sidjoloo

So, when I lived in the UK, we would buy mushroom growing kits and dowels for the most beautiful mushrooms in our own garden and in the garage. They were really cheap too! I bought 100 dowels once for about a fiver but didn't think I would be able to bring them here with me, so gave them to a neighbour.
I have looked on the Canadian store pages but everything is so expensive, and then when you add shipping, it's ridiculous.
For example, I can buy a pack of 100 dowels for $20 but the shipping will be 11.91! For a little wee bag with 50 teeny wooden dowels in it!
On wish.com you can buy the same thing for pennies from China, but my question is, will the Canadian authorities allow them to come into Canada? I've tried to look on the government website to see but can't really make out what it all means.
If I go back to the UK for a holiday (Hopefully soon, we have a wedding to attend in November!) and brought a pack back when I return, would I have to declare this at the border? And would it be an allowable item?

Siouxie

What size dowels are you looking for - all the DIY / carpentry / woodwork (and a few craft) stores sell them in various sizes and lengths up to several feet long. Instead of paying shipping you could get an Uber to the store and collect them.
https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=Mushroom+kit&ref=nb_sb_noss_2https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/cat...ts/dowels.html
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop...ery/dowel-rods
https://www.rona.ca/en/building-supp...nd-accessories
etc

Free shipping for some on Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Wooden-Unfinished-Crafts-Woodworking-Building/dp/B01N2Y6H4G/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=WGPIW4LJJVHK&dchild=1&keywords=dowel+rod&qid=1591568533&sprefix=dowel%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFTWFdHUDgzNkVIVjEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzOTQ1ODcyRldaVVJMOE1CV0NIJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NDExNzgxT1NaV0tWV0hBWkNKJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

caretaker

The hardwood pellets used for fuel in pellet stoves is apparently a workable substitute, and they are widely available.
https://growmushroomscanada.ca/produ...dwood-pellets/

sidjoloo

Hi everyone, thanks for the suggestions!

What I an really looking for are (affordable) pre-innoculated dowels, which are the hardwood plug things they use for furniture, but with the mycelium of the type of mushroom required already grown on them.
You make a hole in a soggy wet log with a drill, push the dowel inside, and seal the top with wax.
You end up with lots of fresh mushrooms growing on the log.
Or a mushroom kit with pregrown mycelium would be fine. I have looked on Kijiji and grow mushroom sites and they are all really expensive. I was quote $20 for a kit plus $25 postage, you would need to grow an awful lots of button mushrooms to make $45 dollars worth!
The dowels in the UK are a fiver for 50 or something like that. But if I was to get something posted from UK to Canada, would it even clear customs? I have found online that I can import a packages of seeds for my own use (not commercial quanties) but sleeping mushroom mycelium would not really be the same thing?

Siouxie

https://www.amazon.ca/Back-Roots-Mushroom-Farm-1200gm/dp/B00CD0KZ78/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/131-2486957-9644153?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00CD0KZ78&pd_rd_r=2bd03acb-e89e-41a8-a7fb-ce07ad09b76b&pd_rd_w=GxKfX&pd_rd_wg=InJqR&pf_rd_p=62bc58f5-5a07-4a59-9b91-fe01cc96db2b&pf_rd_r=5RMYVJQM916VNSW7XQ6B&psc=1&refRID=5RMYVJQM916VNSW7XQ6B (they do a mini kit for $20)


https://www.amazon.ca/Grow-Your-Own-Mushroom-Kit/dp/B081FWZVJV/ref=pd_sbs_86_16?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B081FWZVJV&pd_rd_r=a1b27407-82a2-482e-b8b0-b68a166d5981&pd_rd_w=7RSUi&pd_rd_wg=rlydd&pf_rd_p=0ec96c83-1800-4e36-8486-44f5573a2612&pf_rd_r=DRDKGC7GKB1HW40Q58CT&psc=1&refRID=DRDKGC7GKB1HW40Q58CT
But for a much better deal > https://everythingmushrooms.com/prod...oom-100-plugs/

sidjoloo

Thanks Siouxie, I went to the Everything Mushrooms website and was surprised they have free shipping! From the states.
Unfortunately, they only have one species at the moment, the Luminescent Panellus stipticus, and Wiki tells me that they are ornamental, and too bitter to be edible.
I will check Amazon again though. Just pissed that shipping costs are so bloody expensive here, it oftens doubles the cost of an item. I suppose I am just so used to free shipping offered on Ebay and such when we were in the UK.

Siouxie

Shipping costs are high indeed - but consider how big the country is - if you order something that is coming from another Province it will cost them lots to send it...
If you often order from Amazon consider getting Prime.. free shipping on a lot of stuff.. 1 or 2 day shipping on some.. and you get films and music thrown in
Sometimes it's cheaper to order from the US (even with the exchange rates and shipping)!

caretaker

I faked an order with a Dartmouth postal code on the growmushroomscanada.ca website because they say they have east and west distribution points, and when I hit calculate shipping, it's coming from BC anyway! I also phoned 7 or 8 garden centres in Dartmouth and area, and a couple said they'd had kits from the internet, or gotten them as gifts, a couple recommended trying Halifax Seed. They are so busy the recording says they can't answer the retail lines, and I didn't see an email address on their website. One place recommended trying Blomidon Nursery, so I emailed them and asked, but no answer yet. If you can get the spores somewhere, making your own plugs up may be the best option.

sidjoloo

I tried Halifax Seed and Veseys, both don't sell mushroom kits. I have asked in all the garden centres I visit in our area, and again, none of them stock the kits.
I could get mushroom seeds from Wish.com but I am put off because 1. I don't think mushrooms grow from seeds, surely you need mycelium? and 2. I don't think they will get through customs.

caretaker

Mushrooms grow from mycellium, which grows from spores, similar to how plants pollinate. If they're advertising mushroom seeds, I suspect they may be loaded plugs like you were using, possibly in the shape of seeds. I know some people collect spores from wild mushrooms and cultivate them, but I wonder if the ones in store mushrooms are still viable? I'm going to try to find out more, because I'd like to have a box of mushrooms growing in the basement.

sidjoloo

While researching, I found a page online that said that instore mushrooms could be cultivated if you find some with white spiders web type mycelium on them, I have had that in the past but now I am looking, I can't find it!
Let me know if you find anything, I love mushrooms, especially crema type button mushrooms, I'm not sure I would want to grow anything too fancy without actually trying some first.

caretaker

Cremini and white buttons are the 2 types we get in bulk here, so I'll get some of each and see if I can get anything out of them using the cardboard and ziplock method for collecting spores. Due to pandemic protocols I won't pick through them looking for webs, but I'll keep it in mind.

caretaker

I just received a belated email from Blomidon Nurseries, as follows:
Re: Mushroom Growing Kits
Retail Team <[email protected]>
Sun 2020-06-21 1:37 PM
Hi Caretaker;

Unfortunately we do not carry mushroom kits or components. A quick poke around for local mushroom suppliers gave me this retailer on Facebook, based out of Pictou county. They also sell spawn and kits, so maybe they'll be able to help.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/puravida...=page_internal

Warmly,
Tara M
Blomidon Nurseries Retail Team