Mushroom Compost uses

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Mushroom Compost uses

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quixoticgeek

Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 296
Location: Canterbury

Posted: Mon Oct 28, 13 9:11 pm Post subject: Mushroom Compost uses
I have a couple of sacks of mushroom compost I bought before I realised that the stuff is acidic and thus entirely no use to any of the plants I have in my garden. Can anyone recommend any uses for it that won't upset my fruit or veg? Or failing that, any harm is mixing it into the normal compost heap? or will that make the compost heap to acidic? Thanks J

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15433
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Oct 28, 13 11:17 pm Post subject:
You could always just neutralise the acid...

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16093

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 13 7:59 am Post subject:
If you mix it with ordinary soil, will it really upset your fruit and veg that much? We used to use it when there was a mushroom farm up the road from us. You could always try to get another crop of mushrooms off it.

Finsky

Joined: 10 Sep 2011
Posts: 847
Location: Notts.

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 13 8:17 am Post subject:

Err...usually mushroom compost is alkaline? Well..commercially prepared stuff is...
It doesn't really matter which way it is..as either end of the scale can be adjusted.
If acidic..touch of lime will bring it 'up'..or mixed in with multipurpose compost will still result combo that would suit most of the veggies.
If too alkaline..again..blend it with something else..peat..compost...soil..sulphur chips will bring very alkaline levels drastically down.
If you use it as mulch in garden it doesn't have effect to plants growth in a negative way even if you use it 'straight'..though if alkaline and used for acid loving plants it might cause bit of upset...

gythagirl

Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 13 9:20 am Post subject:
Mulch your gooseberries, they'll love it!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45698
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 13 9:52 am Post subject:
We're on ph 6.0 and have used mushroom compost as mulch on fruit trees and veg plot with no issues

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 13 2:09 pm Post subject:
I had a load some years ago and used it for everything except seeds. I am fairly sure it is alkali not acid as they use lime in the mushroom beds if I remember correctly. Anyway it grew the biggest and best Webbs Wonderful lettuces I ever grew. I also put it on my brassica ground and the cabbage, brocolli and sprouts were pdg, if fact it was a bumper garden veg year.

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 13 2:10 pm Post subject:

Finsky wrote:

Err...usually mushroom compost is alkaline? Well..commercially prepared stuff is....

that's what I thought, so I googled "pH + mushroom compost" and found this:

Quote:

However this study shows, across 30 samples, that the pH value of spent mushroom compost is about neutral (pH 6.6). This could be explained through many reasons, possibly the fact that only very low levels of lime are applied and that there is also a quantity of straw included, able to "soak" up or "use" the lime during the composting process.

https://www.turfandstuff.com/page.php?xPage=spentmushroomcompostpharticle.html

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 13 2:35 pm Post subject:
Thankyou oldish chris, was fairly sure it was good for growing"stuff"

gythagirl

Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 13 10:38 pm Post subject:
...and a s a bonus - if you're lucky - you get mushrooms popping up all over the place! (tho it does depend how well-rotted your spent compost is)

Luath

Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 761

Posted: Thu Oct 31, 13 1:07 am Post subject:
I used to get loads of this from a local mushroom farm or two; I left the bags out for a couple of weeks, harvested the resulting inevitable mushrooms, then spread the contents over the raised beds and left for a while. It's great stuff, get all that you can

chickenann

Joined: 28 Aug 2013
Posts: 59

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 13 10:15 pm Post subject:
Use it for brassica's? They prefer neutral/alkali soil so it would please them.

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