Growing supermarket mushrooms - experiment ;)

[veggiechicken]

Last week I bought a supermarket punnet of untrimmed mushrooms (the cheapest ones) which have the stalk ends with bits of compost and white fluffy bits (mycelium). Kept them in the fridge, intending to eat them, but the mushrooms had other ideas. By yesterday, the mycelium had grown fluffier although the mushrooms were still firm.

Today, I planted them in the old chicken run in the hope that they may colonise it. I chose the old run because its been well fertilised, has had lots of wood shavings from their bedding and is quite shady, under trees.

Nothing ventured............and all that.

[Runtpuppy]

Oh, that sounds interesting! I'd love to know how that goes!

[nickdub]

I've got a few mushrooms come up again in a bit of very dry impacted soil by the drive where my wife's car often ends up :-)

I posted something about them last year I think, after I joined the forum - they're thicker with a rather dimpled cap compared to shop mushrooms, but taste about the same - inevitably some sort of fly usually finds them before me, so the stalks are a bit holey in places.

[Small pumpkin]

Brilliant I'd VC. Keep use updated with progress of your mushroom experiment.
I'd join you because it sounds like fun. Unfortunately I'm very allergic.

[Mr Bones]

Sounds fun and interesting VC. Keep us posted, I've tried with alsorts of wild mushrooms but never had any success.

[veggiechicken]

I've tried before too - using just the stalks but that didn't work - and spores. Hoping that these healthy mushrooms will do something. Ideally, they'll spread throughout the bed and I'll pick mushrooms every day without ever buying any more.
Everyone has to dream.

[roitelet]

I used to use ‘spent’ mushroom compost in a green house and had a humgous crop of humgous mushrooms!

[veggiechicken]

Would love to get some of that but its hard to get hold of here.

[SarrissUK]

Wow, it'd be so cool if that works out! Keep us updated!

[WalterWhite]

Worth a 'shot in the dark' with this however you are trying to cultivate from mycelium primordia that is not ideal but possible.

Would recommend covering the inoculated wood shavings with dampened corrugated cardboard. Mist the mushroom patch with dechlorinated water/rain water every other day then to weekly depending on environmental variables rain, humidity etc. Want it damp but not wet/saturated.

If the wood substrate starts to show signs of colonisation keep in mind snails, slugs and ants love mycelium.

[Mr Bones]

I used to use ‘spent’ mushroom compost in a green house and had a humgous crop of humgous mushrooms!

Sadly AFAIK before it goes out now it's sterilised with steam. (spoilsports )