Bagging of Shiitake Mushroom Loggings

1. Bagging Methods

(1) Manual Bagging: First, tie one end of the bag with string and open the other end. Use a slanted hopper made from a plastic bottle to fill the hopper with the substrate, pressing it down slightly by hand as you fill, ensuring the tightness is appropriate and compacting layer by layer. Fill the hopper to 6cm from the bag opening.

(2) Machine Bagging: Currently, bagging machines are generally used in production. Each machine can fill 800 bags per hour. One bagging machine requires 7 people: 1 person to scoop the substrate, 1 person to pass the bags, 1 person to put the bags on, and 4 people to seal the bags. First, open the unsealed end of the mushroom bag and slip the entire bag onto the sleeve at the bagging machine's outlet. Hold the bag firmly with your right hand and hold it against the sleeve with your left. As the material continuously enters the bag from the sleeve, press the bag head inwards with your right hand, squeezing the inside and outside against each other to achieve the appropriate tightness. At this point, let your left hand naturally move back. When the bag is filled to 6cm from the opening, stop filling and remove the bag upright.

If using a non-cutting water-retaining film bag, first put on the water-retaining film bag, then put on the outer bag to fill with the material, and seal them together after filling.

2. Bagging Requirements

(1) Material Loading Amount: For cultivation bags of 15cm×55cm, each bag should contain 0.9-1kg of dry material, with a wet weight of approximately 1.8-2kg, and the mushroom log should be 40-42cm long; for cultivation bags of 17cm×55cm, each bag should contain 1.2-1.3kg of dry material, with a wet weight of approximately 2.4-2.6kg, and the mushroom log should be 40-42cm long.

(2) Tightness: When bagging, some mushroom farmers are afraid that if the bag is too tight, the sawdust will tear the bag, so they fill it with less material. Others, greedy for small profits, blindly fill it with more material, resulting in inconsistent "softness" and "hardness" of the shiitake mushroom bags. "Too soft" will cause the mushroom log to shrink or break, while "too hard" will cause the mycelium to grow slowly or stop later. Therefore, the tightness should be moderate. The general standard for judging the quality is to grasp the culture bag with moderate force; a slight indentation on the surface of the bag is ideal. If there is an indentation or a tear in the bag, it is too loose; if it feels like a wooden stick without an indentation, it is too tight.

(3) No damage or punctures: Check the filled bags for damage and punctures. If punctures are found, use tape to cover them. Replace severely damaged plastic bags to prevent contamination.

(4) Handle with care during transport: Handle the bags with care during transport. Lay burlap sacks or film on the filling area and transport tools. Place the tied bags on a plastic-covered surface.