How to Grow Pink Oyster Mushroom: A Comprehensive Guide

Hello, enthusiastic growers are you interested in earning profit?? So, the solution is knocking on your door. You can earn profit with minimum set up, low cost, less maintenance and in minimum time by growing pink oyster mushrooms. It is not only healthy but also attractive because of its beautiful pinkish color and is very eye-catching in the market. So, are you interested in starting your business by growing this in your home?? Then read the article it will give you a complete idea about how to grow pink oyster mushroom with less effort.

What is Pink Oyster Mushroom ?

The pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor) is an edible mushroom (native- South-east Asia) with vibrant pink color belong to the family pleurotaceae. They have a typical shelf-like shape and the ages of the cap turn to curl with the age. This mushroom has a pinkish cap, underside is more darker than outside with white numerous spores. It can have a thick and meaty or thin and delicate texture depending on growing condition. In soup, tacos, stews and different vegan dishes it can be used as an alternative source of meat because of its meaty texture and flavor Mainly this pink mushroom grows in warm areas has a rich umami flavor and is also very nutritious.

Nutritive Value of Pink Oyster Mushroom

Pink oyster mushroom has a huge nutritive value as it contains various types of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc. that help boost immunity, fight against inflammation, and prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Along with various vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrate complexes, it contains a special antioxidant named ergothioneine which is very helpful for preventing chronic inflammation.

Nutritive value per 100g-

Component	Quantity
Carbohydrates	52.7 g
Sugar	23.10 g
Dietary fibre	43.80 g
Fat	2.86 g
Protein	30.20 g
Riboflavins	2.45 mg
Niacin	65.8 mg
Vitamin B5	33.2 mg
Vitamin D	136 IU
Potassium	4600 mg
Sodium	13 mg
Iron	11 mg
Calcium	5 mg
Copper	1.61 mg

Natural Habitat of Pink Oyster Mushroom

It is mainly a tropical mushroom. It is more suitable in hot and humid conditions of tropical climates. We can find pink oysters in tropical hardwood.

What makes pink oyster mushrooms different from others-

Eye-catching- They are surprisingly very beautiful in their look. The fruiting bodies come as a large cluster which is truly pink in colour and looks like a flower bouquet.

Heat Tolerant- They are heat tolerant species so can be grown in mid to high-summer conditions. It is accepted by the farmers of tropical regions where most of the mushroom species fail to grow due to huge heat.

Adaptibility Pink mushrooms don’t require much fresh air as compared to blue mushrooms. It is one of the most challenging factors for growing mushrooms of the Pleurotus genus.

There are a few more species of pink oyster like P. djamor, and P. salmon but they share similar characteristics.

How to Grow Pink Oyster Mushroom

Selection of Spawn to Grow Pink Oyster Mushroom

Rye grain is one of the best options as a spawn. Other cereals including millet can be used in spawn material.

Spawn | How to grow Pink Oyster Mushroom — Spawn | Picture credit: The FunGuy

Selection of Growing Media:

Suitable growing media is required to get the best quality of pink oyster mushroom and a good yield. They are likely to grow in lignin-rich substrate. The best-growing media for growing this mushroom are straw, sawdust, and cotton seed hulls that contain a good amount of lignin and cellulose. Not only these but also they can be grown on organic materials like coffee grounds, corn cob, and even on paper. Pink oysters grown on sawdust have a little bit more shelf life.

Sterilization of Growing Media:

It is one of the important steps to eliminate all microorganisms that create contamination and reduce the yield and quality of mushrooms.

Substrate Inoculation:

After complete sterilization, inoculation is done with seed/ spawn. Seed or spawn is nothing but the mycelium of the mushroom or fungus. You can get the spawn from any reputed organization or you can also prepare by yourself by transferring mycelium from a mature mushroom into a fresh substrate (grains, rye, etc.).

Maintenance of Temperature and Humidity:

Pink oyster mushroom is a warm and humid season crop. So, we can get the best quality pink oyster mushrooms in temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees Cent.. humidity requirement is 80% to 90%. To maintain the optimum temperature and humidity growing chamber or room can be constructed. A humidifier or mister can also be installed to maintain the humidity.

Ventilation:

Proper ventilation and fresh air are very essential for growing the best quality oyster mushroom. A constant supply of fresh air can promote air exchange and enhance the growth of the fruiting body efficiently.

Maintenance of Moisture Level:

Regular water spraying is very essential to maintain proper moisture levels. It will help to grow mycelium vigorously in the substrate.

Inspection of Pests and Disease Infestation:

Regular inspection of pests(like Springtails, Phorids, Sciarids, mite, etc.) and diseases (Yellow blotch, green mould, cobweb, soft rot, etc.) is important because pink oyster mushrooms are susceptible to them. Instant action should be taken to remove if there is any infestation found. Clean and hygienic practices should be followed to prevent the infestation of pests and diseases.

