Growing mushrooms?

[PrideRavyn]

I have distinct memories of my dad growing mushrooms in big polysytrene boxes with lids in the cellar when I was a kid. We love mushrooms and go through nearly a punnet a day, so I have been thinking about growing some, but not really keen on the idea of growing on logs as I am at a premium of space outside.

Does anyone know how you would grow them in storage boxes/tubs? Is it as simple as getting a non seethrough tub, filling it with enough compost, getting the spawn stuff that suttons seeds sell and keeping it somewhere dark, warm and keeping it moist?

Any advice appreciated!

[Florence Fennel]

I've never grown mushrooms PR. I have seen some kits in Wilkinsons with a plastic container. Try the Search thread - someone on here will have expert advice I would think.

[Bigmallly]

I bought a kit from B&Q last week, just waiting for the temp to rise before I start them.

[vicky]

I've grown the dowels on logs ok but have never had any luck with button mushroom spawn. You can buy packs of it with instructions. I've use Ann Miller for the spawn Ann Millers Specialty Mushrooms

[Kristen]

I've grown them twice. Never amounted to much. I have read that the kits need to be fresh (seems reasonable) and goodness how long they have been stood, nor at what temperature?, in our local garden centre.

The kits were made by Unwins. The answer would seem to be to buy them online, but Unwins don't sell theirs online (expensive to ship I suppose).

We were given some logs Christmas 2009. They haven't done anything yet (its not too late according to the instructions, but its not exactly "instant"!!)

I'd really like to grow my own though, especially Chestnut mushrooms, so if someone has a successful formula I'd love to hear it

[greengas]

I have just bought shitake mushroom plugs from Dobies of Devon and have drilled fresh log and plugged it. Quite a long wait so I will report back in Autumn, like yourself I was keen to grow my own had no luck with the boxed button ones from B&Q.

[TonyF]

I've just bought the starter kit from Ann Murray, who I got in touch with via the agro-forest movement. Not started them yet but it does say that patience is needed because some can take several years to mature and work their magic in the logs.

I don't think that they're any good for the instant gardener types, you have to be for the much longer haul to get any sort of a harvest from some of them.

As for the B&Q kits, as an ex-manager of B&Q garden centres, I'd pass on them as you have no ideas of the conditions they've been kep in in transit or in the stores.

What I really need to do is get the River Cottage book on mushrooms because our woods are full of them - including one of the local delicacies, ceps - and we don't harvest what we already have.

[FoxHillGardener]

I did some dowels into fresh-cut oak logs. That was two years ago and they're now old-cut oak logs with no mushrooms on them

[growerkari]

I highly recommend dobies windowsill mushroom kits. This is my first try at growing mushrooms, I ordered the white button kit, which arrived about 2 weeks ago.

Today I picked my first mushroom They are really easy to set up & have a step by step guide.

I'm planning on ordering the chestnut & oyster ones in a couple of weeks too.

[Kristen]

I'd be interested to know how well it goes from now on growerkari. I had no difficulty getting to "First mushroom" stage with my kits, but I got a couple of pickings and then ... nothing, and no second flush.

I hope yours do better, and if so I'll be buying some to try

[Davyburns]

I grew them in a plastic bucket kit 30 years ago. I owned a pub at that time _no garden_ so I set them away behind an armchair in the living room. It was moderatly successful, we got quite a few really tasty fresh mushrooms, but it didnt sweeten my OH at all. I didnt try them again

[frogga]

I have had 2 kits from dobies, both have failed miserably, so will not waste £6.99 on a kit again!

[gnome]

I recently bought an Unwins mushroom kit... but I haven't started it yet...
Its the first time I have tried to grow mushrooms
The box instructions differ from the leaflet inside the box instructions
One says to wait 2 days, before going onto the second stage...
The other says to wait 10 days, before going onto the second stage....

Does anyone know which is correct ?
Many thanks

[PrideRavyn]

We ended up buying a 'grow in a box' type kit from the local garden centre, two weeks later we have just taken our first mushrooms from the box with more growing The instructions said warm place for a week with the lid on at a slight angle to build up co2, then into a cooler dark place to grow the actual mushrooms.

Since then Lidl had their garden week and were selling mush kits at 3.99 so I bought two, to start when this one has run out

[A Life Less Simple]

Has anyone had any luck with the kits they were using last year? I think the kit I started off has come to nothing but then I properly started it off too soon. I really want to grow mushrooms though