Blue Oyster Colonised Fruiting Block – 5 lb

Description

Blue Oyster Colonised Fruiting Block – A fully colonised, rested blue oyster ready to open and fruit – the same block as our kits, without the box.

Blue Oyster Colonised Fruiting Block: what you get

Blue Oyster Colonised Fruiting Block arrives as 5 lb, as the listing states it. Variations are sold as sealed or packed so it survives a courier, not just a shelf.

• 5 lb, as the listing states it
• sealed or packed so it survives a courier, not just a shelf
• the same photograph as the listing, so you know what arrives

How to use blue oyster colonised fruiting block

Nothing about blue oyster colonised fruiting block is difficult, and almost every failed grow we hear about breaks at one of four points: moisture, temperature swings, still air being taken for clean air, and opening things too early. These four steps cover blue oyster colonised fruiting block in any shop-bought setup.

1. Fill to no more than two thirds dry weight so the bag can be folded and banded without stretching the patch.
2. Sterilise supplemented mixes at 15 PSI for 2.5 hours; pasteurise straw and Coir at 60-80 C for 1-2 hours instead.
3. Cool to room temperature before you inoculate, then shake the spawn through the substrate at the rate the supplier lists for that species.
4. Incubate sealed, then cut the panel and stand the bag where air moves; the patch is there to exchange gas, not to let mist in.

Storage and handling

Keep the pack sealed until you are ready to work, and write the delivery date on it – grain-based and live material are the two things nobody should use on memory.

Common questions

How is this different from the grow kit?

Same living block, no decorative box, no printed insert, and it ships shrink-wrapped in a ventilated carton instead of sitting in a windowed carton. Cheaper, uglier, identical fruiting.

Should I soak the block when it arrives?

If the surface looks dry or grey, yes – eight to twelve hours in cool water, then drain. If it is wet and white, just open it and give it air.

How long can I hold a block before fruiting?

Up to two weeks in a cold room or fridge. Beyond that the block burns itself out and the first flush shrinks.

Usually ordered with Empty Filter-Patch Grow Bags, 10 lb – 10 Pack and Empty Filter-Patch Grow Bags, 5 lb – 10 Pack. The empty-bag archive compares volume, film thickness and patch type side by side. Mushroom Grow Bags & Blocks. For the technique side we keep FreshCap on filter-patch bags open while writing these pages, and the sanitation notes for the consumables follow the FDA Food Code.

A finished block with the packaging left out. Fully colonised, rested and ready for you to open, soak if it looks dry, and put somewhere cool and breezy. This is the fastest route to mushrooms on the shelf without the box.

What is in the box

• A finished 5 lb block: supplemented hardwood substrate, fully colonised and rested, sold without a decorative box
• You provide the humidity and the air. Open the bag, mist, and wait for pins
• Cheaper per pound than a boxed kit because you are not paying for packaging – the trade-off is a less tidy counter
• Ships unwrapped inside a ventilated carton; blocks are shipped at a stage where they will not be cooking in transit

How it works

1. Unpack in a clean space, cut the bag open above the block and remove any loose surface plastic.
2. Soak the block for 8-12 hours in cool water if the surface looks dry, then drain well.
3. Stand it in high humidity with fresh air two or three times a day and keep 60-72°F for most species.
4. Harvest whole clusters at the base, rest the block for a week, then re-soak for the next flush.

About Blue Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus)

Blue oyster is the cold-weather twin of the grey grocery-store mushroom: same appetite, better drama. It fruits happily in an unheated garage or a north-facing shelf, which makes it the variety we suggest for October through March, and the one that forgives a forgotten spray bottle.

Conditions blue oyster grows best in

• Fruiting temperature: 50-65°F (10-18°C); above 72°F the caps bleach out and stall
• Humidity: 85-92% with generous fresh air
• Colonises in 10-16 days
• Pins in 5-8 days of cold, bright, fresh air; harvest 5-8 days after that
• Blue-grey colour is strongest in cool, bright conditions and fades as the cap matures

When to pick: Cut the cluster when the caps are 3-5 inches wide and before the edges start to turn up and shed spores. Expect two or three flushes over roughly a month from a well-filled block.

In the kitchen: Nutty and firmer than a white button, with a deeper flavour once browned. Freezes reasonably after cooking, which suits a heavy first flush.

What to expect from this grow

A rested, fully colonised block normally pins within a week or two of being opened. Blocks that have been colonising too long can flush heavily and then fade; two flushes from a 5 lb block is a normal outcome, not a shortfall.

Specification

Product type	Colonised fruiting block
Stage	Colonised fruiting block
Size	5 lb block
Species	Blue Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus)
Substrate it grows on	Pasteurised wheat straw or supplemented hardwood sawdust
Fruiting range	50-65°F (10-18°C); above 72°F the caps bleach out and stall
Difficulty	Easy
Shipped weight	6.4 lb
Package size	10 × 6 × 6 inches
SKU	MGS-0022

Part of our Mushroom Grow Bags range. Questions about blue oyster? Email [email protected] or call +1 970-909-8532.

Other formats for Blue Oyster: Ready-to-fruit grow kit, All-in-one grow bag, Grain spawn. Start with a guide if you are not sure which one fits your space.