The mushroom is Stropharia rugosoannulata, commonly known as the wine cap stropharia, garden giant, burgundy mushroom, or king stropharia. When cooked, they are crisp with a mild, earthy, and nutty flavor with hints of potatoes and red wine. A great addition to your edible garden or food forest!
** CARE INSTRUCTION **
Stropharia rugosoannulata (aka. King Straphoria, Wine cap, or Garden Giant mushrooms) will thrive in garden beds and pathways or anywhere fresh hardwood chips are placed. They feed on decomposing brown waste materials, like wood chips, saw dust, straw, coffee grounds or fall leaves. Their favorite food source is fresh hardwood chips like Alder , but some softwoods like Doug fir will also work ok. Cedar, pine and other automatic woods resist fungal growth and should not be used.
In garden beds and pathways where lots of fresh organic material is added yearly, you’re sure to have some ‘Garden Giants’ appear again and again. Wine Cap fungi will grow best in a moist shady area, including beneath fruit trees, shrubs, bushes or large leafy vegetables, but can handle full sun in areas that have ample moisture and never somewhere where the ground is ever submerged in water. The ideal time to establish a mushroom bed is in the spring or fall, a month or more before any harsh heat or cold weather appears.
One 3 gallon container can inoculate 12-16 square feet.
To prepare a site for the fungi, remove all debris and rake down to the bare soil. Cardboard may also be laid down in order to further decrease competition with other fungi. A 1 to 2 inch layer of the freshest possible wood chips, sawdust or straw can then be placed. The material must be soaked in water overnight or sprayed heavily after placement in order to be completely wet. Broadcast the mushroom spawn evenly over the first layer, then add a second 1 to 2 inch layer of your fungi food material on top. Finally, water thoroughly.
Make sure your mushroom bed does not dry out for at least the first few weeks. Mushroom beds take 6-12 months to fully establish and will fruit in late spring, summer and early fall. Remember to feed your fungi a fresh new layer of food each year and they will thrive and may spread throughout your entire yard. Always fully and correctly identify your mushrooms as being Stropharia rugosoannulata before consuming any amount.
** Mushroom photo and care instruction by Jordan Weiss
