What is Mushroom Compost?

If you don’t know what Mushroom compost is, chances are you’re thinking it is decomposed mushrooms. Most of us made this same mistake…once. Then, after learning its composition, you understand what a great soil medium it is. Also called mushroom soil, it is the soil medium commercial growers use to grow mushrooms. After they have used it, mushroom farmers have two choices: either toss it out or…. sell it to you at a much-reduced price. You can easily guess their decision. Gardeners highly value mushroom compost, as a great soil conditioner or amendment.

Mushroom compost is very specifically formulated. The contents include wheat straw, hay, corn cobs, cottonseed hulls, gypsum, and chicken manure. These ingredients are ground up and mixed together. It is then pasteurized by steaming it. This sterilization process kills bacteria, mold spores, weed seeds, and insects. The resulting soil is spread out on a bed and topped off with a layer of sphagnum peat moss, and some ground limestone.

Commercial mushroom growers sow mushroom spores into the sterile soil. The mushrooms quickly grow in this organic, rich, slow-release soil, After harvesting the mushrooms, the remaining soil is not used again. It is packaged up and sold to home gardeners as mushroom compost.

Did You Know? Some of the biggest giant pumpkins, capable of growing to over one ton, are grown in soil enhanced with mushroom compost.

Try this compost on your favorite garden plants. You and your plants will just love it!