Mushroom kits!

[veggiewomble]

Anyone ever try to grow their own mushrooms from a mushroom kit?

I had 2 of these bought for my birthday earlier this year - a shi-take mushroom kit as well as an oyster mushroom one. When I opened the kits up, I found several shi-takes already growing on the straw substrate. The oyster mushroom substrate had an unsightly whitish growth over the straw, but nothing resembling a mushroom. I followed the (vague) instructions, kept them well watered and waited. I managed to harvest a handful of shi-takes and they tasted heavenly. However, an attack of blue mould followed and eventually I had to throw the whole block away as it had failed to produce anymore mushrooms. Nothing ever happened with the oyster mushroom kit. Nothing seemed to grow despite much coaxing. I am now convinced these mushroom kits are a waste of money!

But it would be lovely to grow your own. Organic mushrooms from our local farmer's market are so expensive. I am just wondering - how easy is it to grow your own, really?

vegwomble

[veggiewomble]

[OllieC]

I tried an Oyster one, followed the instructions to the letter & immediately after receipt, and got probably a pound or so over 3 harvests. After post etc, I figured it was cheaper to buy them in mushroom rather than kit form although it was fun.

[Brogusblue]

Hello

I tried a unwins button mushroom kit it's been sitting doing nothing for 5 weeks done all the instructions asked so i rang unwins on monday to ask what's wrong they took my details and today in the post was 5 x £2 vouchers with a sorry note. Not bad seems the kit cost me £1.99 from woolworths

I purchase one a couple of years ao for a joke and i was picking mushrooms for months

I might try another kit again

Cheers
Brogusblue

[Baccy Man]

There are a few methods for  growing mushrooms in this thread http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=26874.0

[SueSteve]

I bought a kit, the only thing that came from it was an infestation of red (fruit?) flies in my kitchen!
I couldnt work out where they were coming from for a while! The kit went straight out the back door!
I bought a packet of mushroom spores a couple of weeks ago intending to have another go, but havent got round to it yet.
Sue

[gruesome]

Hi brogusblue i bought a similar kit from woolies. I followed the instructions religiously, it took a few weeks longer than the instructions said but i am now picking mushrooms. only trouble is it's only maybe 3 at a time, hardly enough for a good brekkie.

[chilli queen]

I tried a mushroom kit (bought from aldi).  Grew 1 mushroom.  It was though enormous ;D Waited and waited but no more appeared. 

[manicscousers]

bought one cheap, nothing but black flies (I overwatered it)..threw it in the poly border, hey presto, four small crops of mushrooms..nice though  :)

[veggiewomble]

I am tempted to try again, but the kits are usually so expensive where I get them from, and the risk of failure is too high!

vegw

[Baccy Man]

This is not the cheapest place for spawn & kits but the spawn is always very fresh so the chances of success are much higher than with some kits you get.
http://www.annforfungi.co.uk/shop/index.php

[kitten]

I bought one a couple of months ago, followed the instructions to the letter, and nowt - v disappointed, and I won't be bothering again.  I love mushrooms and through it would be great to have my own, but obviously not meant to be!!  ::)

[Sparkly]

I have an unwins one set up - nothing yet! I have waited a week now since adding the compost so fingers crossed for the next few days!

[Jill]

I bought an oyster kit a year or so ago and got nothing but a white mould after waiting a few months :(  Never again.

[veggiewomble]

Sounds like lots of people had the same experience as me! :(
A bit of a gamble, it seems like....?
:P
Seems like freshness is key. Maybe one day I'll pluck up the courage to try again - with a recommended kit.

vegw

[daisymay]

I bought DH one for christmas... it didn't produce anything apart from a load of white mould that never materialised into a mushroom... managing his expectations was quite hard as he does not take failure well... would not buy another one.

He has since decided to stick to growing cress and radish ;D

[Baccy Man]

Seems like freshness is key.

You are spot on there but you have to remember that instructions are not always accurate as well for example in October I got some of the new range of mushroom dowel kits from Fothergills. The instructions suggest inserting the dowels & planting the log vertically this would leave the spawn open to contamination as the dowels are not sealed in with wax & the log would probably dry out too much in that position which would result in the mycelium dying & ultimately failure. Proper instructions can be found here http://www.annforfungi.co.uk/shop/how-to-/using-dowel-spawn-to-grow-mushrooms/cat_13.html.
The only times I have failed with mushrooms was once when somebody gave me a woolworths button mushroom kit which took ages to get started & produced a pitiful amount of mushrooms & the other occasion was when I first tried introducing morel spawn to my garden although I was successful on the second attempt so they come up every year now. I always start with fresh spawn or occasionally dowels & I ensure the substrate materials (straw, logs, sawdust, manure etc...) are availiable before ordering the spawn so I can get it started as soon as it arrives.