[Mitchy]

Has anyone ever tried a button mushroom kit, and could they recommend one, please?

am I right in thinking that with the kits everything is in them, and you just leave it in a darkish place (maybe in the shed?) and leave to grow?

Are there any downsides?

Kits seem to cost about £12-15, do they work out value for money in terms of mushroom growth?

many thanks

M

[orfy]

Is that the one in the box with normal button mushrooms?
I've never actually done the maths to see if it's worth it.

I've often thought about the log kits though.

[Mitchy]

Yeah, just the button ones, as that is the kind I use most often.

I just wondered if you got a lot of useable mushrooms from the kit.

[Knoblauch]

I just got one from Woolies for £1 - it's from one of the major seed firms originally.  You get a bag of mushroom compost and a bag of peat, leave the mush. comp. in the dark exposed to air at 20-25C for 10 days then spread the peat on top and move to a bit cooler, the mushrooms should start to grow.  You get about 3 'flushes' of them.

I will update as it's only been going a few days.

[Stevens706]

Hi

I Did one quite a few years ago, initially got quite a few mushrooms, lots of little flys from the compost then little or nothing, didn’t think it was value for money. Someone else might have been more successful. One thing you can try is to keep looking in Woolworths as they always sell them off cheap about now.

[Debz]

I got one from "the place we don't mention" earlier on this year.  I followed the instructions and got about half a dozen mushrooms before all the little flies appeared.  It was a nightmare to try and keep sufficiently wet without making the mushroom bits wet because they turned brown.  I thought it was a lovely idea but it was a pain to do and I wouldn't recommend it

Debz

[jamesmiddz]

I have tried a mushroom kit - Unwins sell a kit for about £6. I had major problems with it and it only produce a few mushrooms in the end - they didn't taste great.

As previous mentions, they are a real pain to keep damp - I kept mine in a cool cupboard and spray it every day with a small amount of water.

The major problem I experienced was the flies! I don't know if they were in the kit to begin with or whether they krept in aftwards, but my house was full for weeks with the pleasantly named 'Coffin fly'.

I think your best bet will be to buy one of these dowling kits. You have to get hold of a few fresh logs - birch is a good choice. Drill holes into it and hammer the downling plugs into the holes. You then need to store the logs in a damp shady spot. I have recently done this myself - nothing yet, but it is early days

[jamesmiddz]

Nearly forgot to mention - if you do buy a box kit - once you have finished with it, don't throw the compost away, put it on your garden. Mushroom compost is one of the best things you can add to your soil.

[orfy]

Please keep us informed.
Picture would be good.

Thanks.

[titch]

bought one for my hubby - he is in charge of it so will keep you posted.
cost me £4 from a local cheap stuff shop

[Mrs SpudtheBinx]

We bought one of those but we kept forgetting to dampen it so nothing happened! I think we've given up on it now  :?
 I'd like to try again though as I'd love some fresh grown mushrooms!

[SalJ1980]

We got a cheap one from Woolies, it didn't do much for a while, then we moved it into the bathroom (where we have a damp problem!) and whoosh! Off they shot! We had enough for about 3 or 4 meals (servings for 2) and a couple of HUGE comedy-shaped ones made us chuckle! It wasn't amazing successful yield-wise, but certasinly fun and I'd do it again if I saw another cheap kit (this was reduced to a couple of quid). I wouldn't pay £12-15 for one personally.

[pumpkin-queen]

Have done a couple of kits in the past. Learnt from the first one that you have to be quite particular about temperatures to get it started. Followed instructions to the letter on 2nd attempt and much better although like everyone else we had problem with little flies. They don't harm mushrooms but they're not nice to have in the house. They breed on the damp soil. And when the mushrooms are big enough to eat, pick them or they quickly turn into flying saucers! This year we've bought a packet of mushroom spores(?), (Mr Fothergill's about £3), you just need some well-rotted manure & soil to grow them on. Hoping to start them off in a crate in greenhouse or shed. Will try to remember to report back how we get on!

[lincspoacher]

The compost they use in these kits is called 'Mushroom Casing', its absolute garbage. Its not even as good as the sweepings of the factory floor!! Dont ever try using it for anything, its got zero nutrients.

[orfy]

The compost they use in these kits is called 'Mushroom Casing', its absolute garbage. Its not even as good as the sweepings of the factory floor!! Dont ever try using it for anything, its got zero nutrients.

But it is a good soil improver if you have heavy soil.