Wine Cap Mushroom Spores

Grow one of the easiest and most rewarding outdoor mushrooms right in your own garden or raised bed! Known as the “Garden Giant,” Wine Cap mushrooms are perfect for beginners who want to cultivate mushrooms outdoors. With just a little setup and care, you’ll enjoy repeated flushes of large, meaty mushrooms that can return year after year.

Why Wine Cap?

Wine Cap mushrooms (Stropharia rugosoannulata) are famous for their deep burgundy red caps, which lighten to a golden tan as they mature. Their common nickname, “Garden Giant,” comes from their impressive size caps can grow 8–12 inches across in the right conditions.

The flavor is earthy, nutty, and slightly potato-like, with a firm texture that makes them a hearty addition to soups, sautés, or grilled dishes. They’re also highly adaptable, thriving outdoors in mulch beds, wood chips, or garden pathways, making them one of the simplest mushrooms to cultivate at home.

What’s Included:

1. A fully colonized Wine Cap Spore, ready to establish outdoors
   
2. Guidance on how to set up your garden bed for long-term yields

Timeline and Growth Cycle of Wine Cap Mushrooms

1. Spore germination – begins at week 0.

2. Mycelium colonization – develops over 4–6 weeks in outdoor beds of wood chips, straw, or mulch.

3. Primordia (pinhead) formation – appears around weeks 6–8, depending on temperature and moisture.

4. Young fruiting bodies – burgundy-red caps start to form around weeks 8–10.

5. Mature fruiting bodies – full-size mushrooms are typically ready to harvest between weeks 10–12.

6. Spore release – occurs shortly after caps flatten; best to harvest while caps are still slightly domed.