# Compost Used in Growing Mushrooms
Commercial mushroom production occurs on a large scale in the cooler climates of northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Tons of mushrooms are grown at numerous production facilities, which use mushroom compost as a growing medium.
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The Main Ingredient
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Mushroom compost can contain multiple materials and each producer has its own special recipe. The main ingredient, however, is old horse bedding straw or composted wheat or rye straw. Straw gives the compost its structure and provides some nutrients. Any horse manure in the straw provides nitrogen and other nutrients.
Other Important Ingredients
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Other ingredients used in mushroom compost can include chicken manure, canola or cottonseed meal, winery waste, potash, urea and lime. Growers favor these ingredients for their nutritional value. The urea, chicken manure and cottonseed meal are especially nutritious.
How Mushroom Compost Is Made
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In commercial settings, mushroom compost is piled high and allowed to compost for about 30 days. As it sits, the temperature rises to above 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which kills bacteria and weed seeds. When it's ready, growers pasteurize it and then inject it with mushroom spores.
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