I spawned four kinds of mushrooms into the shady path under my arches. Here’s how I set it up, what each one grows on, what’s come up so far, and how to be sure it’s the one you think it is.
1Wine capThe main path, under the arches.
2Blue oysterThe path, before the first arch.
3ShiitakeAlong the back, by the fence.
4Hen of the woods (maitake)Its own spot on the left, by the tree.
Shiitake spawn, ready to go in.
How I set it up
1Layer and soakSoil, soaked paper, straw, and spawn, then wood chips.
2Keep it moistFor two weeks while the spawn settles in.
3Watch the rainThey come up after rain. Pick them young.
Check every flushOther fungi move into the same chips and straw.Take a spore printIt separates each one from its look-alike.Doesn’t match? Toss itWhen in doubt, don’t eat it. Cook everything well, and eat a small portion the first time you try a new one.Poison Control1-800-222-1222, free, 24 hours (US).
When to expect them
Typical time from spawning to the first harvest. Wine caps come first; hen of the woods can take two years.
Wine cap2–6 months · up!
Blue oyster4–12 months
Shiitake6–12 months
Hen of the woods3 months–2 years
What they grow on
Wine cap1
Blue oyster2
Shiitake3
Hen of the woods4
The path under my arches, where they all went in.
Every one of these eats wood or plant fiber, but they’re picky about which. Here’s what I used and who likes it.
Oak
The hardwood shiitake and hen of the woods want most. Both are usually grown on oak logs.
ShiitakeHen of the woods
Straw
Blue oyster’s favorite, and wine caps spread through it fast.
Blue oysterWine cap
Paper
The bottom layer of my path. It’s plant fiber, so the mushrooms grow right through it.
Wine capBlue oyster
Pine bark mulch
Pine resins slow most mushrooms down. Wine caps can handle some mixed in, but they do best on hardwood.
Wine cap
Cypress mulch
It resists rot, which is why it lasts so long as mulch. Mushrooms grow into it slowly, so it’s my slow-lane comparison in raised beds 6 and 7.
Slow for all four
The four mushrooms
1
Wine cap Stropharia rugosoannulata
First up Oct 25 · First harvest 2–6 months
Its printPurple-black
Rule outAgaricus, Agrocybe
More about Wine cap
Also called Garden giant, king stropharia, burgundy mushroom, wine-cap stropharia
~3 yrof harvests from one bedPlant April to Octoberseason
Grows on
Fresh wood chips and straw, which is exactly what the path is. It doubles as path mulch.
Look for
• Burgundy cap and a thick white stem
• Toothed, cogwheel-like ring, with dark spores dusting its top
• Grey-purple gills on the open cap
• A button with its veil still covering the gills
Pick when
Button stage, or just as the cap pulls away from the stem, before it drops spores.
Good to know
Flies lay eggs in the caps, so check for holes. A few people are allergic; start with a small, well-cooked portion.
Rule out
Agaricus (pinkish gills, chocolate-brown print) and Agrocybe (no red cap, brown print). Both turn up in mulch.
Sources: Brooklyn Botanic Garden · Midwest Mycology · Learn Your Land
2
Blue oyster Pleurotus ostreatus
Not up yet · First harvest 4–12 months
Its printWhite to faint lilac
Rule outJack-o’-lantern
Still spreadingNothing to see on top yet. Under the straw and chips it’s sending out fine white threads, filling in the path before it fruits.
More about Blue oyster
Also called Oyster mushroom, pearl oyster. Blue oyster is a strain, sold as P. ostreatus var. columbinus.
Oct–Aprwhen wild ones fruitCool weatherseason
Grows on
Straw is one of its favorites. It also grows on soft hardwood logs.
Look for
• Many caps in a dense bouquet from one shared base
• Slate-blue caps, darker at the rolled-in edge
• Pale grey gills that run far down the stems
Pick when
Cap edges are still curled down.
Good to know
Wild P. ostreatus fruits from October to early April, which is why it suits a fall and winter path.
