places, something called mycelium begins to develop.

However, these spores have to compete with a lot of organisms for space and food in the environment. That is why you will see mushrooms growing on a log and also find something like a green stuff growing on the same tree. These organisms fight together for nutrients. But for business purpose, you want all your nutrients to go to your mushrooms. Just like you want your tomato crop to get nutrients from your land and not share it with weeds.

That is why the mushroom spawn (seed) is cultivated in the lab with some equipment and machines where sterility is needed. These spores are put into grains and then the mycelium grows. By the time the seed is gotten, the major problem has been overcome.
We can now move to planting our seeds to substrates... sawdust, grasses etc.


Am I relating?


Pictures of spawn...

[quote author=RussellUba post=85144776][/quote] That Is Beautiful. Where In Imo State? I Am In Owerri Now. It Will Be Easier For Me. Please Help Out, I Want To Engage Myself In Something Meaningful In 2020.

How can I get the spawn?

RussellUba:


Yeah. But there are some few adjustments that I have been researching and working on to reduce mushroom cultivation biggest problem...contamination.

That is a major problem. Separate your spawn production and mushroom production facility. And keep observe personal hygiene where gloves and use nose cover. hope it help. another challenge is getting the right humidity

MikeBetty:
That Is Beautiful. Where In Imo State? I Am In Owerri Now. It Will Be Easier For Me. Please Help Out, I Want To Engage Myself In Something Meaningful In 2020.

Our farm is at FUTO.
You know the place right?

utytill:
How can I get the spawn?

We can waybill it to you. Where's your location?