Various factors can affect the growth of mycelium, either physical, chemical, or biological, factors include temperature, humidity, water content, particle size, pH, O₂, CO₂, the viability of fungal cultures, and contaminants (unwanted organisms), oyster mushroom mycelium will grow optimally when the content of air 70-75% of the environmental temperature 25°Celcius, 85-95% humidity and pH 5.5 to 6.5, Over the mycelium growth will occur in the growing medium pH changes, namely the presence of the overhaul of lignoselulosa and other organic compounds that produce organic acids, thus, add lime CaCO₃on the media to maintain the pH remains in optimum condition
Mycelium growth takes place in the semi-anaerobic conditions so that oxygen is needed even if only in very low levels, reduction of oxygen in the nutrient can increase the production of mycelium, but in the absence of oxygen mycelium fungus can not grow, therefore the top of the growing media for oyster mushrooms punched and bound with rings and covered with cotton, the hole serves to place the seeds enter while giving little aeration is required for mycelium growth of oyster mushroom seeds, in addition Oxygen, mycelium growth is also influenced by CO₂ gas, the oyster mushroom mycelium growth can be stimulated in high concentrations of CO₂ in the air (22-28%), including the oyster mushrooms are tolerant to high CO₂ environment, but growth will be hampered if the CO₂ in the air exceeds 37.5%
Very important factor for the growth of mycelium on the viability of growing media (the life) fungal cultures, studies on Pleurotus flabelatus continuously cultured in rice straw, using a mold that has been repeatedly transferred on PDA ( Potato Dextrose Agar ) media showed poor results, this is because glucose causes a decrease in PDA ( Potato Dextrose Agar ) media activities to get the nutrients, to avoid this, be desirable to isolate a single spore cult so it can be maintained vabilitas
Things to avoid during the process of growing media on the mycelium growth was the presence of contaminants, for it is sure to always maintain the sterility of seeds, planting media and equipment used when planting seedlings, number of fungal contaminants that can grow in a less sterile growing media such as fungus Sclerotium rolfsil, Penicilium digitatum, Muncor javonicus, Coprinus sp, Chaetomium sp, and Trichoderma sp, the presence of fungal contaminants would certainly be a competitor in getting the nutrients in the substrate so that the fungus causes a decrease of more than 40 percent or even can not harvest at all.