Rule out
Jack-o’-lantern, Omphalotus illudens: bright pumpkin-orange clusters on stumps or buried roots, often oak. Its print is also pale, so go by the orange color.
Still spreadingIt’s slowly working its way through the chips along the back. Shiitake takes its time, so caps could be most of a year away.
More about Shiitake
Also called Forest mushroom
2–3 yrof harvests from a logSpring and fallseason
Grows on
Hardwood. It’s usually grown on oak logs, so the chips are my experiment.
Look for
• Brown cap, darker at the center
• White flecks and small cracks on the cap
• Cap edge curled under
• Cream gills that stop short of the stem
• Pale, fibrous stem
Pick when
The gills are just showing and the cap edge is still curled under.
Good to know
Cook them well. Raw or lightly cooked shiitake can cause a whip-like rash called shiitake flagellate dermatitis, within hours to 5 days.
Rule out
Deadly galerina, Galerina marginata: small and brown on rotting wood, with a rusty-brown spore print. It contains amatoxins, which cause liver damage.
Sources: Ohio State Extension · Alabama Extension · FloraFinder · NC State Extension · DermNet · University of Kentucky Forestry
4
Hen of the woods Grifola frondosa · maitake
Not up yet · First harvest 3 months–2 years
Its printWhite
Rule outBlack-staining polypore
Still settling inThe slowest of my four. It’s growing underground for now, and the first one can take up to two years.
More about Hen of the woods
Also called Maitake, sheep’s head, ram’s head
7+ yrof harvests from a logLate summer to fallseason
Grows on
Oak. It’s usually grown on buried oak logs, so the chips are an experiment too. Most fruit in the fall of the year after spawning.
Look for
• A rounded clump of many overlapping grey-brown caps; the branched white base is usually hidden underneath
• Thin, wavy caps with pale edges and fine streaks
• Tiny white pores under the caps, not gills
Pick when
The fronds are 1–2 in long. Pull and twist the cluster off at the base.
Good to know
It often comes back in the same spot year after year. Look for it from late summer into fall.
Rule out
Black-staining polypore, Meripilus sumstinei: larger caps, and the pore surface bruises black.
Sources: Field & Forest Products · MushroomExpert · Mushroom Council
At a glance
Quick comparison
Mushroom
Where in my garden
First harvest
Spore print
Rule out
Wine cap
The main path, under the arches
2–6 months
Purple-black
Agaricus, Agrocybe (brown prints)
Blue oyster
The path, before the first arch
4–12 months
White to faint lilac
Jack-o’-lantern (also pale: go by its orange color)
Shiitake
Along the back, by the fence
6–12 months
White
Deadly galerina (rusty brown)
Hen of the woods
Its own spot, by the tree
3 months–2 years
White
Black-staining polypore (pores bruise black)
Take a spore print
Go through the same features every time: what it grows on, gills or pores, the stem and any ring, cap color. Then let the print decide.
1 · Cap down on paperCut off the stem. Set the cap gills-down on paper that’s half white, half black.
2 · Cover itPut a bowl over it to block drafts, and wait 4 to 12 hours.
3 · Read the colorLift the cap and match the print below. Rusty brown under a “shiitake”? That’s galerina. Throw it out.
What each print should be, and what it rules out
Wine capIts printPurple-blackRule out: Agaricus, AgrocybeBrown prints
Blue oysterIts printWhite to faint lilacRule out: Jack-o’-lanternAlso pale: go by its orange color
ShiitakeIts printWhiteRule out: Deadly galerinaRusty brown
Hen of the woodsIts printWhiteRule out: Black-staining polyporePores bruise black
My first wine cap printThe print from my first wine cap. For wine cap you want dark purple-black; a brown print means a look-alike.
Harvesting and storing
Pick young. Each mushroom above says the right stage. Most are best before the cap fully opens.
Toss buggy ones. Holes in the cap or stem mean fly larvae.
Cook them well. Every one of these gets cooked, never eaten raw.
Store: fresh shiitake keep up to a month in the fridge in vegetable bags. Dried, they keep up to 2 years in sealed bags.
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