Pleurotus eunosmus

The Tarragon Oyster mushroom is closely related to Pleurotus ostreatus. According to Watling & Gregory, this mushroom is generally considered a form or variety of P. ostreatus, but differs in the strong smell of tarragon. It has been reported from England and Scotland. P. euosmus behaves, in culture, similarly to P. ostreatus.

Mycelial Characteristics: White, longitudinally linear, cottony aerial fast growing and classically oysteresque. Soon after colonizing a petri dish of MYPA, the mycelium tears off in thick sheets.

Microscopic Features: This mushroom produces pale pinkish/lilac spores.

Suggested Agar Culture Media: Malt Yeast Agar (MYA), Malt Yeast Peptone Agar (MYPA), Potato Dextrose Yeast Peptone (PDYA), or Oatmeal Yeast Agar (OMYA).

Spawn Media: Grain spawn for the first two generations, hardwood sawdust spawn for the final stage.

Substrates for Fruiting: Hardwood sawdust, cereal straw, cottonseed hulls, sugar cane bagasse, coffee wastes, pater by-products, and many other materials. This mushroom will probably grow on many more substrate materials give modest experimentation.

Yield Potentials: 75-100% biological efficiency, greatly affected by the size of the mushrooms at harvest, and the number of flushes allowed.

---Growth Parameters---

Spawn Run:

• Incubation Temperatures: 70-80* F (21-27* C)
• Relative Humidity: 98-100%
• Duration: 7-14 days
• CO2: .10,000 ppm
• Fresh Air Exchanges: 0-1 per hour
• Light Requirements: n/a

Primordia Formation:

• Initiation Temperature: 65-75* F (18-24* C)
• Relative Humidity: 95-100%
• Duration: 7-10 days
• CO2: <2000 ppm
• Fresh Air Exchanges: 4-8 per hour
• Light Requirements: 750-1500 lux

Fruitbody Development:

• Temperature: 70-80* F (21-27* C)
• Relative Humidity: 90-95%
• Duration: 4-8 days
• CO2: <1000 ppm
• Fresh Air Exchanges: 4-8 per hour
• Light Requirements: 750-1500 lux

Cropping Cycle:

• 3 crops, two weeks apart.

Comments: The cultivation of Pleurotus euosmus parallels the cultivation of P. ostreatus and grows at mid-level temperature range, not requiring a cold shock to initiate. Clusters of 5-10 mushrooms are common, rarely numbering more, with the majority of the primordia forming, reaching full maturity. These features may be strain specific. Please refer to the growth parameters of P. ostreatus, a close relative and possible future synonym of this mushroom.

(Information taken from Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, Paul Stamets)