u/Imaginary_Tooth3464

Photo by North Spore customer Ruth L.

Black King mushrooms are a hybrid variety that crosses blue oysters with king trumpets, resulting in a mushroom with notably dense, meaty flesh and a rich, savory flavor. 

They're well suited to outdoor cultivation, preferring cool, shaded spots with consistent humidity - conditions that are easy to create in many home gardens, particularly under tree cover or along north-facing beds. Our Plant & Grow Mushroom Starter Blocks are designed to be buried directly in the ground, where the surrounding soil helps regulate moisture and temperature during early fruiting stages. Compared to other oyster varieties, Black Kings require a bit more attention and patience but they compensate with larger, more substantial fruiting bodies and a texture that holds up well to roasting, sautéing, and grilling.

Check it out: https://northspore.com/collections/outdoor-bundles

Used wine cap mushroom spawn from North Spore. Such a cool way to get a little more out of the otherwise unused space in my garden, and help break down the mulch at the same time!

Haven’t tried them yet, waiting for the other small ones coming up to get a little bigger.

Have a tulip tree that needs to come down in my backyard, and apparently those are great for oyster mushrooms, so I see that in my future now.

Anybody else using mushrooms in their gardens?

*CLOSED - the first 10 commenters have been messaged!* To thank everyone for being a part of our community, we're giving away one free 4 oz tincture of choice to the first 10 people who comment here. If you want one:

1. Comment on this post
2. Join (or be in) r/northspore

If you've made the cut, I'll send you a DM prompting you for your email and shipping info.

Eligibility: Open to participants aged 18 and older, residing in the contiguous USA.

I love seeing wine caps booming like this

New review in Springer Nature: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00217-026-05105-9

A review of the latest updates on biohacking with mushrooms

Haven't seen too many of these, but it's a great way to grow Shiitakes, Lion's Mane, and Oysters. Photo by customer James

If you're already growing your own food, Oyster mushrooms are a great next natural step, and all you need is an old cage, crate, or laundry basket stuffed with straw and sawdust spawn. Keep things moist and shaded, and within weeks you'll have mushrooms.

They fruit fast, abundantly, and spent straw can go straight into your compost to feed next season's garden beds. It's one of those rare homestead wins that takes almost no space, is low cost, and pays you back in fresh food within the same month you start.

Check out our sale on all sawdust spawn: https://northspore.com/collections/sawdust-spawn

Photo by customer Xiang

Check it out: https://northspore.com/collections/sawdust-spawn/products/pink-oyster-mushroom-sawdust-spawn-5-5-lbs?variant=40853026865254

Everyone should be growing Wine Cap mushrooms! You can plant them once and they can grow for YEARS.

Wine caps (aka the Garden Giant) might be the most underrated food you can grow. They spread fast, fruit like crazy, and keep coming back season after season. The only maintenance is topping up some wood chips or straw every now and then. They are by far one of my favorite mushrooms because they are so abundant and delicious.

You can plant them just about anywhere. A garden bed, a shady corner, next to your veggies - they don't care.

Grab some spawn here: https://northspore.com/collections/wine-cap

Photo by Wilder.Az.Gardens on IG: https://www.instagram.com/wilder.az.gardens/