Top 3 Ways To Use Mushroom Compost in Your Garden

Top 3 Ways To Use Mushroom Compost in Your Garden

Interested in growing mushrooms at home? Need to amend your soil’s pH for your backyard garden to flourish? Want to do both? Composting your mushroom scraps will make your fruit and vegetable yield soar. But what is compost? How do you make it? What are some ways you can use mushroom compost in your garden? Don’t worry. We have the answers you’re looking for right here.

What Is Mushroom Compost?

In mushroom terminology, compost is a mixture of organic materials that is used to grow mushrooms. However, mushroom compost is a mix of organic matter that cultivators use to grow their mushrooms. After they use the compost to support their mushroom’s substrate, cultivators typically repurpose the compost for other gardening needs. The spent mushroom substrate is a great source of nutrition for plants, and it retains a ton of water. Different materials comprise the substrate, including chopped straw—which may include wheat straw, rye, or horse bedding. It can also feature gypsum, chicken manure, potash, and urea.

How Can You Use It in Your Garden?

Now that we know what comprises compost and what it’s good for, it’s time to consider how you can use it in your garden to help promote your plant’s growth.

Soil Amendment

Did you know you can use mushroom compost to add organic materials to your soil? Mushroom compost enriches raised beds, flow gardens, vegetable gardens, and substrate orchards. Make sure you top-dress your soil with a thin layer of compost to boost its nutritional value.

Mulch Substitute

You can substitute traditional mulch entirely for mushroom compost. If you do, your shrubs and trees will benefit greatly. The compost will boost your soil’s quality and increase its water retention.

Create Even More Mushrooms

Mushroom compost makes a great substrate. If you leave it in a stable environment with enough moisture while covering it with a peat layer, you can grow more mushroom yields. The nutrients you need to grow your mushrooms—mycelium, starches, lignin, fats, and protein—are all still present, though in much smaller amounts. So, all your substrate needs is a little TLC to produce more mushrooms.

These were just a few ways to use mushroom compost in your garden. What tips and tricks do you use to incorporate mushroom compost in your garden? Thank you for reading Top 3 Ways To Use Mushroom Compost in Your Garden. Here are some other articles you may enjoy reading.

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