A Mushroom Compost for Vegetables

Mushroom Compost

• Mushroom compost is sterilized mushroom-growing media and serves as an amendment for garden and potting soil. The compost consists of manure, hay, straw, poultry litter, cocoa shells, wood chips, cottonseed meal and gypsum. These organic materials loosen natural soil for drainage, add long-lasting organic nutrition and retain water for plants.

Season

• Use mushroom compost as an amendment for new vegetable gardens before planting. Prepare the soil in the early spring, three to four weeks before last frost. Set vegetables out in cool-season, intermediate and warm-season phases. Cool-season vegetables include peas, asparagus, lettuce and radishes; intermediate vegetables include carrots, cauliflower and celery; warm-season vegetables include tomatoes, corn, beans and peppers.

Soil Amendment

• Dig into the top 10 inches of garden soil for aeration. Remove weeds and rocks. Lay 5 inches of mushroom compost on the site and tuck it into the natural soil with a garden fork to. The dark, crumbly mixture presents an ideal foundation for hungry, thirsty vegetable plants. Turn granular 13-13-13 fertilizer into the top 4 inches of soil at a rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet. Add starter 10-52-17 or 10-50-10 fertilizer at planting for better root establishment.

Mulch and Maintenance

• Use mushroom compost as an organic fertilizer during the season and as mulch over the established soil. The compost releases more nutrition with every watering maintaining the plants. Water the plants with 2 inches of water every week and reamend the soil at every new planting.