PRE-ORDER Winecap Sawdust Spawn (outdoor growing)

1.5 kg sawdust spawn mycelium kit
 
Arrives at Hotchkiss Flower Farm the beginning of June
 
Winecap mushrooms (aka as King Stropharia or Garden Giants) are an edible gourmet mushroom that grow amazing in our northern climate, but also have great benefits to the garden. Not only do Winecap mycelium help build healthy soil structure, the mycelium of the winecap is a preditorial mycelium. Meaning the mycelium of this mushroom hunts out those harmful root eating, plant parasitic nematodes that torment many northern gardeners and consume those bad nematodes. When nematodes prey on Winecap mycelium, the fungi responds by producing spiny cells called Anthocytes, which pierce and kill the parasitic worm, and then the mycelium consumes the worm to obtain its  nitrogen. Primarily however, winecap mycelium is a Saprotroph, they are decomposers of wood chips, hay, straw, cardboard, and dead plant matter. They boost plant health in the garden by improving moisture retention, nutrient retention, nitrogen cycle and they produce blooms which is the beautiful gourmet mushrooms you get to enjoy!
 
Winecaps are not overly fussy eaters. They are happy in moist shady soil with whatever organic matter you give them. Their absolute favourite food to consume is hardwood shavings. On our farm, we like to feed them birch wood shavings from our firewood processor, or rake up the birch barks for them out of the wood shed. They get really active when given the hardwood to consume. They like to bloom under or along side plants where there is more moisture, but we have found them growing in the middle of our wood, hay & leaf  mulched pathways after a good rain. They really like old hay and cardboard as well. We like to lay a piece of cardboard on top of the mycelium  and cover with a layer of old hay. They happily decompose the hay and cardboard when given water on a regular basis, turning it into a rich mushroom compost around the plants. This greatly reduces weed growth with this method.
 
Winecaps should always be cook when consuming them. They have a meaty texture and nutty earthy flavour. Our favourite way to preserve them is to freeze dry, but we have heard they are wonderful dehydrated. The mushrooms they produce can get massive. The first year we had them growing on our farm we picked 5 five gallon buckets of them on a rainy year. On dry years, they produce much less. We have overwintered them on our farm for several years now so they are very cold hardy handling winter temps below -45 in the garden. Our farm is zone 2 for winter hardiness.
 
Planting into your garden:
choose a spot that can provide some shade and moisture. Around perennials, trees, garden paths that will have shade as plants grow in. Sprinkle the sawdust spawn where you would like them to begin growing and decomposing organic matter. Cover with wood shavings, cardboard, hay, straw or leaves, or a combination of your choice. Make sure to water in well and deep water weekly on drier years. Once the mycelium gets growing, you can take pieces of the mycelium and transplant into other areas of your garden. 
 
These Sawdust spawn kits are made in Sundre Alberta. We are a small business supporting another small business.