Dowel mushroom kits

[cherrycoop]

Growing Mushrooms

Tried the dowels (2 varieties but cannot remember which). All I got was one 'shroom! Very expensive mistake which I will not be repeating

[Nicos]

thanks!! well they are on order anyway. Any tips on what not to do with them then??

[truffle]

Well- I tried growing oyster mushrooms on toilet rolls a couple of years ago and they worked really well!

I've also just traded some seed with a friend for a couple of the dowls, so now I have two cherry logs impregnated with Shitake and Oyster mushrooms. I'm not expecting much as everyone I have spoken too has never got them to work------- I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Nicos]

Our dowels arrived this morning!

Had a bit of a shock cos as we have a huge log pile growing it's own toxic mushrooms we thought we'd set a few to one side and grow something edible aswell, but it looks like we have to go hunting for specific logs instead!!

They recommend oak, beech or birch which must be complete logs (not split) and no more than 6 weeks old with a diameter of 4-6 ins so it doesn't dry out too quickly (larger diameters take too long to impegnate). So not too fussy then Maple,aspen,ash,alder,willow and poplar can also be used. Could this be the reason people haven't had much sucess with them (aswell as keeping them damp,shaded and warm!!)?
A very helpful leaflet came with them - 2 pages of A4 - so I hope to get it right. They came from ann@annforfungi.co.uk if you are interested.

[truffle]

Doh!

Our instructions said that any deciduous tree species could be used!!! – Oh well, fingers crossed.
I currently have them wrapped in bin bags in one of our cool room so I can keep an eye on them until the mycelia is ready for fruiting- a whopping 6-10 months..

[dick]

Greetings from Truffle Tree. We have a truffière in SW France where truffle oaks are offered for adoption but we also ship 'impregnated' seedlings to the UK and are cheaper than anyone else I have come across. Our trees are prepared by a family-owned truffle company now in its fifth generation. They are available now and planting can be carried out up to the end of April and later if you can water them easily. Website is www.truffle-tree.com or e-mail dick@truffle-tree.com for a price list if you want trees shipped to the UK.

[Jaxom]

Dick. Welcome to the vine. A Truffle Tree expert is just what we need as there seems to be a fair few people interested in fungi and growing their own truffles.
Is it just Truffle Trees that you deal in or other types of fungi too?
Jax

[Acorn]

Dowel Kits

This year we are thinking of trying a selection kit of Shiitaki,Oyster and Lion's Mane mushrooms which are spawned onto wooden dowels and drilled into logs. The only mushrooms we have grown before were the button mushroom kits indoors so this is very new to us.
I see that 'Acorn' has an oyster kit and wondered if you found it straight forward to set up? Anyone else done mushrooms like this?

I can't believe I missed this post! As I explained in another post, I got myself some oyster mushroom dowels. I happened to knock down one of the conker trees in the garden the previous week, so I used a couple of logs for the wooden plugs. The instructions I got with the kit said that you needed freshly cut logs (max 3 weeks) of decidious trees with a diametre of 10cm to 50cm. I drilled the holes, stuck the dowels in, put the logs in a black bin bag and in they went under the stairs cupboard. It says it should take between 6 and 10 months for the stems to be covered with white mycelium. This was last October and I've just been downstairs checking progress and the only change was a puddle of some sticky stuff under the bin liner It's only been 5 months, but it doesn't look like anything is going to happen there... I'll be patient and see. Will keep everyone posted!

[sewer rat]

Acorn
Exactly how did you come to "knock down" a horse chestnut tree
Rat

[Acorn]

Conker tree

It was only a baby one (the trunk was about 6in thick)... There were hundreds of them in the garden. The previous owner of the house I bought thought that having a cottage garden meant you left absolutely everything to grow on its own...

[Nicos]

Thanks acorn!!

[voodoo veg]

Any progress on the mushroom front anybody????????

Was all for getting some of those mushroom plugs until I read this thread!!!!

[Alison]

Bought some plugs a couple of years ago as the fancy types of mushroom always cost a fortune to buy. From reading the above post, think I may have put them in the wrong wood and nothing happened. Where do you go about getting freshly cut etc etc if you've not got any trees to hack down in your garden? If any of you guys have had any luck would be interested in trying again if you can explain (in small words!) how you did it!

[Nicos]

Will have a look at them at weekend when next down on the allotment. They are wrapped in bin bags at the moment, so will check to see how they are doing. Should be nothing happening as it's too early I think!
We got fresh wood from a farmer friend who needed some branches chopping back. Oak if I recall.
Will keep you posted!

[JazzDuke]

I got a shiitake log for Christmas. Nothing. Very little in the way of instructions. Very disappointed. Tried water shocking. It was from the Scots outfit, Annforfungi (?) via the Organic Gardening Catalogue.

I did meet a nice man from Ragmans Farm recently who told me not to give up and it was unlikely the spawn would be dead. His leaflets had much more advice and I'd be slightly more likely to try them in future.

They're not cheap either.