I bought a chestnut mushroom box kit from the pound shop that didn't grow very well. I slid the tray out, emptied the spores from the plastic bag onto the compost and woodshavings and watered it, and a week later there was lots of nice looking fungus growing over the top, with lots of little dots forming which I assumed would become mushrooms.
The instructions said to spray water over them every day after this, but doing so seemed to kill the fungus, even though I mist-sprayed just a little water. In the end, two mushrooms grew, and they tasted lovely, but hardly worth a pound and a few weeks of waiting.
I tried to re-use the kit and was even more gentle with the watering, but nothing grew at all. Well, a few tiny 'buds' formed, but never continued to grow into mushrooms.
I gave up on the second attempt and stirred the contents of the tray and added a good bit of water, then left it in the box for a week. This third attempt resulted in a single mushroom growing.
So after all that, I'm not sure if I'll bother growing mushrooms again. Besides, they have no more boxes in the pound shop.
When back in the UK this year I purchased some seeds. When I came home I got a load of manure from my friend mixed it with straw as per directions on the packet, but still waiting for the manure to rot down enough...
hardwood is best, as most mushrooms don't particularly like conifer wood.
I use oak and silver birch, it has to be fresh off the tree, otherwise other species of inedible fungus can set up home before you can inoculate with the species you want.
the softer the wood (like willow) the shorter the time before the wood exhausts itself. I've had a 4 foot long 6 inch diameter oak log that's been producing shiitake for five years now, but I think its on its last legs now as its suddenly got very light!
Treehugger.......love that name, that's what I want to be
I thought I'd share this, just because I took it the other day and didn't know where it belonged until Dove started a thread for it It's proper round and flat, like a little table for the fairies
Philippa, what a silly question......everyone knows you can't see fairies, they are hiding under the table until the camera goes away......I think they are living in my Sweet peas
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I bought a chestnut mushroom box kit from the pound shop that didn't grow very well. I slid the tray out, emptied the spores from the plastic bag onto the compost and woodshavings and watered it, and a week later there was lots of nice looking fungus growing over the top, with lots of little dots forming which I assumed would become mushrooms.
The instructions said to spray water over them every day after this, but doing so seemed to kill the fungus, even though I mist-sprayed just a little water. In the end, two mushrooms grew, and they tasted lovely, but hardly worth a pound and a few weeks of waiting.
I tried to re-use the kit and was even more gentle with the watering, but nothing grew at all. Well, a few tiny 'buds' formed, but never continued to grow into mushrooms.
I gave up on the second attempt and stirred the contents of the tray and added a good bit of water, then left it in the box for a week. This third attempt resulted in a single mushroom growing.
So after all that, I'm not sure if I'll bother growing mushrooms again. Besides, they have no more boxes in the pound shop.
When back in the UK this year I purchased some seeds. When I came home I got a load of manure from my friend mixed it with straw as per directions on the packet, but still waiting for the manure to rot down enough...
I've grown shiitake and oyster mushrooms in logs for years and this year im growing some different ones in a mix of leaf litter and wood chips.
http://www.rusticmushrooms.co.uk
only sowed (is that the right term for spreading spores?) them this year so hopefully come autumn i'll have some wine caps and morel mushrooms!
hardwood is best, as most mushrooms don't particularly like conifer wood.
I use oak and silver birch, it has to be fresh off the tree, otherwise other species of inedible fungus can set up home before you can inoculate with the species you want.
the softer the wood (like willow) the shorter the time before the wood exhausts itself. I've had a 4 foot long 6 inch diameter oak log that's been producing shiitake for five years now, but I think its on its last legs now as its suddenly got very light!
Treehugger.......love that name, that's what I want to be
I thought I'd share this, just because I took it the other day and didn't know where it belonged until Dove started a thread for it
It's proper round and flat, like a little table for the fairies 
Philippa, what a silly question......everyone knows you can't see fairies, they are hiding under the table until the camera goes away......I think they are living in my Sweet peas