People often grow tomatoes, basil and mint at home, so why not give mushrooms a go? While you might think they'd require a lot of upkeep, you couldn't be further from the truth. Mushrooms are one of the easiest foods to grow, and with their supermarket price tag being relatively high (especially when it comes to more exotic varieties), you'll be saving yourself money with near to no effort on your part!
If this is your first time searching for a mushroom growing kit, don't worry. This buying guide details everything beginners need to know, including mushroom varieties such as shiitake, oyster and button, the skill level you need to be successful and how many harvests you can expect from your kit. We've also included a list of the 10 best mushroom grow kits available in the UK from Amazon. Happy growing!
Quick List - Top Mushroom Growing Kits
Urban Farm-It
Complete Pink Oyster Mushroom Kit for a Delicious and Pretty Addition to Your Kitchen and Plate
Foragers Table
An Unusual Variety Perfect for Vegans That Comes With Easy-to-Follow Instructions
Foragers Table
Grow up to 4 Flushes of Golden Oyster Mushrooms With This Fully Colonised Kit
Merryhill Mushrooms
See Growth in as Little as a Few Days With This Shiitake Mushroom Grow Kit
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The first thing you need to think about when shopping is which variety to choose. While exotic mushrooms might sound appealing, it’s best to go for the type that you’re most likely to use. Unfortunately, while there are hundreds of mushroom varieties out there, the list of which ones are available in grow kits are not nearly half as extensive. These are the main types you'll find:
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Once you’ve decided on the variety of mushrooms you want to grow, you’ll need to look at the type of kit. Choose a growing kit based on how much effort you want to put into the experience.
If you’ve never tried growing mushrooms before and don’t consider yourself to be blessed with a green thumb, opt for a kit that is ready to go straight from the box. These will simply require you to create an opening on the box for the mushrooms to grow through, then add a little water to get things moving.
However, if you want a bit more of a hands-on experience, there are some kits that come with all the elements separately, leaving you to find your growing log, drill the holes and insert the mushroom plugs yourself. While it is a good idea to know a little about which logs are best and how to drill the holes, the kits should provide clear instructions to guide you.
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When spending a fair amount of money on growing food, you’ll want to know how many mushrooms your kit will produce. While it's almost impossible to tell the exact amount, the instructions should be able to give you at least a rough idea of how many harvests you’re likely to get.
Obviously, you will need to take this information with a pinch of salt as it all depends on how the kit was stored and how you care for it once you receive it. But, knowing an estimated amount will give you a rough idea of the value of the kit itself. Most advertise the yield as approximately 4 harvests, but some promote that a single kit can produce for up to 8 years!
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Lastly, take a look at the ideal conditions your kit needs to thrive. While the majority of the kits provide the same advice (indoors, away from drafts, direct sunlight and heat sources), some companies advise on specific temperatures and areas they should be placed. Your chances of success are significantly improved if you can ensure your mushrooms will be growing in their ideal climate.
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Urban Farm-It XL Oyster Mushroom Growing Kits|Pink- Pleurotus djamor | ![]() | Complete Pink Oyster Mushroom Kit for a Delicious and Pretty Addition to Your Kitchen and Plate | |
2 | Foragers Table Lions Mane Mushroom Growing Kit | ![]() | An Unusual Variety Perfect for Vegans That Comes With Easy-to-Follow Instructions | |
3 | Foragers Table Gold Oyster Mushroom kit|Pleurotus citrinopileatus | ![]() | Grow up to 4 Flushes of Golden Oyster Mushrooms With This Fully Colonised Kit | |
4 | Merryhill Mushrooms Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit | ![]() | See Growth in as Little as a Few Days With This Shiitake Mushroom Grow Kit | |
5 | Carbeth Plants White Button Mushroom Grow Kit | ![]() | Grow the Classic Button Variety in a Neat Mushroom-Shaped Container | |
6 | MerryHill Mushrooms Chestnut Mushroom Growing Kit | ![]() | Grow a Popular Mushroom Variety That Has a Deep, Nutty Taste and Plenty of Flavour | |
7 | Merryhill Mushrooms White Mushroom Growing Kit | ![]() | White Mushroom Grow Kit With Clear Instructions That Produces up to 4 Harvests | |
8 | Urban Farm-It Shiitake Mushroom Log Growing Kit | ![]() | A Shiitake Growing Kit for Those Who Want a More Hands-on Experience | |
9 | Urban Farm-It Shiitake Plugs | ![]() | Fresh Shiitake Plug Spawn for Those Who Need to Top Up Their Stock | |
10 | Espresso Mushroom Company Pearl Oyster Kitchen Garden | ![]() | Complete Pearl Oyster Mushroom Kit That’ll Produce Up to 2 Crops |
Kicking off our countdown is this showstopper from Urban Farm-It. If you’re looking for something a bit more unique than the standard shop-bought mushroom, this kit will be just the ticket. It provides everything you need to grow pink (yes, pink!) oyster mushrooms!
