Mushroom Compost | Definition, Recipe, Applications, & Importance
Table of Contents
What is mushroom compost and why is it called that way?
How can we make mushroom compost at home?
How can mushroom compost be used?
Is mushroom compost better than regular compost?
What distinguishes using "aged" from "fresh" mushroom compost?
Mushroom Compost: Pros and Cons
Did you know that Pennsylvania has the highest production of mushrooms in the United States? As a result, Pennsylvania's other farmers now have easy access to post-production mushroom compost, a priceless organic resource. Your gardening efforts will benefit greatly from the addition of mushroom compost. It is an excellent soil builder, helps to break down hard clay, and is particularly helpful for keeping the soil hydrated. Supplying organic matter, beneficial bacteria, and nutrients, mushroom compost, like other types of compost, is a valuable tool for enhancing soil health.
For your plants and the general health of your soil, mushroom compost offers a number of advantages. It's a wonderful addition to your garden and provides a lot of helpful nutrients. However, use it cautiously since some plants may be harmed by it. When well incorporated into the soil, mushroom compost is excellent for your plants.
So what exactly is mushroom compost? How do you utilize it? Are you able to create it yourself? Let's dig in and address these questions and others!
What is mushroom compost and why is it called that way?
Contrary to what its name would imply, mushroom compost is not made of mushrooms; instead, it is a by-product of the cultivation of mushrooms, made from the growth removed when the mushrooms are harvested. Mushroom soil is a more appropriate term for it. It simply says "mushroom compost" or "mushroom soil" on the bag of compost you purchase to use in your garden. Based on a recent study, Commercial lignocellulosic waste is used to cultivate edible mushrooms with the use of a biological method. However, following the harvesting season, roughly 70% of the substrate is still used as spent mushroom compost (SMC). SMC is a potential source for locating value-added goods that support a zero-waste strategy.
Like ordinary compost, mushroom compost is regularly hailed as "black gold." When applied correctly, it is a soil improvement and fertilizer that benefits your plants. The methods for making mushroom compost may occasionally change since the mushroom-growing process differs across farmers. For instance, gypsum, peat moss, lime, soybean meal, and numerous other organic materials may also be added as additional components to the compost.
Although only sometimes the case, this. In order to understand each sort of mushroom compost, let's tell you about its numerous stages.
Mushroom Substrate
The substrate, or growing media, in which mushrooms are cultivated might be referred to as "mushroom compost." A combination of wheat straw, gypsum, and horse or chicken manure is one of the most widely used commercial mushroom substrate mixtures. These are some of the most typical components. However, other ones can be used.
A company will start with sizable bales of wheat straw to create industrial volumes of this specific mushroom compost. Straw bales are submerged in water and left to soak for a few minutes until thoroughly saturated, much like a giant sponge. After that, a chipper turns the straw into a smaller particle size.
Gypsum and manure will be combined entirely in the meantime, followed by adding straw. The heated compost heaps will get this combination. To start the composting process, they are watered and rotated every day. This procedure might take two weeks.
The heaps are turned into long rows and left to compost down for two weeks after the early hot phases, which killed out any remaining wheat seeds, had ended. As a result of the secondary composting, the heaps gradually take on a deep chocolate-brown hue.
To remove any lingering bacteria or weed seeds that may have gotten into the compost during the composting process, the resulting compost is subsequently pasteurized. The wheat, manure, and gypsum mixture is completely sterilized by pasteurization, yielding a completely pure substance.
The compost can then produce mushrooms after being injected with mushroom spores. You may also use it exactly as is. However, this substance is often employed to commercially cultivate mushrooms for supermarkets or significant agricultural uses. One of the relative studies has shown the potential for employing mushroom compost to create substrates for decorative container plants
Spent Mushroom Substrate
The value of mushroom compost is much higher once a batch of mushrooms has been grown! In fact, since it helps the compost to decompose and resemble soil more, fungal inoculation may even improve it in certain respects.
