mushrooms!!

[kernowyon]

hi all,

while on holiday in slovakia, brought some oyster mushroom spores which are inpregnated into pieces of dowelling which is placed into holes drilled into logs. my translation of the instructions (in both polish and slovak, very helpful!!) is very ropey to say the least.

does anyone have any experience of growing these? and if so any tips??

[Wendy]

Hi Kernowyon,
I have just started mushrooms from spores but in soil in a large plastic bowl! Cant give you much advice as im new to mushrooms too but i know the temperature has to be correct for the type of mushroom.........mine are flat field mushrooms so im hoping they will be easy to grow they seem to be doing the right thing at the moment
Have a look at this site
Please let me know how they do as im interested in growing this way too

http://www.fungi.com/plugs/index.html

[kernowyon]

thanks for the link, will keep in touch to let you know how things are going. (got better translation of instructions off babelfish on the net, but still a bit confusing so will end up guessing some of it)
thanks

[smallblueplanet]

Your method seems pleasantly low-tech wendy, how does it 'work', what sort of temperature/conditions are needed?

[welsh veg grower]

anyone with success of mushroom growing do tell, I've tried several times with no success.

[Wendy]

Hi Smallblueplanet, well i dont have any mushrooms yet and this is just an experiment!
I got an old washing up bowl filled it with compost, mixed in the dry spawn and then covered the bowl in damp newspaper, after about 10 days the mycelia (thin white threads) started to form. Took the newspaper off and covered with a thin layer of soil and now i am just waiting for the first flush of mushrooms

I am trying to keep the temperature to about 60'F so i keep them in my spare room
Aparently they should take about 10-12 weeks

cant wait!

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks wendy, where did you get your mushroom spores from?

[*Feather*]

Oyster Mushrooms

I've tried to grow oyster mushrooms on dowels before but with no success. However, I tried them again with spores and straw and they are going strong! Check these pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teresagomez/379128576/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teresagomez/379128614/

The kit I bought came with the spores, the straw a plastic bag, a cable tie and a fruiting bag (plastic bag with holes). If I remember well, you have to soak the straw in boiling hot water for 1 or 2 hours and then put it in the plastic bag with the spores inside. Tie the bag tightly with the cable tie and leave in the dark between 15C and 20C (I think!) for 10 days. After that you put it in the fridge for 2 days and then you take it out of the bag and put it on a tray with some water with the fruiting bag over the straw (note that in my pictures I took the fruiting bag off to take them). The straw gets covered in white mouldy stuff supposedly in a couple of days, although mine took a couple of weeks and then mushrooms start growing!

After you harvest the first lot you need to soak the straw in cold water for 2 hours and put it back on the tray with water and the fruiting bag over it. You repeat this everytime after you pick the mushrooms until the straw is spent.

It is a bit of a faff for what you get (4 mushrooms max. at time, or that's what I got ), but it's fun and I'll most probably be doing it again

[Wendy]

Thanks wendy, where did you get your mushroom spores from?

I bought the spores in my local garden centre along with all the packets of seeds! i'd never seen them for sale before so i was well chuffed when i found them..............i hope they grow i love mushrooms
i'll send in some pics if they are a success