[orchardlady]

I have a lovely paddock at the back of my house where I keep my hens and ducks free ranging. No other animals range the area and the paddock is 'gardn locked' by all my neighbours as it's in the very heart of the village so it fairly well protected by fences and hedges but does get frost etc. I know that the hens and ducks do not eat mushrooms either raw or cooked as when I have offered then they are just left and the few fungi that tI've found in the area are also left untouched. I would like to use this well manured (chicken and duck poo) grassy paddock to grow some Field/Portobello mushrooms. From my rather scant research on the web the idea is to lift a flap of turf and inoculate the earth with mushroom spawn then put the turf back down. Has anyone else tried this system? How did you do? Do I have to re inoculate with spawn each year? Visiting an allotment of a friend yesterday I realised that there is loads of space around each of the plots that could be used in the same way. I would love to hear your advice and comments please.

[MOLUSC]

Not an easy question to answer , and im no expert but what i do know is-
Spores of a mushroom or fungi are deposited in the wild in their millions.
They blow about in the wind and only a few will find the ideal site to "germinate" and form a mycellium.
The mycellium is like a cotton thread or cobweb that grows underground (sometimes for many miles)when conditions are just right the fruiting bodies (mushrooms) pop up and once again disperse their spores.
You could try having a go but i dont think you will have much success im sorry to say.
Spores are not like seeds.

[orchardlady]

Thanks for the advice. I've ordered some spores from Suttons Seeds they didn't cost much. I suppose the only real cost will be me lifting turf and inoculating the ground. I'll keep you posted on how I get on.

[Babstreefern]

In two words "forget it".  I've tried the spawn plugs (which you drill holes into logs), my neighbours have tried the box variety, many times, all without success.  Spend your money on buying something useful, eg, four leaf clover, you'll get a better success rate, especially if you sow them on the 5th Sunday of a month

[isis]

I bought a packet from suttons early this year and put them over cow manure in a pot. covered them with moist newspaper and put them in a shady spot. They were kept moist. BUT Unfortunately it didnt work!  Sorry couldnt really help much on that part.. ive read around and it seems to be really hard to grow mushrooms so I settled for a kit.
I bought the oyster mushroom straw kit recently and it seem to be more hopeful!

[michellela]

My flatmate has got a plastic box.  Inside the box is a plastic wrapped drilled log which contains Mr Fothergills mushroom plugs.  The box has been sitting doing whatever it's supposed to be doing so who knows if it's working, not me.  Still, it will be interesting to see if anything comes of it.

[Jamie Butterworth]

Found these videos on claires allotment, i hope they help

http://www.youtube.com/user/clairesallotment#p/u/63/p7UuMtiCKWI

http://www.youtube.com/user/clairesallotment#p/u/62/1jTPBKUPodw

http://www.youtube.com/user/clairesallotment#p/u/58/3HQ-S7mQh8Y

http://www.youtube.com/user/clairesallotment#p/u/57/sQ_1hHE4XHw

[WebSiteEvo]

I had a large box of flat mushrooms. In the bottom of the box was lots of brown spores and bits of mushrooms. I simply washed the box into a bowl of water emptied it into my watering can. Watered the edge of the lawn in a damp shady part of the garden the now we have white flat mushrooms growing happily. Worth a go for not much effort.

[eeedowls]

you'll get a better success rate, especially if you sow them on the 5th Sunday of a month

That'll be Ocotber 31st then...

 

or December 30th...

I'll get me coat...