The mushrooms will provide a burst of colour to your kitchen and a delicious taste to any Thai curry or stir-fry you whip up. This kit comes with excellent reviews, with customers praising Urban Farm-It's customer service when they've needed a hand with the process. They also have a great educational website filled with tips to ensure you get the best from your kit.
This growing kit that produces a rather unusual mushroom that many of us will never have heard of before – Lion’s Mane. This furry, rather large mushroom variety has a slightly fishy taste and is an excellent vegan substitute for crab. They are also great enjoyed on their own, simply sauteed in a bit of butter.
The kit includes everything you need to grow, including a misting bottle, making this an excellent buy for anyone new to the growing game. The box also comes with comprehensive, easy-to-follow instructions that have provided what seems to be every single customer with successful results.
If you liked the sound of the bright pink oyster mushrooms, you might also want to take a look at this glorious golden variety! Producing up to 4 crops, you should get a decent yield for your money, especially considering the high price of oyster mushrooms at the supermarket.
The kit comes with everything you need, including a misting bottle, and is fully colonised and ready to go as soon as it arrives. It also comes with excellent reviews with plenty of customers achieving great growing success.
Next is a growing kit for the famous shiitake mushrooms. If you're not familiar with this variety, they have a distinctly earthy taste and meaty texture and go brilliantly in tons of recipes from risottos to soups to stir-fries. They're also supposed to work wonders for reducing your cholesterol.
One of the best things about this particular kit, though, is that you should be able to see your first crop grow in as little as a few days! While this pack does only advertise 1-2 crops per kit, shiitake mushrooms are pretty expensive in the shops, so you're still getting good value for money.
Next up, we have an option for those who just want to give the classic white button mushrooms a go. Let’s face it, these are the most widely consumed mushrooms in the world that go in almost anything, so you're bound to use them up!
What we like about this kit is that your crop is grown in a cute little button mushroom-shaped container, whereas many of the other options are in rather unsightly packages. The kit includes everything you need, and most customers have found their harvest to be pleasantly fruitful.
Merryhill Mushrooms are one of the biggest brands in mushroom farming and here we have their Chestnut mushroom kit. If you’re after a versatile funghi but want a deeper, richer flavour than button mushrooms, these are an excellent choice.
They have a delicious, nutty taste and an almost meaty texture that makes a great ingredient in a whole range of dishes. Overall, the reviews have been pretty positive, with most people being able to harvest around 4 crops, however, a few customers have only managed to grow a few mushrooms.
Here's another ready-to-go box from Merryhill Mushrooms, only this one is for growing the classic white variety. Being ready to go straight from the box, this is an excellent option for beginners. Plus, white mushrooms are one of the most versatile varieties, so you’ll definitely be able to make use of your harvest.
The box comes with clear instructions that advise you should be able to reap up to 4 harvests. Like the company's other offerings, most customers have agreed to this, but some unfortunate growers have only been able to produce a few mushrooms in total!
Here we have another shiitake kit, and while it doesn’t come ready to go in a box, it does come with almost everything you need to get going – just find your perfect log and away you go. Best of all, you should be able to harvest your crops for up to an incredible 8 years (that is, if you care for it correctly!)
Unfortunately, there aren’t any reviews of this product yet, so it is a bit of a risk, especially if you’re new to the game of mushroom growing. However, if the reviews from their other products are anything to go by, you should be fine.
This is another product from Urban Farm-It, however, it's slightly different from the rest. While this is quite a highly-rated product, it’s a bit further down our list just because it’s not so much of a kit as the others as it only includes fresh plug spawn.
This is, however, perfect for those who already have a log and the other tools needed but just need the goods themselves! The spawn is well-known for being a high-quality, high-yield product and with the proper care, you should be able to get multiple harvests for up to 6 years, which is frankly quite incredible.
Finally, we have a pearl oyster mushroom kit. While these don’t come in any crazy colours like pink or gold, they are just as delicious, making them a great option if you’re not after anything particularly fancy. Another great selling point is that you'll grow them using upcycled coffee grounds and recycled cardboard as compost.
The kit comes with everything you need included – just add water to get the growing process started. Unfortunately, the reviews do leave a lot to be desired. Some customers have had a few mould issues, and the company seem to have been pretty unresponsive.
No. 1: Urban Farm-It|XL Oyster Mushroom Growing Kits|Pink- Pleurotus djamor
No. 2: Foragers Table|Lions Mane Mushroom Growing Kit
No. 3: Foragers Table|Gold Oyster Mushroom kit|Pleurotus citrinopileatus
No. 4: Merryhill Mushrooms|Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit
No. 5: Carbeth Plants|White Button Mushroom Grow Kit
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