cordelia Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) I have a mushroom kit, and it should be showing signs of life by now....but isnt.. I think I've followed the instructions ok... Has anyone had experience of them it was £10 from homebase... And can anyone tell me how to get it to work ?? thanks very much for any help.... Edited March 30, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffyknickers Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I had one a couple of years ago and had no signs of life at all even though followed instructions! Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I've done loads of these, Woolworths (RIP) used to sell the kits for £3.99. Haven't had one for a while, but I recall you had to keep the box in a cool dark place and spray, not water, the earth on a regular basis, it takes about 2 weeks before the mushrooms appear. What is happening to yours, how long have you had it? Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 oh dear and oh.. its on its second week...at a cooler temp and gets a daily spray....it now has 2cm of gap in the lid to let the air circulate...and is doing nothing... there are no nice little white shoots appearing, and i have never had to cover any up in the previous week, as it suggested I might... oh and its in the light...not direct sunlight , but the instructions never said to have it in the dark for the second week....drat...perhpas thats the problem so I'll fingers crossed for another week.... I was so looking forward to them too Im on a major mushroom urge at the moment, having got some lovely chestnut mushrooms from Sainsbury's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Hmmm...I think I would advise moving it to a dark place, I used to do mine in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. I only sprayed mine when it looked dry not every day. Try this and hopefully it will start happening When mine had finished growing I used to chuck the contents of the box into the compost heap, mushrooms still kept appearing for a while. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 thanks Tessa..I'll move them into the dark when i get home..thanks and water less..(although it was a spray ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffyknickers Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Yes its suposed to be in the dark (mine was but still got nothing!). x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Ours was successful in the dark and with spraying every other day but we had hundreds of little black flies so it had to go in the end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 oh goodness..black flies!!!! yikes I can never buy pot plants anymore because of those darned black flies.. although I ahve found a swift spray with wasp killer does the trick... but I couldnt do that with mushrooms obviously !! LOL I will try the dark..thanks very much for the advice.. fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I've tried these once or twice in the past, but never had any joy - must go on one of those mushroom foraging courses one day! - unless anyone has the secret of growing their own?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 We had a kit as children, which we kept in the shed. We had to keep it covered & misted it with water. We hd loads of side plate sized mushrooms. Yummy with garlic butter on. But we also got a mouse living in the kit box! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melly264 Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 he-he just brought one home today, if I'd have known they were such a hit and miss thing I might nto have bothered! For future, if you do try again Squires are selling an Unwins model for £5.99....I'll let you know how it goes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 We were given 2 lots over the years. One we had a go at and the other my dad did for us because he would give it better tlc at the time. Result failure of both and poor dad was really cross about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milly Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I remembered Which doing a trial a few months ago so I just looked it up. The verdict was that all the kits they tried cost a lot more than shop-bought mushrooms (between 7 and 22 times more). And some testers didn't get any mushrooms at all..... You never know, they didn't test all the kits on th emarket, you might be lucky. Milly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 ...I sure am pleased I asked for advice...and thankyou to everyone who has posted... if no mushrooms grow, at least I can show this to hubby to indicate that its not just "me", and sometimes they just dont work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 The compost is handy though afterwards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I've not tried the kits but I bought my parents a couple of mushroom logs for Christmas. They never grew mushrooms either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 must go on one of those mushroom foraging courses one day! - unless anyone has the secret of growing their own?? You should come up here. Because it rains so much the mushrooms here are monsters. My favourites are the ceps and chanterelles as well as the common field mushrooms. You find giant pufballs regularly though in all my years mushroom hunting I have never found a morel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Ok sounds fab, I'll just find my wellies.... Very Be lovely to have a totally 'home sourced' mushroom omlette!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muvver hen Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi,i have a mushroom kit on the go at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Thanks for all the advice......I now have 4 mushrooms growing weeks after the orginal timeline in the instructions... I took your advice, and put them in the dark for the second part of the growing process...and its worked... admittedly they are now covered over with a black carrier bag,rather than in a dark cupboard, but its made all the difference.. so even though my instructions didnt say place in the dark for the second part, all you lovely people said to, and its worked so thanks very much indeed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 this is my 3rd one, I failed misearabley the first twice but I have put this one at the top of the cellar steps this and mist it every so often and it seems to be working, it seems to need the exact mix of shade & moisture and temp to work. Its prob cheaper to but mushrooms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