Most of the mushroom compost sold in bags at your local home improvement store is a substrate made from used mushrooms in the growing industry. When they decide it is unsuitable for growing mushrooms, they recycle it into a composting alternative.
The mushrooms that utilized it earlier absorbed a large portion of the nitrogen that was readily accessible, making this compost relatively poor in nutrients. However, the straw component makes it a fantastic soil supplement for denser soil since it rapidly breaks up grounds resembling clay.
Spent mushroom substrate is widely used on lawns to enhance soil quality. It is frequently marketed as a grass conditioner. The straw provides terrific organic material to improve water retention and will gradually decompose over time, making it an ideal addition to a planting mix or raised bed medium. SMC had previously been disposed of as agricultural waste without taking proper environmental attention. Restrictions will impede mushroom business development without an SMC waste management solution as County Councils focus more on river pollution.
This means that occasionally you could find a mushroom growing in your garden. It's not a good idea to eat them, but watching them appear is entertaining! But keep in mind that you should carefully harvest them before they reach full maturity to prevent them from dispersing spores across your garden.
Alternative Mushroom Composts
What else does mushroom growth require? So, there are a variety of items, all of which are pasteurized before usage to ensure there are no germs present that may lead to mold growth in a moist environment.
Because of their accessibility in lesser amounts, coffee grounds are a preferred substrate choice, particularly for amateur mushroom producers. Large chain coffee shops in several regions of the nation give away free coffee grounds. These coffee grounds must be pasteurized to start working as a mushroom-growing substrate.
A variety of manures—most frequently horse and chicken—as well as hardwood dust, coconut coir blended with vermiculite, and other ingredients are also used to create the mushroom compost basis. Peat moss, cottonseed or rice hulls, canola or soybean meal, and several other items are also utilized.
These materials not only decompose to yield an excellent mushroom substrate but also make excellent later garden additions and provide a significant amount of organic matter to your soil.
Why use mushroom compost?
According to John Hart, a soil scientist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, mushroom compost, frequently marketed at landscaping supply stores, can help modify garden soil but should be used cautiously. Rich in soluble salts and other minerals, mushroom compost can kill seedlings and injure plants that are sensitive to salt, such as azaleas and rhododendrons.
Because it contains a lot of organic matter, mushroom compost is a good substance for mulching and improving the soil. Local mushroom farms, providers of soil and manure, and the occasional garden center can provide it at little cost and in huge quantities. Mushroom compost used to be traditionally created using stable manure that has fully decomposed.
Chalk and other alkaline materials are frequently found in mushroom compost. When using mushroom compost, take out any noticeable big bits of chalk, use it sparingly, and alternate it with garden compost or well-rotted manure, which have a response that is only marginally alkaline or neutral. This prevents a buildup of chalk in the soil that is too great. Sometimes mushroom compost is sold without first being used to grow mushrooms; it is the best manure since it contains no chalk.
How is mushroom compost made?
The soil that the mushrooms were growing in is sold by mushroom growers after a crop of mushrooms is harvested. This new soil is ideal for use as a soil supplement since it contains many organic materials. Mushroom compost is not a good soil substitute on its own. Although it works well for producing mushrooms, it is less effective for growing other plants. For container usage, a decent ratio is 25% wasted mushroom compost to 75% soil. From there, you may adjust the balance as needed.
Although mushroom compost has little fertilizing potential, it does occur. At a 2-1-1 level, it is a slow-release fertilizer. It has fewer heavy metals than other fertilizer options, but its concentration of soluble salts may be more significant. The pH of mushroom compost is roughly 6.6, making it in the neutral range.
