I keep hearing milky mushroom is good for hot weather. How do I grow it and which months suit it in the plains?
3 Answers
Milky mushroom (Calocybe indica) is a good choice for warm regions because it likes higher temperatures than button or oyster, which is why it suits the summer and warm months in much of central and south India. It is grown on pasteurised paddy or wheat straw like oyster, but it needs a casing layer like button mushroom to trigger fruiting. The spawn run happens warm, then you apply casing soil, and fruiting comes at a fairly warm range of roughly 25 to 35 degrees C with high humidity. The mushrooms are white, firm and have a better shelf life than oyster, which helps in marketing. It takes a bit longer than oyster from spawning to harvest. Use clean substrate and pasteurised casing to avoid contamination. Confirm the right local season and casing mix with your KVK or DMR Solan.
In Telangana I grow milky mushroom from about March through the hot months when oyster struggles. The casing step is the key, without good casing I got very few mushrooms.
Its longer shelf life is a real plus for me. Button and oyster spoil fast but milky mushroom holds up better on the way to market.