Re: Mushroom Compost quality compost

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Fran-  Thankyou for the compliment. Around here, mushroom "soil" is really commercially composted steer manure. Superior Mushrooms takes local steer manure and adds straw and a bit of chicken manure. The mixture is actively mixed in large heaps with front-end loaders while it composts at relatively high temperatures. It quickly composts into a high quality compost.
 
This compost is used for mushroom growth for a period of weeks where the business may glean as many as three crops of mushrooms. After these crops are harvested the compost is moved out to a large pile out in the back field where locals may have access for free (shovel for yourself- they will load you up for a fee).
 
The foreman at Superior Mushrooms explained that mushrooms use only the peak food value of the compost. He assured me that mushroom manure is left with most of it's food value intact after the mushrooms are done with it. After one season of use I am confident that the compost can be mixed with soil without fear of burning roots- it seems to be completely composted and "cold", compost-wise.
 
Around here I am a big fan of mushroom compost. I can attest that mushroom manure is almost completely free of weeds. With the desire to loosen up and improve the quality of my exhausted clay-based soil, I mixed this compost at a rate of one part manure to one part soil. This improved soil was free of weeds for the remainder of the season. And the flowers and veggies went nuts! lol. This spring the soil has a quality look to it, much improved fibre content, and is easier to shovel. Water retention seems to be up. And still no weeds...
 
Recently a friend (his wife is a veterinarian at their farm) offered his horse manure for the garden. I intend to use it in select planned new beds (where the soil is similarly depleated) and watch carefully to determine whether the straight horse manure is comparable or better than the mushroom manure. Certainly, I expect the weed content to be higher in the horse manure. We can live with that, eh? lol.
 
Have a great day,
bill missen.
 
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: f*@infi.net
To: s*@listbot.com
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2001 5:18 AM
Subject: Re: Compost

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Bill, I just looked at your birdbath/bean teepee. That is so clever and
pretty.
I noticed you mentioned mushroom soil in your bed. We have lots of
mushroom soil available around here, but I never manage to get good
information about it. Is it more like depleted-worn out soil, or more
like compost with good nutrients in it?
What could we say are its special properties (like, high in Nitrogen, or
whatever)?
Thanks a lot.
Fran.


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