How to Set-Up a 'Wine Cap' Mushroom Garden Bed: Now You Can Have A Garden In Full Shade!

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How to Set-Up a 'Wine Cap' Mushroom Garden Bed: 

Now You Can Have A Garden In Full Shade!

What can I grow in full shade? I get that question asked often and the answer is mushrooms! Full shade is perfect for growing 'Wine Cap' mushrooms. Unlike the white button mushrooms and portabella mushrooms, we get at the grocery store... these mushrooms should always be cooked. And yes, I worry about eating the wrong mushroom but when you set up a mushroom garden, you know what to look for and it is easy to identify a wine cap. 

Wine Cap Mushrooms

The best way to 'seed' your mushroom bed is with mushroom spawn. You can look on-line for different companies to buy the spawn. You simply want wine cap mushroom spawn. It is typically grown in sawdust and the spawn itself is mushroom mycelium. The sawdust will be covered in white threads and it comes in a sealed bag. The mycelium is kind of like your seeds. The pack of sawdust, covered in mushroom mycelium, gets crumbled and sprinkled over your bedding. 

Mushroom Spawn - Mycelium for 'Seeding'

Pick a location that gets full shade or nearly full shade. If is going to get sun, morning or late evening soon is better than mid day sun.  A 5 pound bag of mushroom spawn is good for a 4x4 foot space. The first video covers the basics of setting up your mushroom garden. You will need bedding or substrate for it to grow on. I am using cardboard, shredded hardwood or hardwood chips and straw (not hay).  I basically framed out a 4x4 foot area for my space. I layered in the materials and sprinkled spawn across the layers. 

After sprinkling the spawn across each layer, water it in and add the next layer. The next video shows the entire set up process if you want more details. Basically... frame out area, put down a layer of cardboard, put down a layer of hardwood, sprinkle on the spawn, water it in, put a layer of straw down, sprinkle on the spawn, water it in and repeat the process. Each layer can be about 1-2 inches. The key is making sure the area stays moist. Typically, a fully shaded area will take care of itself.

Layers of Hardwood and Straw

If you are building this in the fall (which I did), typically the mushrooms will pin and form the following spring, if the mycelium is well established. The mycelium can manage freezing temperatures too. If you are building it in the spring, the earlier the better. Mushroom form when the mycelium is established and moisture and  temperatures are right. Dropping, rising or changing temperatures cause the mushrooms to pin and form. Wine cap mushrooms are best suited for your first mushroom garden and do well with temperatures found in my home State, Maryland. Remember to make sure your garden stays moist. And good luck with your first harvest!

Cheers,Gary

My Wine Cap Mushroom Garden Set-Up

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