Has anyone successfully grown mushrooms?

[EauRouge]

There's a corner in my garden that's very damp and very shady. My garden's not too big so I like to use as much as possible, and I was thinking of putting a log in the corner to grow mushrooms on. Has anyone tried one of the kits? Any tips (including 'don't bother') very gratefully received :)

[Fishandjam]

Hello

I remember watching Ground Force years ago where the made over garden had some logs seeded with oyster mushroom spores used as corner uprights on a raised bed. They didn't work...

Plus don't forget that the mycelium can stretch for many square metres; if you were successful in seeding your patch, you might find yer actual mushrooms pop up somewhere else entirely (like several streets away).

I'd give it a go though; what's the worst that can happen?!

[BoyMeetsWorld]

Normal ones or magical ones?

[Fishandjam]

Tsk boymeetsworld, Psilocybe semilanceata is a creature of fields and pastures, not damp corners of back gardens. Though one can always try...

[funnyperson]

On the 'great british garden revival' they had a feature on stumperies and injecting logs with dowels impregnated with oyster mushroom spores
something like this
www.amazon.co.uk/Mushroom-Dowels-growing-mushrooms-MUSHROOMBOX/dp/B0080SOKDC/ref=sr_1_15?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1393459029&sr=1-15&keywords=mushroom%20growing%20kit&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

One has to have reasonably advanced diy skills to drill the correct size holes for the dowels in the log, so I didnt do it.

[EauRouge]

I should have just asked your DS, fish

Normal ones, sadly. I'm far too boring to do drugs.

Yes, the dowel kit is the sort I meant. I'm not too good at DIY though so maybe I should give it a miss.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Years ago my Dad did one of those kits with the box full of compost and spores that you keep somewhere dark and that worked. I tried a kit a few years ago where you soak the spore mix into an old paperback book, didn't work at all.

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

I was given an impregnated log type one years ago for Xmas. Followed instructions and nothing ever happened, it just sat in the garden looking like an old log. After at least 5 years it suddenly grew oyster mushrooms. Not the abundance you are expecting but one a day or so for about a week and more often than not they got slugged before I picked them.

If you can get the dowels cheaply why not have a go but prepare for possible disappointment!

[funnyperson]

Did you see one of the amazon reviewers that moaned cos they didnt get the wax?
Apparently once you have put the dowels in the neatly drilled correct size holes you have to seal them with beeswax so that the spores impregnate the log and don't go all over the garden.
So if you are ordering from that website remember to order the wax.
I might give the shitake mushrooms a try. I have sawn off logs, and I have a shady patch in the garden.