Lilac Wood Blewits (Lepista nuda) are a unique mushroom which are a fantastic addition to a backyard mushroom garden. They’re striking in their appearance, with a violet to lilac blush on the stem, gills and cap of the mushroom, especially when young. They also have a thick stem which is commonly bulbous at the base, giving them the appearance of a mushroom that may be seen in a cartoon or fairytale picture book. The aroma of wood blewits is also unique, and is used as an identifying feature of wild foraged specimens. It is distinctly fruity or floral, with some comparing the scent to orange juice or apricots. When cooked, the mushrooms take on a mild nutty flavour with earthy undertones, and a firm, meaty texture. They are well suited to a range of styles of dishes.
 
HABITAT: One of the great things about wood blewits is that they fruit well in cooler conditions, often after other outdoor species like wine caps or shaggy manes have finished for the season. In New Zealand, their season typically starts in mid-autumn and lasts through winter, with the peak season being around June. Blewits love to grow on ‘organic matter’ of all kinds, and enjoy a shaded, damp spot such as under trees and shrubs, which will also continue to feed the patch naturally from falling leaves.
 
SUBSTRATES: Wood blewits thrive the best when fed a mixed banquet of organic materials, this can include leaves, twigs / hedge prunings, compost, manure, straw, woodchip, pine needles, and sawdust including store bought pine fire pellets. Unlike some mushrooms, they are not adverse to coniferous mulch. When making a wood blewit patch, it is recommended that at least two or three of these ingredients are used – the more the merrier!
 
MAKING A WOOD BLEWITS PATCH: You’ll need enough substrate mix to create a layer approximately 10cm deep for your patch, and you’ll need 1kg of spawn matrix per m2 of patch area. Clear the area of weeds and any old mulch / debris that may be hosting other fungi by scraping it away with a spade. Lay half of your substrate down in a layer approx 5cm deep and lightly mix it with a spade. Wood blewit mycelium doesn’t like being disturbed too much, so rather than completely crumbling up the spawn matrix, it is best to break it in to about golf ball size chunks. Press these into the first layer of substrate spaced evenly apart. Then, add the remaining 5cm deep of substrate mix on top. Add fresh substrates any time during spring and summer.
 
1kg Spawn Matrix = $29.90