• Sharlebel Mushrooms is using bag cultivation to produce Shiitake Mushrooms

• It enables us to plan and control production cycles

• Shiitake Mushrooms only grow on certain hardwoods. We are using a mixture of Blackwood shavings and sawdust to make our substrate

• The substrate mix is placed in heat resistant bags of 2kg each and are then sterilized with hot steam at approximately 98- 100˚c for 7-8 hours

• After sterilization, the bags are left to cool

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• Shiitake spawn is now added to each bag mixture and the bag is heat sealed.  This is done under strict laboratory conditions.

• Each bag has a small breathing patch for air exchange

• These bags are placed in the Spawn room and left to develop for 50 – 60 days under controlled conditions

• When the mycelia populate the sawdust mixture, it turns completely white

• At this stage Sharlebel Mushrooms remove the blocks from the bags. The exposed blocks are moved to the production house.  

• The new blocks are now moved to the grow house where clean conditions, humidity and climate control is key to the success of the harvest

• The new blocks are now left for 10 to 14 days to rest and dry out, turn brown and have a hardened shell

• After this  resting period, the blocks are now completely submerged into water for 4 – 6 hours

• After soaking, the blocks are now moved back to the grow house

• The first fruits will start to appear after 3-7 days

• Mushrooms are harvested twice a day during harvest time

• After each harvest, the blocks are left to rest again for 10 – 14 days

• The soaking process is repeated

• Each block of substrate can  be re-soaked up to 4 times to produce harvests

• Blocks that have completed the harvest cycle are recycled into garden compost by local Nurseries.