How to grow Nameko
How to grow Nameko
The Nameko (Pholiota nameko (T. Itô) S. Ito & S. Imai) is a small cinnamon-colored mushroom with a slightly gelatinous coating, very cultivated and consumed in eastern countries but also in Russia and the United States. Japan is the country that holds a considerable cultivation so that the name nameko comes from the Japanese meaning slimy mushroom. In this card we will see how to cultivate the Nameko, with particular regard to the growing substrate and the most suitable environment.
The nameko cultivation technician is very similar to the one adopted for another mushroom, namely: Flammulina velutipes. The substrate on which the nameko cultivation is to be carried out must consist of hardwood sawdust. It should be noted that, in some crops, supported by research on this subject, they indicate that sawdust from conifers (Pinus spp. And Cryptomeria japonica) gives better production results.
To the sawdust of broad-leaved (or coniferous) rice bran should be added as a supplement; in this case, if you choose coniferous sawdust, the concentration should be 15%, while if you choose hardwood sawdust the concentration should be 10%.
Another option, which simulates the natural habitat of growth, is to cultivate the nameko with a more natural method, using partially buried wooden trunks, in order to guarantee the high level of humidity that the fungus needs for the growth.
Recall that for its optimal growth the incubation temperatures must be contained between 24 and 29 ° C, and then lowered to 10-16 ° C to induce fructification of the fungus. In this second phase, at the same time as the thermal shock, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) must be decreased and the luminous intensity must be increased, maintaining a high degree of humidity through nebulisations of water within the cultivation environment. Please note that the name of the mykoom is easy to buy even through specialized online sales sites. Alternatively, especially for those who want to try their hand for the first time, the mycelium nails that are wooden cylinders on which the mycelium seed of the mushroom Pholiota nameko has been bred are found on the market. The cultivation is done on logs of oak, beech, birch, poplar, linden, alder or other broad-leaved trees, but recently cut and therefore fresh and healthy.