The kit came with spawned mushroom compost and growing medium. The instructions said to empty the bag of growing medium over the spawned compost and add water. This was to be placed back inside the box to create a dark environment and put in a warm, dry place (20-24C) for approximately six days. After six days a white, fluffy growth (mycelium) should appear on the surface of the casing layer.
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After six days, I could just see this starting to grow so I left it another couple of days before I followed the next instructions.
Remove from the box and place in a cool, dark area (16-20C) out of any draughts. Check contents daily and keep damp using a mist spray. Mushrooms should begin to appear after several days.
Unfortunately, I've left it considerably longer than several days and no mushrooms have appeared. Zilch.
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I'm not going to give up. This kit was only a pound and I think it worth trying again if I see them for sale at this price again. I know the amount of mushrooms this kit would produce could probably be bought cheaper at the greengrocers, but it's not half as fun as trying to grow them yourself.
Oh dear what a shame, I agree it's more fun growing your own, hope you are successful in sourcing another kit xcx
ReplyDeleteI'll watch out in the pound shops for one. It's fun for the price but I wouldn't pay more.
DeleteThat's a shame, I'm glad you are not giving up though. I quite fancy trying those mushroom logs once my hedge is more established.
ReplyDeleteThose mushroom logs fascinate me. It will be interesting to see how you get on with those if you do decide to give it a go.
DeleteI had a kit for Gourmet mushrooms for Christmas but to my shame have not started yet. I will rectify that later on today. I agree about the fun bit, I bought a big box full of unlabelled plants a few years ago and had a wonderful show from them.
ReplyDeleteI hope your gourmet mushrooms fare better than these did. Gardening should be all about the fun factor, there's no point otherwise.
DeleteSuch a shame, but nothing ventured nothing gained and as you say, worth a go for what it cost and you can try again! Perhaps when the weather is warmer generally they will do better? Not that I have any idea about this sort of thing! xx
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely worth a shot for a pound and I'll give it another try if I can find another kit. I don't really think the weather will play a part as I followed the instructions and kept it in places at the required temperatures.
DeleteWhat a shame. I wonder if anyone has had success with one of these. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI'm sure some people must have done. I'll give it another go and see if I can get better results next time.
DeleteOh how annoying, especially after such a promising start. Never mind, better luck next time!
ReplyDeleteI hope I can give it another try, I hate to give up so easily.
DeleteI wonder if it was an old batch, and that is why they were going so cheap? It's a shame, I love doing things like that too, adds a bit of excitement to life!
ReplyDeleteIt could be. I don't know much about mushrooms so I don't know how long the spores would remain viable. I'll give it another go anyway if I see them on sale again.
DeleteIt is about the growing, I love harvest time, fingers crossed you get a second chance and success
ReplyDeleteI can see it's going to be a bit of a challenge to get them to grow but that's the fun of it. Fingers crossed I can find another one to have another try with.
DeleteI sometimes wonder whether kits like this have been kept in the best conditions before you buy them Jo. Well still at that price you can have another go :)
ReplyDeleteI doubt whether they have, but like you say, they're cheap enough to give it another try.
DeleteA shame they haven't come up, sometimes mushrooms appear even where they're not expected. Let's hope you get some next time.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. They even grow in my garden where they're not wanted so it's a bit annoying that they haven't grown when I want them to.
DeleteWe once grew mushrooms but it was just a case of watering a bag of compost pre-seeded with spawn in the garage. We then tried to grow shitake on a log and zilch
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a bit hit and miss. Perhaps I'll be more successful second time around.
DeleteThat I so right Jo.....gardening should be fun.
ReplyDeleteI take myself a little too seriously sometimes.
Don't give up, as I told you when you told of your purchase, my father was very successful with these kits
I am lucky with mushrooms.......I have field mushrooms that come up in the garden sometimes :)
I try not to take gardening too seriously, everything has two choices, either grow or don't. The good thing is that if it's the latter, we can always try again. I have mushrooms which appear in the garden but I'm rubbish at identifying fungi so I wouldn't dare eat them.
DeleteWhat a shame! Hope they grow the next time. You'll really enjoy eating them.
ReplyDeleteI've always fancied having a go at growing mushrooms so at least I've tried. I'll definitely give it another go if I get chance.
DeleteI wouldn't give up just yet. Mushrooms are temperamental things, so they will appear when (if) conditions suit them - and nor before! I had a similar experience when I tried one of those kits. I did eventually get a few mushrooms, but it was a lot of effort for not much return.
ReplyDeleteI've left everything as it is and I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that something might appear eventually. I think it's the fun aspect which draws me to this kit, definitely worth having a go for a pound.
DeleteI agree with Mark maybe the conditions were not quite right and it will grow where they are. Well you have to hope so anyway!
ReplyDeleteWho knows. Gardening isn't an exact science so maybe they will grow given a bit more time.
DeleteI would love to try this kit. But, I have never found the kit like yours here. Now, I'm growing black mushroom on my kitchen. I grew oyster mushroom before.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of different mushroom kits in our garden centres but some of them are quite expensive. This was very cheap so it was definitely worth giving a go, it's just a shame that it didn't work.
DeleteMany years ago I had a kit that produced so many mushrooms we didn't know what to do with them. Would love to try it again, I always keep an eye on the Aldi 'brought in' stuff hoping they will have some boxes. Don't throw yours away yet, just water it again and cross your fingers :}
ReplyDeleteThat's a great predicament to be in. I haven't thrown this away, I've watered it again and popped it back where it was, you never know, it might just decide to work.
DeleteWhat a pity. I can remember trying one of these kits out in our flat when I was a newly wed. It was a bit of a shock for my new husband who thought I was a City girl. The mushrooms grew, but I couldn't cook back then (the kids might argue that I still can't), so the mushrooms went to waste. 18 months later we bought a house with a garden - I think my husband was worried about my blossoming obsession with plants and the fact that my lack of garden wasn't stopping my need to grow them. He should have been worried - my obsession turned into my career. Good luck with the next kit. I reckon you'll be eating homegrown mushroom stroganoff before you know it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the lack of a garden will put anyone with gardening tendencies off, especially with so many space saving kits on the market these days. Fingers crossed that I will eventually grow some mushrooms myself, I'm looking forward to that homegrown mushroom stroganoff.
DeletePlease let me know if you get any more Id love to have a go .I don't have a garden so this would be perfect and the satisfaction I'd get from it would be invaluable. Mushroom risotto that's what Id make of simply sautéed with garlic butter and parsley on toasted brioche, yummy
ReplyDeleteI'm not very keen on risotto but I do love mushrooms on toast, it's making me hungry just thinking about it.
DeleteI'd keep going too, that happened to me last year so I brought them into the light and put the clear cover over them, after misting for a few days in the light the mushrooms began to grow. I do hope yours do, it's such fun watching them grow!xxx
ReplyDeleteI shall give them a few more days in the dark but if nothing happens I'll do as you did and bring them in to the light, it can't harm. Gardening is all about trial and error so if at first you don't succeed, try try again.
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