Growing Blewit mushrooms?

Hello David,
I tried to grow blewit mushrooms in my yard. Forest Farm sells their spawn, so I figured it was possible. I put them in an area where there had been a lot of leaves rotting, which I heard was good. I added gypsum and worm castings to the soil. I also tried to grow the spawn before "planting it" in the soil, which didn't work so well. Do you have any tips for starting a blewit patch in the ground?
Thanks,
John S
PDX OR

I had some success with them, but limited in Pa. We had a compost pile, and I utilized the "super rich" bottom layer, and planted that, then added leaves (wet breaking down worm infested layer) and then some broken mulched up leaves. It did work but they were limited, no marketing just for us.

Not sure if this helps or not.

Dave

That was helpful. It gives me some perspective on their viability versus some other cultivable mushrooms like King Stropharia, Hypsizygus Ulmarius, shiitake, and various oysters. Partially, it's about how hard you want to work to get a particular kind of mushroom, and what techniques are likely to provide what kind of output.
Thanks,
John S
PDX OR

Not sure where you live or what type of leaves you are composting. That seems to be very important also. For me in Pa (oak, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps were the norm with a flock of free rang chickens tearing the sh*t out of it was what we built our compost from. LIke I said earlier we could grow them but never in a marketable amount.

I am still trying to fine tune my Wood Blewit knowledge and just found this thread. I intend on introducing some spawn onto my homestead in hopes of adding another mushroom to help break down organic material alongside Winecaps.

From what I have read, there is an emphasis on hardwood leaf litter and high nitrogen organic matter. I have a cold compost pile area that is a mixture of leaves and household food compost that is in various stages of decomposition. I'm thinking of spreading that out and inoculating it with sawdust spawn. I'm thinking layering some wet junky hay or straw on top will really seal the deal.

Blewits are tricky to get going.  I have heard that you can first decompose wood chips with Wine Caps and then further decompose them with Blewits.  A word though, Blewits might take three years to get to fruition--not a short time horizon!

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Blewits are tricky to get going.  I have heard that you can first decompose wood chips with Wine Caps and then further decompose them with Blewits.  A word though, Blewits might take three years to get to fruition--not a short time horizon!

Eric

I did not appreciate that it may take years to get the mycelium to a fruiting stage! The more I dive into mushrooms, the more I realize that a big requirement is patience.

Thank you for sharing that. :)

No problem Timothy!

I understand that Blewits really challenge many people's patience.  They have done everything right but get no mushrooms--the little things just are not ready yet!

But I also understand that the compost left behind from the blewits (after following Wine Caps) is amazingly fertile--even better than the Wine Cap compost alone.


Eric