How to Grow Stropharia in the Garden

The Rough-ringed Stropharius

The rough-ringed oyster mushroom is rarely sold commercially, yet it is an excellent mushroom. Its limited shelf life (3–4 days) compared to other mushrooms, such as shiitake or button mushrooms, likely explains this discrepancy.

With its incredibly vigorous mycelium, it grows naturally and abundantly on wood chip piles.

This is a good mushroom for beginners to grow, as it colonizes substrates very quickly and can produce good results when grown outdoors. It fits well into an organic vegetable garden or a permaculture system, for example.

What substrate should I use for the King Stropharia?

It is typically grown on straw, wood chips, or sawdust. Choose softwoods and avoid conifers (or mix them in at a maximum of 25%).

You can mix different carbon-rich materials. Straw provides quick nourishment for the mycelium, wood chips serve as long-term food sources, and sawdust fills in the gaps and helps retain more moisture in the substrate.

Avoid branches that aren't well-suited for this mushroom. For logs, consider oyster mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms, for example.

The stropharia is a primary and secondary decomposer. This means that it feeds not only on fresh organic matter (fresh wood chips, straw) but can also grow on material that has already been partially decomposed by bacteria or other fungi (dead leaves, old mulch).

It is therefore hardy and resistant to contamination. Stropharia thrives when stimulated by soil microorganisms and does not grow well under sterile laboratory conditions. However, to maximize your chances of success, we recommend using the freshest materials possible and avoiding materials that are already decomposing. Soaking the straw or wood chips overnight in water will not only thoroughly moisten the substrate but also partially rinse and clean it. By adding one cup of lime per 50 liters of water, you will alkalize the substrate, thereby reducing the risk of contamination by bacteria or mold while enriching the substrate with calcium.

In terms of depth, 15–20 cm is ideal. A deeper bed may yield a longer harvest period, but it may take longer for the first mushrooms to appear.

Where should it be located?

Like most mushrooms, the stropharia prefers indirect light and partially shaded areas, but it can tolerate a few hours of sun per day. However, it does not tolerate drought well, so choose naturally moist spots in your garden. Examples: forest edges, the bases of fruit trees, wood chip paths, and vegetable beds mulched with dense foliage that will provide shade (potatoes, squash, etc.).

When will I be able to harvest?

In terms of timing, the strophaire is very flexible. It can fruit from spring to fall, within a temperature range of 10 to 22°C. They generally fruit within 2 to 4 months of inoculation.

How much mycelium is needed for a given area?

We generally recommend using approximately 10% mycelium relative to the wet substrate. Example: an 8-kg bale of straw. Once moistened, it weighs between 25 and 30 kg (the straw reaches approximately 70% moisture content). A 3-kg bag of mycelium is therefore sufficient to inoculate one small bale of straw, which can cover approximately 1.5 m².

The Strophaires Bed

This is the method we recommend most highly, as it is suitable for most substrates.

1. Roughly clear the ground. Some grow it partially buried, so they dig a small trench, which helps it retain moisture better. Others grow it on the surface and cover it with a layer of soil.
2. We usually start with a layer of cardboard, but it’s not required.
3. Next, spread a first layer of wood chips or straw 5–10 cm thick.
4. Crumble the mycelium and spread it evenly over the entire surface.
5. Add another layer of substrate on top.
6. Water with a 10-liter watering can per square meter. Depending on how dry the area is, cover with a thin layer of soil (2–3 cm), cardboard, a tarp, or shade cloth.

The "Straw Bale" Method

A very easy method, but a riskier one.

Moisten the bale of straw. You can soak it in water overnight, or water it with a watering can 2–3 times a day for 2–3 days.

Inoculate the straw bundle by placing small handfuls of mycelium throughout the bundle.

To prevent the straw from drying out, you can partially cover the bale with soil, cover it with a tarp or shade cloth, and water it regularly. Place the bale in a shaded area or under a shade cloth.

The risk with this method is, on the one hand, that the bale may dry out, which will inhibit fungal growth, and, on the other hand, that the straw may be too damp, which will suffocate the center of the bale and lead to bacterial growth or mold. Make sure the bale is not damp but not soggy, and that the center of the bale remains well-ventilated.

Growing in pots

Choose pots that are about 20 to 40 cm in diameter and height. Clean them thoroughly with soapy water. This method allows you to grow plants indoors or on a patio, for example.

1. Soak clean straw in a basin of water overnight. You can also add one cup of lime per 50 liters of water, which will alkalize the substrate and thus reduce the risk of contamination, while enriching the substrate with calcium.
2. Mix the straw with the mycelium at a ratio of 5 to 10% mycelium by fresh weight.
3. Fill your pots, leaving 5 cm of space at the top. Pack the straw down as tightly as possible.
4. You can stack several jars on top of each other. Cover the top with a lid to prevent the contents from drying out.
5. After 2 to 3 weeks, the straw should be colonized. You will now add a layer of topsoil. This can be a mixture of peat, sand, and soil, or simply potting soil. This layer not only helps maintain consistent moisture levels but also introduces the bacteria that will stimulate the mycelium to produce fruiting bodies.
6. Keep it moist. In 2 to 3 weeks, you should start to see the first leaves appear.

Wikipedia description:

"The cap, which can measure up to 20 cm in diameter, is initially bell-shaped or convex, then flattens out while often remaining slightly umbonate. It is slightly slimy and irregularly covered with whitish veil remnants, then becomes cracked with age. It is mahogany to purplish-wine-colored when fresh, and gradually becomes paler, tan, or even almost cream-colored as it ages, and more yellow when dry. The margin is very distinctly rolled up and then curved, and remains appendiculate with veil remnants for a long time. The gills are adnate and white, then gray-violet. The stipe, which is uniform or sometimes clavate toward the base, measures between 5 and 18 cm long and 1 to 3 cm thick. It bears a persistent, broad, membranous ring on the upper surface, which is often segmented or toothed on the underside and furrowed or striated on the upper surface. This ring is white but quickly blackened by spores. The base of the stem is connected to numerous white mycelial strands. Its surface is ochre-yellow and finely scaly above the ring, and smooth or fibrous below. The flesh is white, thick, and fairly firm. It has a mild or slightly bitter, radish-like flavor. Its odor is initially rather indistinct, somewhat metallic, then becomes similar to that of dried porcini mushrooms as it ages. The spore print is very dark gray-purple."

Source: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stropharia_rugosoannulata

Composition of the mycelium

We provide the mycelium on a mixture of sawdust, straw, and grains. Since the mycelium has already encountered and broken down these materials, it will be able to recognize and colonize them more quickly later on.

In fact, when the mycelium encounters a new material it hasn’t encountered before, it can take a few days to produce the right enzymes for decomposition. However, the goal is for it to colonize its substrate as quickly as possible to avoid competition with other fungi. Adding grains to the substrate will also boost the mycelium’s vigor, giving it a better chance of establishing itself quickly.

All of our products are certified organic under the "BE-BIO-01" standard.

Our mycelia are produced under laboratory conditions, which ensures the purity of the strains and optimal quality.

Production time: 2–4 weeks. If we have it in stock, we’ll ship it within a week.