Time Required to Grow Pink Oyster Mushroom:

Pink oyster mushrooms grow very easily and very quickly. Almost after 21 days of inoculation it starts fruiting ( first flush). The second flush will be ready after one week of harvesting of first flush. We can get three flushes of mushrooms for harvesting.

Grow Pink Oyster Mushroom | How to grow Pink Oyster Mushroom — Grow Pink Oyster Mushroom

Harvesting

Proper harvesting is very necessary to get the best quality pink oyster mushrooms. Harvesting is one of the important steps to answer the question of how to grow pink oyster mushroom.

The perfect time for harvesting the pink oyster mushroom is before the spores drop and when the cap of the mushroom starts curling up.

You can easily harvest the mushroom with a simple twist in the cluster of mushroom, or you can cut the cluster with a sharp and sterilized knife to avoid contamination. You have to take special care during harvesting to protect the log or growing bag undamaged for future flushes.

Storage-

It has a very short lifespan, so, we can increase its shelf life by storing it in a refrigerator at a proper temperature about 1.7 degree C to 4.4 degree C or 35 to 40 degree F. You are advised to avoid washing them before storage to prevent spoilage.

Yield of Pink Oyster Mushroom:

If we take proper maintenance and care, we can harvest 0.45 kg of pink oyster mushrooms Using 2.27 kg of straw and spawn. That means approximately 1 lb yield of pink mushroom can be achieved from 5 lb fruiting blocks.

Also Read:

Season and Area of Cultivation:

As it is a warm-season crop, it requires warm and humid conditions to grow efficiently. Mid-summer is the best season for growing pink oyster mushrooms. Mainly this mushroom is growing in tropical and subtropical areas.

Precautions:

Pink mushroom has huge mycelium growth and the whole ager dish can be filled with pink mycelial growth. The plates are sensitive to cold so they will likely die in the refrigerator. So, the grower needs to take care of these situations during spawn culture.

To avoid all these steps and precautions farmers can grow pink oysters by using a ready-made grow kit in their home.

What Is ‘Ready To Grow Kit’?

Here, the pink oyster mycelium is already inoculated in a substrate like straw or sawdust as favored by the pink oyster in a growing bag. This bag is available in the market. Farmers need to buy this bag from the market, cut the seal, and place it in the appropriate environmental condition. All the steps are mentioned in that kit and farmers only need to follow the mentioned steps which can give them a good yield in a very short period of time without any complexity.

Ready to Grow Kit | How to grow Pink Oyster Mushroom — Ready to Grow Kit | Picture credit: Little Acre Mushrooms

Advantages of pink oyster mushroom

Unique flavor and aroma- it has an excellent meaty or fishy flavor.

High nutritional value- as it contains a large quantity of vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and antioxidants, it has a high nutritive value for us.

Substitute of meat- it is one of the best alternatives to meat for the younger generation. As it has an umami flavor it is suitable in soups, stews, as fries, or with vegetables. This mushroom is one of the best options for vegetarian people.

Medicinal value– it contains unique antioxidants that are helpful in preventing chronic inflammation, so, it has also medicinal value.

Huge market demand– now people are more health conscious. So, they prefer healthy and nutritious food. That’s why it has a great market demand.

Disadvantages of pink oyster mushroom

Short shelf life: this mushroom has a very short shelf life. It will remain fresh for almost one or two days after harvesting.

Susceptible to frost– as it is a warm and humid season crop growing in tropical areas, it can’t tolerate a cooler environment. Pink oyster mushroom is very susceptible to frost.

Susceptible to pests and diseases- this mushroom is very susceptible to pests and diseases. Proper cleanliness is required to prevent contamination.

Slow colonization– growers will face the problem of slow colonization of mycelium in growing bags. It happens due to a lack of proper environment, temperature, bad quality spawn, low moisture, etc.

Also Read

Conclusion:

The pink oyster mushroom is truly attractive by look as well as nutritive value as it contains good amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. It is mainly a warm-season mushroom and requires high temperature and high relative humidity. The spawn are mainly grown on cereal seeds but Rye seed is mostly accepted. They can give the first flush within 3 weeks of inoculation if appropriate environmental condition is maintained. For their growth and development proper ventilation and required moisture percentage should be maintained on a continuous basis. It has a huge market value in the vegan sector as it acts as a substitute for meat. Meat and fishy flavor and texture are important characteristics of pink oyster mushrooms.

So it has great medical importance also. They farmers can easily grow this pink oyster mushroom on their farm by maintaining the proper environmental conditions already discussed and they will get a crystal clear idea about how to grow pink oyster mushroom. Farmers can buy spawn from any authentic organization or else they can grow on their own. The production failure faced by the farmers is due to bad quality spawn and improper environment. So, by following all these factors farmers can grow pink oyster mushrooms achieve a good yield, and maintain a good proportion of market share.

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