Mushroom compost isn’t your usual compost fertilizer. It’s a type of compost that has already been used for mushroom production. The commercial mushroom farmers tend to mix varieties of manure and straw into a compost pile to get fresh mushroom compost with beneficial microorganisms that are used to grow mushrooms. Using the same compost in your garden soils over time will not only improve its quality but also improve plant growth.
For the customer’s ease, many commercial suppliers sell bagged mushroom compost at reasonable prices. You can get one at your closest nursery, private sellers, garden centers, or even box stores.
What is Mushroom Compost?
Mushroom compost is a type of compost created and produced during the mushroom growing process. It is a type of slow-release, organic plant fertilizer. Compost alone isn’t mushroom compost until the mushroom is grown into it. The composting process is inoculated with the desired fungus and kept cool and moist. As the fungi begin to grow it breaks down the clay-like soils into a darker Mushroom Substrate.
Only the organic materials are used to produce mushroom compost such as hay, straw, corn chicken manure, cottonseed meal, grape crushing, cobs and hulls, and horse manure. Other farmers may also add gypsum, peat moss, lime, soybean meal into it.
Typical mushroom compost includes
| Description | Value |
|---|---|
| pH level | 6.9 |
| Electrical conductivity | 11.0 |
| Dry matter | 50.5% |
| Organic carbon | 28% |
| Nitrogen (dry weight) | 1.8% |
| Phosphorus (dry weight) | 0.8% |
| Potassium (dry weight) | 1.6% |
| Manganese | 137.0ppm |
| Copper | 17.0ppm |
| Zinc | 68.0ppm |
| Boron | 10.0ppm |
| Carbon: Nitrogen content ratio | 31.0 |
How is it produced and sold?
Once the mushroom spawn is mixed into the compost, it is steam pasteurized to kill weed seeds and any other harmful agents. It’s a slow-release fertilizer. The compost is placed in beds in a dark, cool, and humid warehouse and then is pasteurized at about 140 degrees to kill any disease-causing organisms.
The farmers will then spread a mixed layer of sphagnum moss and lime onto the composting process. Mushroom composting may take anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks to process. It’s closely monitored for the right temperature, moisture, and condition.
Once the mushroom growers harvest the mushroom, the leftover compost is then disposed of or sold as fertilizer.
If you’re unsure, fresh mushroom compost is generally sold in bags labeled as SMC or SMS (spent mushroom compost or spent mushroom substrate). It’s readily available for purchase. Spent mushroom compost is recycled from the mushroom farming industry. It has a lower nutritional content than non-spent fertilizer because the mushrooms have already consumed much of the nitrogen and other nutrients. However, it is still very much useful for gardening.
How to make Mushroom Compost at home?
One of the easiest DIY methods to make mushroom compost at home includes mixing cow manure, bales of straw or wheat straw until it turns into a mulch.
The mixture will see naturally occurring fungi and bacteria breaking down the organic matter to prepare finer and darker mulch. You’d need to keep it moist and cool and keep mixing it regularly. Once ready, you can use it to grow the Mushroom or spread it across the garden.
The bacteria multiply and raise the temperature inside the organic matter up to more than 160 degrees. This will kill any weed seeds or pathogens that might have been present in the straw or animal wastes.
How to use organic mushroom compost in a new Garden?
Here is how you can incorporate organic mushroom compost in your new vegetable garden. If you haven’t used organic mushroom compost before, you should be wary about its potential benefits and harms.
- Start with spread mushroom compost on the soil surface like standard compost.
- Carefully incorporate it into the top dress 10 to 30cm of soil.
- Allow about 1 week for mushroom compost to settle and mix well with the soil.
- Next, you can start sowing the new seeds or transplant the plants into the composted soil.
- Water well initially
Benefits of using Mushroom CompostUsing mushroom compost has many benefits.
Life-support for your plants
Mushroom compost introduces beneficial microorganisms, fungi, and bacteria into the regular soil. It also enriches the soil and provides necessary nutrients. It can also be used as both soil conditioner and mulch (compost). It helps to balance the pH level of the soil.
It encourages water retention and moisture retention
Mushroom compost can supply nutrients and increase the water retention capacity of the dry garden soil. It stores up to 70% of its own weight in water. It keeps the soil cooler in warmer weather and greatly increases soil resistance to both wind and water erosion. You can cut back on your utility bills because of its magical water holding capacity.
Its environment friendly and time-saving
Mushroom compost is environmentally friendly and completely organic. It’s reasonably inexpensive and can easily be found in the market. With mushroom compost for use, you need not install a compost bin at home. It greatly reduces the time and effort put into creating regular compost at home using compost bins.
No Pests or Weeds
Mushroom compost is steam sterilized hence it won’t attract pests or small animals in your garden beds. Compost that is not well treated can easily attract pests and rodents. The steam sterilization also guarantees no weed seeds in the mulch.
It prevents surface compaction
The soil is easily compacted by the sun, rain, and foot traffic. This can greatly reduce the nitrogen quantity of the soil. With mushroom compost, you can prevent the soil from crusting over and compacting. Your soil will be able to hold more water into it to allow moisture.
It doesn’t smell bad
Neither when you buy it nor when you use it, mushroom compost doesn’t smell bad at all. The organic matter is well crusted into the mulch and the pasteurization process rids it off any bad odor.
Potential Harms of using Mushroom Compost
Despite many benefits mushroom compost can be harmful to plants in few situations.
- Mushroom compost is rich in soluble salts or salt levels and other nutrients that can potentially kill germinating seeds and young seedlings. It can harm certain types of plants or salt-sensitive plants including rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas.
- Mushroom compost is not a soil replacement, and you should not attempt to plant seeds in it alone.
If you’re wondering you should use mushroom compost, then we’d say yes. Depending on your need, you can use mushroom compost as a soil amendment or fertilizer. Be careful about the soil quality (If it’s too acidic or alkaline), the volume of soil and compost (square feet), and salt levels before you incorporate it into your soil.
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