Wine Caps (Stropharia) questions

I'm really pleased with my wine caps! Now to learn what I can and can't do to them. Anyone with experience, I'd love to pick your brain!!

The spawn I got said to use "fresh cut wood chips" Is that still required if I'm moving chunks of mycelium around, or can I use older wood?

How often do they want new chips? Can I just layer them on top? How deep?

Do they want, or can they eat, anything but wood chips? Maybe a thin compost layer as a snack?  Or would they like fresh kitchen scraps?  Anything they absolutely will not tolerate in their territory?

How much sunlight will they tolerate? How much is not enough?

"I have plans...." she said darkly,  "and I need more data!"   :D

:D

Fresh chips are best. The older the chips, the more likely that something else is going to be growing in there and will compete with your winecaps. A mix of fresh hardwood chips and sawdust is best, although Douglas-fir chips are also good. Winecaps love unsprayed straw too, especially as a mulch (or "casing") layer on top of a wood chip/sawdust bed. The straw shades the bed and also locks in moisture and humidity. The colonized straw then can be moved around your garden and start new colonies, just like the chips. Winecaps like the company of veggies, fruit trees and berry plants- especially in the mulch around fruit trees, raspberries and tomatoes.

I would try adding new chips after each fruiting. You can just layer them on top. Maybe up to a foot or two deep, but just an inch or two is fine. Winecaps might like manure compost or horse manure mixed with their straw, but raw kitchen waste will probably  just add other unwanted fungi.

They are tolerant of some sunlight, but direct sun all summer long is not good for them. Semi-shaded spots are much better for long-term production. Complete shade is OK in hot climate areas. Experiment with different spots around your garden and see what works best. The goal is to perennialize your winecaps and always have them in your garden and orchard. Good luck!

Here's a video of Mary Ellen from Field and Forest with some winecap pointers, including how to use cardboard and straw:

Hi Pearl,

I agree with everything that M.K. already mentioned.  I have not had great luck piling new chips on top of old, but I am pretty sure that I buried the old chips far too deep.  I would consider new woodchips (avoid old ones if you can) spread about 1"-3" deep.  Maybe consider some straw as the Wine Caps just love to get started on straw.

Good luck!

Eric