jenny31
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Location: michigan

Where can you get mushroom manure? That sounds very interesting. :D :)

2cents
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Hello Jenny

Mushroom manure has not been used and hard to come by.
Mushroom compost has not been used and less difficult.

If you want the manure you can always try to make your own, but collecting the ingredients is a chore..
.......Mushroom manure/compost is a totally organic rich, dark, moist mixture of wheat straw, peat moss, cottonseed meal, gypsum, lime, and chicken litter. This combination of ingredients is used in commercial mushroom farms to grow mushrooms. These materials are composted for many weeks and then placed into a huge room where it is completely sterilized and then the mushroom growing cycle begins. Strangely enough, mushrooms will only grow in this mixture for a very short time, usually 18 to 20 days. At this time the compost has to be removed and a brand new batch will already have been prepared for the next crop.
This recipe does not inclue sawdust and I've been told that is often a part of the recipe.

We have a local sand and gravel that gets the used mush. compost, yes it is rich dark looking dirt...Almost like commercial bagged topsoil, more black.
It is the blackest, darkest dirt they sell. At $80/yd compared to $30/td for top soil, I've not been able to bring myself to invest in stuff I can put together for next to nothing.

Good luck and good gardening
Last edited by 2cents on Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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hendi_alex
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Sounds like the question came from a previous thread, but if simply asking about regular mushroom compost, it is sold at both Lowes and Walmart in the spring and early summer. This is used material I assume which is being recycled from mushroom farms. Smells really bad, but seems to give a boost to most any garden soil.

Like any other commercial product I have some concern over what the bags really contain, as far as any contaminants or chemical residue. Thought I incorporate commercial potting soil in my vegetable garden, I'm not overly fond of the practice, as one never know what has gone into the blend. When my beds are fully established, I'll either eliminate or seriously cut down on the amount of imported material that goes into the vegetable planting areas. Since my soil is so very sandy, almost pure sand, I have no choice but to get organic matter from whatever reasonable sources are available until the organic content is boosted considerably.

rot
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..
The local mushroom farm here uses horse manure exclusively form race tracts. Santa Anita was mentioned. It includes the straw and wood shavings or whatever bedding being used. It is first sterilized and disposed of shortly after harvesting.

Downside: It is generated from few ingredients so fewer nutrients for the soil result. Diversify your ingredients as much as possible as a general strategy. It also tends to be a little unfinished for the purists.

Upside: Dirt cheap at our local mushroom farm but I have a camper shell on the pick up and they just want to skip load into the truck. I forget the price but it was cheap.

two cents
..

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applestar
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Alex - interesting you said the bagged mushroom compost from the big stores smelled bad. What did they smell like? The ones I got from a local hardware store (Ace) smelled fungussy (mushroomy?) but not "bad," IMO. (Actually, they kind of smelled yummy!) 8) If I remember correctly, they were from a Lancaster, Pa. mushroomery so I can imagine that they were relatively freshly bagged.

For future ref, one rule I like to observe is, if it smells bad, don't use directly in the garden but mellow it out by mixing thoroughly into the compost and "cooking" for a while. :wink:

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hendi_alex
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Coming from Lowes or Walmart it has to be in the pipeline for a while. The stuff is packed in heavy plastic bags. I would imagaine the bad smell, is the rot associated with anaerobic activity.

I haven't used mushroom compost in several years, but if did, would do as you suggest and add it to the compost pile for some time. Though would have no problem mixing it directly in a flower bed or to augment the backfill for a tree or shrub.



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