mushroom compost

[herefordgardener]

can I use mushroom compost as a mulch around established old fashioned roses?
Can I put it on now?
How old does the compost have to be?
Ruth

[luis_pr]

Yechincally, compost mulch CAN be used in place of "regular" mulch. I have only read of two disadvantages.

First, it may make the shrubs grow much more tender growth than normal, which attracts insects like Japanese Beetles so the shrubs may show more insect damage. Those pests are not a problem here in Texas so I could use it all over the garden if not for disadvantage #2: regular mulch prevents weed growth and compost mulch promotes weed growth. Since weeds are a problem where I live, I use regular mulch.

I do recommend using mushroom compost as a lawn fertilizer. You can apply mushroom compost as mulch or to the lawn but stop on or after July to prepare plants/lawn for winter.

[MaineDesigner]

My plant propagation professor taught me to "distrust everything in the horticultural literature". His point, in part, was that a very large percentage of the published research contained uncontrolled variables and while it may be "true" within the narrow confines of the test plot or lab bench that does not make it universally true. With that caveat here is a link to a U.S. study of mushroom compost from two counties in Pennsylvania (note also that the research was funded by the mushroom industry):
[url]https://www.mushroomcompost.org/NPK2.pdf[/url]
How comparable the mushroom compost they tested is to what is available in England is an open question.