Anyone had success with mushroom kits?

[Seahorse]

I've been wondering about trying mushrooms. Getting it all right from scratch sounds a bit faffy for a beginner, so I'm thinking a kit would be best. I'd quite like to try something a bit more interesting than white buttons.

Has anyone had good success with a particular kit? Or ghastly failure? I'd probably have to order online or by mail, as I can't easily get to any decent garden centres locally.

Any advice appreciated!

[Minty]

My assumption is that you also saw thw mushroom growing kits for £4.99 in B&Q. I bought one and it seems pretty straight forward, although time will tell. Minty X

[Polly Fouracre]

I won a kit from G.Y.O. I had to wait a while for the first mushrooms(ordinary whites)to appear but finally got a decent crop from it.I didn't weigh anything but we had a fair few Saturday breakfasts from it.

[unconcerned]

Haven't tried one personally, but we bought them for our parents for Christmas. We noticed a few black flies in the room on Christmas Eve and checked all the plants. Then when they opened the mushroom kits which had been sitting under the tree, a cloud of black flies few out. One of the bags had opened and something had gone horribly wrong

[Seahorse]

That doesn't sound nice unconcerned!!!

Minty - yep, saw the B&Q kits and almost bought one. Probably still will do but thought it was worth asking for opinions here first. Good to know yours looks good

Polly - useful to know they might take a while!

Anyone tried those ones that come on dowels? This kind of thing:

Pearl Oyster Mushroom Growing Plug (Dowel) Kit

I've got a section of tree trunk in the garden that would probably do nicely as a home for them.

[TonyF]

As an ex-B&Q person who used the kits in the Uk, they are good value for money and of course you get the spent compost at the end of iot but not a lot.

You can buy the kits here also but the most cost effective way is to buy the spores (in seed form, so to speak) and grow your own on old wood tied up in black plastic bags. I have two lots on the go at the moment and they are absolutely thriving.

[wellie]

I had pretty okay success with the kit I bought, but found that if you forget to check it regularly, you end up with the odd 'giant mushroom'. There's a piccy on our blog almost right back at the beginning if you fancy a look...?

[momol]

I bought a pack of mushroom spawn ( king oyster) from seeds of italia but haven't got the time to grow them yet... as they need stable temperature for their growth I won't be growing them now...will let you know if mine work

Momol

[Minty]

I won a kit from G.Y.O. I had to wait a while for the first mushrooms(ordinary whites)to appear but finally got a decent crop from it.I didn't weigh anything but we had a fair few Saturday breakfasts from it.

Hi Polly or of cause any other of you wise bunch, Please do you know what i am looking for when my mushroom growing kit says "after about 7 days pinheads will appear" . I have what looks like a small layer of fine white fury mould, don`t know if this is the mushrooms growing or something has gone a bit wrong . Thanks Minty X

[Nicos]

Still waiting for my logs to sprout!!

Something should of happened last year but I put it down to the cold n damp- this year I'm really expecting results ( or they'll be on the fire!)

Never had problems with the boxed sort though ( tiny flies don't count ! )

[jeannine]

A few years ago, I tried growing oyster mushrooms on a toilet roll (apparently fungus loves the cellulose). After a while, you need to give them a cold snap so I put it in the fridge. I was really chuffed that it all seemed to be working.
My Nanna came round when I was out, went to make a cup of tea, and was horrified to see a slimy loo roll in the fridge so she threw it away and very kindly cleaned out the whole fridge for me!
I never told her it was some mushrooms I'd been lovingly tending for the last few weeks, she was always thrilled that I was a keen gardener like my grandad.

[HeyWayne]

I looked for these kits in B&Q at the weekend, but couldn't find any. Do they take up mush-room?

[Minty]

I looked for these kits in B&Q at the weekend, but couldn't find any. Do they take up mush-room?

M O M or not Wayne, you seriously can not be allowed to get away with the painfull mush-room joke surely .Minty

[HeyWayne]

M O M or not Wayne, you seriously can not be allowed to get away with the painfull mush-room joke surely .Minty

Aww, c'mon, it was aching to be told! Be thankful I didn't mention shittakes!

[kernowyon]

Anyone tried those ones that come on dowels? This kind of thing:

Pearl Oyster Mushroom Growing Plug (Dowel) Kit

I've got a section of tree trunk in the garden that would probably do nicely as a home for them.

have some on the go round the back of the shed on some birch logs, bought the spores in Slovakia last year, but on the pack it says that it can take about a year!! nothing yet, but then maybe its going to take a bit longer