Topic: Which compost for mushrooms

[Rhys]

I'm going to try to grow some mushrooms for the first time this year - instructions advise to get some fresh horse manure and turn for a few weeks to rot down before laying the spawn on top.

Can I use rotted horse manure from the garden centre that comes in sacks or is it better to search for some fresh stuff?

[froglets]

Hi Rhys,

I'm always in favour of sourcing stuff locally & not paying lots for someone else to faff about with it & bag it up.

I don't know anything about growing mushrooms so please keep us posted on how it works. Having said that, since putting local horse manure on my garden I get a great crop of puffballs every year - they grow at the edges of fields in the area so I presume the spores have come in with the manure.

Good luck & keep posting

[cleo]

Growing mushrooms is not easy but if you can get fresh horse muck(on straw)then let it heat up and once it`s cooled down a bit add the spawn. To `case` try to use soil from mole hills.

It`s a bit of a labour of love and something I`ve only done once.

If you can ever find spent but not steralised mushroom compost it`s a doddle,failing that -the supermarket shelf ;)

[Baccy Man]

I'm going to try to grow some mushrooms for the first time this year - instructions advise to get some fresh horse manure and turn for a few weeks to rot down before laying the spawn on top.

What sort of mushrooms? The instructions suggest some kind of Agaricus but it would help to know in order to offer the right advice. If you are not sure then tell me where you got the spawn from & I will probably know which type it is I grow a lot of fungi so I have dealt with a lot of suppliers & know what they sell.

Can I use rotted horse manure from the garden centre that comes in sacks or is it better to search for some fresh stuff?

No do not use the garden centre stuff it will not work, you will need fresh horse or poultry manure probably straw based depending on the variety of mushrooms.

[Rhys]

Its just white cap mushrooms - someone keeps some horsesnearby so I will go and ask them if they have some manure for me. I'll let you know how I get on.