[Rose-list] Re: mushroom? compost

**"* <r*@transport.com>**

> From: Jeaa1224@aol.com
> Went to our local garden mart and picked up  four or five 50# bags
of 
> "mushroom compost". I was told it was composted horse manure that
had been 
> used to grow mushrooms (evidently the compost is replaced after
each batch of 
> mushrooms is harvested and is then bagged and sold as it's still
richly 
> nutritious for other purposes). 

My Mushroom Compost for the last two years I've bought by the truck
load.  I was told mine was made  like this too.  I found a few pieces
of debre but far less than what Joanie experienced with her earlier
stuff.  When first dumped it smelled a lot like manure, once aired a
little and while spreading it, it no longer smelled.  I did read that
mushroom composts can ''run out'' of it's fertilizing effects, so I
was kind of glad it appears to still have some.  It's a nice fine,
crumbly brown stuff and my roses love it.  I've never gotten a
''crust'' on mine. I do get the mushrooms coming up in several spots.
I just step on them or toss them out.

Elle, I got mine from Beaver Bark in Scappoose.  A friend of mine
check out the other company in Scappoose as well as three in Longview
and found that BB has the best stuff.  Their garden mulch, which I
also use over top the mushroom compost as summer approaches or as the
roses swallow up the compost, is a nice crumbly black stuff that I
love working with.  

Hopefully I will have some home-made compost of my own.  Our sheep
compost is more hay usually so that it takes nearly two years to
compost well. Husband will probably use the sheep compost each year
(at one year composted it is great for tilling in for amending) for
his newest Ginseng beds. So perhaps I can stick with the Beaver
Bark's products that I really like. 

BTW... can't find were I read it, but it said that sheep manures are
richer than cow, steer or horse. It also gave percentages. (Maybe it
was out of my sisters book, "The Well Tended Perennial Garden", I
don't have that book, could someone check on that if they have it..
might be of interest to others.)  Hum...Our llama sets ''it'' in nice
little piles.  Husband uses it around new trees with great success.

PS... Lambs for sell in several weeks. :-)  I don't gather up the
pellets. County agent said that sheep are the best animals for
restoring the land. At our old place we bought a 7 acre field that
was hayed for years, in three years you could easily see the vast
improvement with the sheep on it. 

Sincerely,       
~Carleen~
Keeper of Sheep & Old Roses

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