Mushroom compost

[Jed]

Does anyone have access to mushroom compost from mushroom farms? I was collecting some herbs for dinner and noticed mushrooms growing in bags of compost we buy from a mushroom farm. Down here they grow them in large plastic bags on shelves and when the mushrooms have been harvested and the compost is exhausted they sell the bags to the public for $3. The bonus is, even though the compost is spent, mushrooms will appear from time to time. We use the compost as a top dressing mulch in our gardens and hothouse.

This is how they grow them in bags.

 

[lovinglife]

How cool is that! I would love to have that come out of my compost!

 

[Jed]

How cool is that! I would love to have that come out of my compost!

You should google up where the mushroom farms are in your state and see if you can get bags of the exhausted compost. These farms need to make compost continuously and move out their old compost. It's a joy to buy the bags for a couple of dollars and get some mushrooms for no expense.

 

[Warthog]

Wow free mushrooms as well.

 

[lovinglife]

Wow, I didn't think we had any, come to find out, there is a mushroom farm not 30 miles from where I live....will have to take a drive sometime.

 

[maddie]

That sounds cool. In the heart of the city it may be difficult to find mushroom farms. I think it would be great to get these bags of compost though...

 

[Jed]

Wow, I didn't think we had any, come to find out, there is a mushroom farm not 30 miles from where I live....will have to take a drive sometime.

That sounds cool. In the heart of the city it may be difficult to find mushroom farms. I think it would be great to get these bags of compost though...

I live in a rural area and the nearest farm is 25 miles away. There are people who buy the bags in large numbers and sell them on to the public or to garden nurseries. I suggest you ring the farm and ask if they are sold on, closer to you.

The nursery I buy them from for $3.50 a bag, is only 12 miles away and I buy 4 or 6 at a time.They can be quite heavy and can leak a little bit so you may need to use plastic sheet and wear gloves. They are well worth it.

 

[maddie]

I live in a rural area and the nearest farm is 25 miles away. There are people who buy the bags in large numbers and sell them on to the public or to garden nurseries. I suggest you ring the farm and ask if they are sold on, closer to you.

The nursery I buy them from for $3.50 a bag, is only 12 miles away and I buy 4 or 6 at a time.They can be quite heavy and can leak a little bit so you may need to use plastic sheet and wear gloves. They are well worth it.

I tried a few places yesterday, they said that they sell it whole sale. That is too bad I cannot get 50 or 100 bags at a time. I need to explore other possibilities. Thanks Jed, I am always learning something new from you.

 

[maddie]

Jed, I finally found a source, but this guy will only sell me fresh stuff with no spores in them, but in smaller quantities. I may have to take up the offer.. and try it out... i am happy to have found something at least. Thanks Jed I wouldn't have known about these things at all if not for you.

 

[zigs]

Fresh stuff with no spore in it sounds like bags of horse poo & straw to me, not spent mushroom compost.

I used to work on a mushroom farm, we had 6 tunnels on the go & had to get rid of 10 tons of spent compost a week, which was almost impossible so there was a mountain of it building up in the lower field.

I farmed part of the upper field & used to dig it in as fertiliser. Mushrooms coming up everywhere.

 

[Jed]

Jed, I finally found a source, but this guy will only sell me fresh stuff with no spores in them, but in smaller quantities. I may have to take up the offer.. and try it out... i am happy to have found something at least. Thanks Jed I wouldn't have known about these things at all if not for you.

It sounds like compost and not spent mushroom compost.
It will still be great for the garden as the nutrients will be there.

You may eventually source the other. Spent mushroom compost has less nutrients and is more a soil conditioner with the added bonus of mushrooms.

Fresh stuff with no spore in it sounds like bags of horse poo & straw to me, not spent mushroom compost.

I used to work on a mushroom farm, we had 6 tunnels on the go & had to get rid of 10 tons of spent compost a week, which was almost impossible so there was a mountain of it building up in the lower field.

I farmed part of the upper field & used to dig it in as fertiliser. Mushrooms coming up everywhere.

Must have been hard work shifting 10 ton a week in and 10 ton out.

It goes to show mushroom farms really need to move it on so as to make fresh compost.

 

[ChanellG]

Jed and Maddie, I am wondering if it is possible to make your own spent mushroom compost by simply placing a mushroom cap on top of some other compost material?

I'm really not sure what the benefit is of using spent compost, mushroom or not. I am also in the city, but I know there are mushroom growers nearby, because one of the local farmer's markets close to home usually has a couple different kinds of mushrooms. I'll have to find out where they come from and how close the farms are.

Maddie maybe you can get someone else interested in the spent compost and get together to buy from the wholesaler.

 

[zigs]

Must have been hard work shifting 10 ton a week in and 10 ton out.

It goes to show mushroom farms really need to move it on so as to make fresh compost.

It certainly kept us fit

We'd end up moving it about 3 times, the bags came on pallets, already innoculated with the spawn. After cutting the tops open we'd have to bump the bags on the ground to open the compost up, they'd be flattened during transport. The spawn was left to run in the heated tunnels for a couple of weeks, keeping the floor watered down to get the humidity high (98%)

Once the mycellium had spread right thru the bags, we'd put a casing layer on about 4 inches thick. Casing is peat with powdered limestone.

We'd mist that to keep it damp, but not allow water to get down to the mycelium. A few weeks later the mushroom fruiting bodies would start to show thru. Cropping started a few days later.

Occasionally, when a crop co incided with the full moon, us packers would be called in to help with the picking. They come up too quick for the usuall picking team to keep up with when the moon is full.
Started picking one row at 6am, got to the end by 6pm and I could have started picking at the beggining again they come up so quick.

 

[ChanellG]

Occasionally, when a crop co incided with the full moon, us packers would be called in to help with the picking. They come up too quick for the usuall picking team to keep up with when the moon is full.
Started picking one row at 6am, got to the end by 6pm and I could have started picking at the beggining again they come up so quick.

Wow. And people say it isn't true that the moon has an effect on anything. Are they really ready to be picked the same day they come up? That is amazing!

 

[zigs]

Mushrooms are certainly affected by the moon, as are a few people I know

Think its because they are mostly water. The days work was in vain though, we were using the back of an old refrigerated lorry to store them overnight, it was packed full, which overloaded the fridge.

They all opened overnight which meant the food processers wouldn't take them, they only took unopened ones as they say that opened ones discolour the mushroom sauce they make with them.

All had to be sold off cheap on the market.

Found a time lapse of Mushrooms coming up,

We had to pick them before the universal veil broke away from the stipe.