Topic: Mushroom compost.

[sunflower]

At last my delivery of mushroom compost has arrived so now maybe i can get my clay soil under control. Just wanted to know should i dig it in or bung it on top & let the worms and rain do their stuff?.

[Doris_Pinks]

Can do it either way sunflower, but I think I am right in saying that mushroom compost is quite acidic,(I shall be corrected if I am wrong! ;D) so what with that and your acid clay soil you may have to keep an eye on your Ph levels!  With my clay soil I bunged on my manure, threw in some sharp sand and dug it in a little, then threw in spuds figuring that the earthing up, digging out etc. would help to encorporate everything! Going to try and get some garden compost and leaf mould into mine too.  DP

[The gardener]

I would say the reverse of Doris, mushroom compost generally has a high 'lime' content thus increasing its chances of being alkaline.

I find mushroom compost to be quite a light compost as opposed to farm yard manure, so I find it useful to use as a mulch.

Before laying it I thoroughly soak the bed, then spread the compost 2"-3" thick over the bed.

By using it this way it does a number of things, e.g. it preserves moisture, it suppresses weeds, and is easier dug in at the end of the season when doing the winter digging, and it slightly alters the pH of the ground into the bargain.

Pity it is so b****y expensive now,at least in our area it is.

When we first got on to it a number of years ago it was a waste product,and therefor was either free or very cheap now it is 'revenue' for the growers.

So now I use porous sheet for my weed suppression.

[tim]

I'm afraid that I have to agree with Big G - was just going to say the same - because it contains chalk. (But why do  they say it can scorch young roots??)

And because of cost, just my thoughts, use it as a mulch at  this time of year, rather than digging in all over. We pay £70 for 2200 litres delivered.

Furthermore, I like to know that it has seasoned for at least a year, to leach out pesticides. = Tim

[sunflower]

I got 10 50lb bags for £17.50, which i didn`t think was to bad. Just want to put something in soil to improve it cos it is very heavy clay & couldn`t get hold of manure at moment. Not planting anything in ground yet cos it is nowhere near ready for that.

[Doris_Pinks]

thanks for correcting me! Knew it when you both said it Duh! Had a blonde moment :-[

[tim]

Well - chuck it around then!! Me? I think I would incorporate it. It won't be thick enough to suppress weeds.

I don't regard it as being a poor substitute for horse - except for a minimal amount of nutrient. After all, it comes from the same place?? = Tim

[Mrs Ava]

..and what is wrong with blondes?  :P  ;)

[gilgamesh]

They have too much fun, which makes us old greybeards jealous. ;)

[Doris_Pinks]

EJ I am a blonde too, and I do have lotsa fun!!! :o  hehehehehe   (erm, does it matter it comes from a bottle these days?!!)

[gilgamesh]

Not unless you are drinking the contents of the bottle, IMO.