Sordid Blewit
Lepista sordida
The sordid blewit is a lilac-grey mushroom that has been grown experimentally in China on fermented crop straw and manure beds, with modest yields over three flushes.
Lepista sordida, also written Collybia sordida, was grown in a 2024 greenhouse trial in northeast China on ridges of fermented substrate. The substrate was 56% rice straw, corncob or soybean straw with 40% cow dung, 2% lime, 1% gypsum and 1% calcium superphosphate. The greenhouse was kept at 22–26 °C and 80–90% relative humidity during primordia initiation and fruiting body growth. Three flushes were harvested.
Cultivation parameters
Climate
| Fruiting temperature | 22–26 °C |
|---|---|
| Fruiting humidity | 80–90% |
| Air / CO₂ notes | In a 2024 greenhouse trial in northeast China, the greenhouse was kept at 22–26 °C and 80–90% relative humidity while primordia formed and the fruiting bodies grew. |
| Cold shock | Not required |
Timing & substrate
| Primary substrate | Fermented straw, corncob or soybean straw with cow dung |
|---|---|
| Substrate options | Rice straw, Corncob, Soybean straw, Cow dung |
Practical literature-range
| Best methods | Fermented ridge beds in a greenhouse |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate — Grown on a fermented, manure-based ridge bed in a greenhouse; published yields are modest |
Taxonomy & ecology
| Scientific name | Lepista sordida |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Field blewit, Collybia sordida |
| Synonyms | Collybia sordida, Tricholoma sordidum, Rhodopaxillus sordidus, Melanoleuca sordida |
| Order | Agaricales |
| Genus | Lepista |
| Lifestyle | Saprotroph |
| Cultivation status | Experimental cultivation |
Growing notes
Yields were 3.84 kg per square metre on rice straw, 3.92 on corncob and 4.20 on soybean straw, which corresponds to a biological efficiency of 30.15% on corncob and 32.33% on soybean straw. The paper cites earlier work with 19.9% on straw and chicken manure and 43% on Agaricus bisporus compost, so results depend a lot on the substrate. We treat this species as experimental: there is no mature commercial method yet. This page covers cultivation only and cannot help identify wild mushrooms or tell you whether a mushroom is safe to eat.
Questions about growing Sordid Blewit
What conditions does the sordid blewit need?
A 2024 greenhouse trial kept it at 22–26 °C and 80–90% relative humidity while primordia formed and the mushrooms grew.
What substrate does it grow on?
Fermented rice straw, corncob or soybean straw (56%) with cow dung (40%), lime, gypsum and calcium superphosphate.
How much does it yield?
Biological efficiency was 30.15% on corncob and 32.33% on soybean straw, with 3.9–4.2 kg of mushrooms per square metre over three flushes.
Is the sordid blewit commercially grown?
Not yet in a mature way. Among earlier results, the paper says the closest to commercial level was a 2014 Taiwanese trial on Agaricus bisporus compost, with a biological efficiency of 43%.