Help with mushrooms someone please.

[greenmachine]

I have only been growing for two years and last year my mushrooms were lovely this year I can not get them to germinate .I have them in my green house on the floor nice and dank, should I exclude light? Do they take ages to germainate? Like two months I can see the white lumps I sowed should I cover these?

[kirsty b]

Hi greenmachine,

we are growing mushrooms for the first time this year, usng one of those kits from Focus. We had spawn impregnated straw, which we covered with the compost supplied after warming them for 4 days in the airing cupboard. The compost covered the straw to a depth of about 4". We then left this in the airing cupboard, undisturbed until we could see the mycelium just below the surface. Took roughly 10 days. After this we brought it down to the kitchen and lifted the lid slightly to cool it down slightly, and we have been lightly watering every other day. If any of the mycelium came onto the surface of the compost, we had to gently rub it off and then cover that area with normal compost. We now have baby chestnut mushrooms, and it has taken us about 6-7 weeks to get this far!
It won't hurt to cover them up, perhaps the light being excluded by the extra compost will help.

Kirsty

[rustylady]

I have only been growing for two years and last year my mushrooms were lovely this year I can not get them to germinate .I have them in my green house on the floor nice and dank, should I exclude light? Do they take ages to germainate? Like two months I can see the white lumps I sowed should I cover these?

Are you using a kit, or doing it yourself?

[berksmike]

I tried this year with a Dobies kit from a garden centre... I followed the instructions to the letter but not a jiffy (for over 2 months!)
Think the kit might have been old.. Have heard if not fresh then they don't work

I might order one online assuming they would be fresh..

Mike

[greenmachine]

Mushrooms

Hi
My mushrooms came from Dobbies but were not a kit form. Perhaps I should try excluding the light. Or are they past there peak now to ever germinate.
Help