Anyone grown mushrooms from a 'kit'? (Merged)

northern_star

As OP I thought i'd update on this. OH started off his kit in the spare room - nothing. So he moved the box to the shed and last week ( about 6 weeks from starting off) we got a few mushrooms (about 250g). Nothing else seems to be happening but I don't think he's paying them too much attention as his energy and interest seems to be elsewhere now its the major planting season in the gardens.

Larumbelle

We had two of these kits last year, bought reduced. We kept them on a shelf in the cleaning cupboard, it was the only dark place we had in the whole of that nasty old flat! One of them worked brilliantly - we seemed to have a never-ending supply from it - but the other one just went kind of mouldy and never did a thing. They were the same make, bought at the same time and treated the same way. So I think it depends on the luck of the draw whether you get a 'good' kit or not. All in all it was kind of fun but I wouldn't say it was particularly moneysaving.

consumermonkey

Had my first mushroom last night!!! even if it is only the ones that are already there grow, I will be more than happy, not the cheapest mushrooms in the world, but they are MY mushrooms.

Fidget21

I think mushrooms need to be cold to start their growth process. There are some packs you can buy that are like grain and you soak a yellow pages or something and put the grains inside the pages. Then you have to put it in the fridge as that starts the growth off.

wendywitch

I need some help, my daughter was given a kit and we want to give it ago but our dog chewed up the instructions.
I searched the the site but I can only find people moaning about how their kits didn't work, which is fine but we want to give ours a go.

Please can someone tell us what we need to do.

jaquivander

Hi Wendy,
Had almost same problem except it was the rotten cat , knocked the whole darned lot over so had to start from scratch.
Dutch hubby and Dutch websites got me started on the road to shroom success..

1. fill the box with most of the growing medium , saving enough for a covering of 1-2 cm after sowing the spores (some kits have 2 different composts, the top one is the small packet) (can also use absolutely anything almost for the bottom layer, straw, "horse end product" or even coffee grounds and newspaper The top should be fine compost.
2 Moisten (NOT WET) the bottom layer
3 sprinkle the spore mix evenly over the whole box, bearing in mind the actual spore is the dusty stuff which is mixed in with corn or something similar
4 lightly spray with water and place lid on top
5 leave until a misty looking mould starts to form (mine was about 3-4 days) and then..
6 cover lightly with 1-2cm layer of the fine compost
7 Spray the top of the layer ...very important
8 Stick the lid on and keep looking every couple of days to check the top layer is moist (although I only needed to spray about once a week)

mine have taken about 3 weeks to get to almost picking point

seemingly in Holland they are grown traditionally in caves, this might explain why a lot of people have trouble with the kit growing, they don't like too much heat and also he reckons, they don't like their bottoms wet?? The top has to be more moist than the bottom to "tease" them up to the top. I have to say, the crop I've got proves his whole theory
good luck

arkonite_babe

wendywitch wrote: »

I need some help, my daughter was given a kit and we want to give it ago but our dog chewed up the instructions.
I searched the the site but I can only find people moaning about how their kits didn't work, which is fine but we want to give ours a go.

Please can someone tell us what we need to do.

This older thread should help you:

Anyone grown mushrooms from a kit?

HTH

darcyvuqua

THE TITLE SAYS IT ALL REALLY

however i planted some about 10 days ago and keeping them in my shed in the dark (thats right aint it) anyway just wanted some advice it my first year and i think mushrooms might be a challange

DKLS

According to the program I watched, you need to shock em, and i dont mean showing them a !!!!!! dvd.

Thw way I saw it done, mushroom spores were added to soil, then placed in large sealed plastic bags, they were warm and moist in there for a couple of weeks, until the farmer slashed open the bags (the shock bit), it was at that point that the roots thing "quick, winters coming start the fruit" and the mushies started to grow.

Loopyloolou

Hi, also been trying to grow mushrooms for the first time..

found small ones today YIPPEE!!

Anyway instructions were keep warm, 20 to 25 degrees and dark for 10 days then move to cooler position 16 to 20 degrees still dark and mushrooms should appear. checking every 2 days to keep moist. Hope this makes sense. Then after first flush repeat steps up to a further 4 times. Fingers crossed for lovely mushrooms then!

Hope this helps.
Loopy xxx