Due to the fact that they are fungi, mushrooms cannot manufacture carbohydrates through photosynthesis as plants do since they lack chlorophyll. For mushrooms to flourish, the substrate they are grown in must contain a plentiful supply of each nutrient they require. Commercially, the mixtures differ from grower to grower; however, the majority of substrate mixtures often include chopped straw, horse and poultry manure, gypsum, nitrogen-containing chemicals, and water. When used as an amendment to enhance water infiltration, holding capacity, permeability, and aeration in organic farming, the residual soil can be given a new lease of life.
Contrary to popular belief, manure does not constitute most of the components in mushroom compost. The major components of the recipe are hay and straw. However, manure is a component as well.
Hay and straw are carbon sources, whereas straw horse bedding, chicken dung, cocoa shells, cotton seed hulls, and maize cobs are nitrogen sources. The consistency of the organic matter content and the approximate N-P-K ratio of 1:1:1 are produced by this recipe. The N-P-K values in mushroom compost are mostly unaltered from the original composition since mushrooms predominantly consume lignin and carbohydrates as they grow, leaving other nutrients intact.
How can we make mushroom compost at home?
If you are eager to make mushroom compost follow the steps below:
1. The Composting Process
Remember that if your goal is to create a compost similar to that found in mushroom farms, you must first do a hot compost process for at least two weeks. In order to destroy any weed seeds and get rid of any potentially dangerous bacteria in the compost material, you want your pile to be over 160 degrees Fahrenheit for at least a few days.
During the hot composting process, turning is required every day or two. The compost pile gets air because of this. Also, it guarantees that the less-composted material from the pile's outer edges finds its way into the center, where heat is generated. The pile must also be sprayed with a hose on a regular basis to add moisture.
After a few weeks of hot composting, it's time to age and cure the compost further. Put the stuff in a secondary pile and let it take a few weeks to mature. As a result, the compost will progressively turn a deeper brown and decompose even more.
The secondary pile doesn't need to be turned because you aren't trying to restart the hot composting process. Simply keep it damp and let it degrade. You then have mushroom compost when that procedure is finished.
Upon completing the secondary composting stage, your compost is ready for use if you aren't using it to produce mushrooms. It won't be a spent mushroom substrate. Thus it'll have a slightly higher nutritional density than spent mushroom compost. Although not necessarily a bad thing.
2. Pasteurization and Sterilization
You still need to pasteurize this compost if you plan to grow mushrooms in it (or, if you use hardwood sawdust, you must thoroughly sterilize it).
This is quite simple for composts composed of straw, manure, or coffee grounds. Put a big pot of water to a rolling boil, add your compost material, and then cover it with a mesh or cloth bag. This should be placed in the pot, the heat should be turned off, and let sit for an hour to an hour and a half. Your product has now been pasteurized.
A bit more work goes into sterilization. The simplest method is to cook your substrate for 2.5 hours at a pressure of 15 PSI and a temperature of over 250 degrees in a pressure cooker. The substrate and grow bag will be sterilized throughout this procedure, so you'll need to ensure moisture is added before it starts and the substrate is already within the grow bag.
How can mushroom compost be used?
When mixed with soil, mushroom compost is a readily available supply of organic material that holds onto water and gradually improves grounds that resemble clay. It shouldn't, however, be used in place of regular compost. In fact, it can store too much water in your soil, causing water logging and other issues for plants.
It can be a useful mulch when still fresh since weed seeds have a harder time growing there. It needs to be incorporated into the soil as it decomposes more fully. You may add more soil layers on top of the mulch layers if you're planting a no-till garden.
As a light top-dress layer for lawns, it may be really helpful. The soil will be improved as it gently makes its way down into the ground, helping to give the grass a slight lift. This extremely light fertilizer won't overburden your grass or promote weed growth because there is little of it.
It won't include any germs because most businesses disinfect the leftover mushroom compost for sale before bagging it. Many people desire beneficial microbial flora in the soil to shield their plants against nematodes and other pests like root-knot nematodes.
These bacteria can be revived by adding compost tea or regular compost to your mushroom compost. The substance will then be "living," and microbes will also aid in its decomposition.
