Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms
Unlike the normal Button Mushrooms that is grown on manure, Gourmet mushrooms are grown on plant residues such as sawdust or even straw [for the aggressive colonizers like oyster mushrooms]. Tradionally these are grown on logs, but advancement in technology/knowledge now can be grown indoors on hardwood sawdust in autoclavable bags that are hermetically sealed with a ‘mushroom filter patch’ to allow exchange of gases but exclusion of bacteria to contaminate substrate. Mushrooms belong to Fungi, and it was only recently discovered that life on earth would not have been here if not for the symbiotic relationship between Fungi and plants, with some of the largest organisms on earth now being associated with this rather elusive denizon of the underground.
ECO Bini on mushroom cultivation
Mushroom Hothouse
Constant research, implementation and control is done on mushrooms to be able to bring you the most virulent strains for local conditions. It is Eco-Bini’s mission to complete the grow cycle, and clone the adult fruit to give a product that has survived in most probably one of the harshest environments – the Southernmost tip of Africa. This gives a product that is by nature suited to our local conditions and by manipulating the environment now we can attain growing conditions, yet limit the energy expenditure and associated costs.
For the Urban Farmer Oyster Mushroom Cultivation is advised , due to several important reasons:
- Can be grown on wide variety of agricultural waste.
- No Fermentation of substrate required
- Fast colonisation and quick growth means that the first flush can be harvested in 4 weeks from inoculation.
- No need to sterilize substrate.
- Using Bundu Tek and super-pasteurisation no expensive equipment is required like flow hoods, sterilizers, polypropylene grow bags, etc.
- High Cash value crop – can earn up to R1000/m2
- Not grown by large Commercial farms as use different substrate and not suited to mechanisation.
- Use household equipment.
- Can be grown in wide temperature range.
- Moisture easily controlled in Fogponics.
ECO Bini is primarily involved with equipment required to grow mushrooms in a ever degenerating to 3rd world status country, just so equipment and methodologies have to be made to be able to handle load-shedding among other issues
Some of the mushrooms strains that can be ordered are listed in SouthPoint eShop.