In a vermicomposter, your mushroom compost may be used as worm bedding to produce nutrient-rich fertilizer teeming with helpful bacteria. Your soil conditions will immediately improve as a result. Therefore it is absolutely worthwhile. If you'd like, you can also throw it in your tumbler composter to break it down even further.
Is mushroom compost better than regular compost?
Because there are significant variations between conventional compost and mushroom compost, they can be used in different ways.
Unlike commercial fertilizer, where the label provides a detailed study of the nutrients, all compost differs in content. Mushroom compost is often lower in nitrogen than conventional compost since it has already been used as a growth medium. Since too much nitrogen might result in excessive leaf growth and stunted roots, it can be an excellent option for already nitrogen-rich soil.
Since chalk is added to mushroom soil, it contains more calcium than conventional compost. Plants like tomatoes thrive in soils high in calcium, which helps control blossom-end rot. Calcium, however, raises the pH of the soil, which is troublesome for plants like blueberries that require acidic soil.
What distinguishes using "aged" from "fresh" mushroom compost?
Cultivated mushrooms like their growth medium to be "half composted," like a decaying log in the forest, so mycelium may more readily reach the lignin and carbohydrates they depend on for nourishment. As a result, fresh mushroom compost that has just been removed from the growing area is purposefully only partially decomposed.
While it may seem strange, this fresh mushroom compost may be safely applied in its post-harvest form as a useful top dress on row crop fields before planting in both till and no-till operations. As long as the seed has adequate soil contact, crops can be planted immediately after spraying mushroom compost.
Another typical approach is to top-dress hay fields or pastures with fresh mushroom compost whenever possible. It may be simpler to handle and distribute mushroom compost than other types of compost or manure since it is often lighter in weight and drier. The average pH of fresh mushroom compost was 6.6 and the carbon:nitrogen ratio was 13:1. Wet weight, volume, and organic matter content averaged 25.86%, 146.73 lb/yard3, or 60.97%. (dry weight).
In addition, mushroom compost can be aged by going through a second composting stage, which, depending on the manner of processing, might take six to twelve months. This old mushroom compost now resembles what most people would consider "normal" compost regarding appearance and functionality. You may use aged, cured mushroom compost anytime in the spring or summer. In tilling in amendments, the application is most efficient when the soil is somewhat dry to prevent compacting the soil.
Several plants can benefit from the addition of aged mushroom compost, whether incorporated into the soil or used as mulch around the base. Based on one study, spent mushroom compost can be used in sustainable fruit production. So, we can claim that using mushroom compost is a way of sustainable living. Old compost is great for vegetables, flowers, and nursery plant production and may be used on practically all types of crops. We can also mention some briefly as follows:
Lawns, also as a top-dressing for newly seeded lawns
Vegetable gardens
Orchards
Perennials, trees, and shrubs
Container plants
Mushroom Compost: Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| provides the soil with micronutrients (calcium, magnesium, iron) and macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). | Depending on the materials utilized, nutrients have varying compositions. | ||
| High levels of organic matter improve the soil's ability to retain water and promote the activity of helpful soil bacteria. | Rich in soluble salts and other nutrients that might injure early seedlings, destroy germinating seeds, and harm plants that are sensitive to salt | ||
| enhances drainage by enhancing the structure of clay and compacted soils. | both expensive and difficult to find | ||
| suitable for the majority of garden plants, both decorative and food | The pH of the soil might rise due to high calcium concentration, making it overly alkaline. | ||
| a high calcium content that is advantageous to some crops, including tomatoes | |||
Last but not least...
When comparing price and nutritional content per unit weight, mineral fertilizers are more expensive than mushroom compost, but the latter offers numerous advantages that mineral fertilizers do not. The biological, physical, and chemical properties of the soil are enhanced when it is used. Over a longer length of time, nutrients from it are released gradually. Hence, they are more effective than conventional mineral fertilizers at enabling plants to use nutrients.
