Mushroom Soil

Mushroom soil or mushroom compost is a great organic amendment for enriching the soil used to grow fruits, vegetables, and even flowers. I’ve written about mushrooms quite a bit in the past few weeks, from indoor mushroom kits, to growing mushroom logs outdoors.

Enrich Garden Soil With Mushroom Compost

This entry doesn’t have anything to do with growing them, but rather how you can use mushroom soil in the garden to fortify the soil, increase the depth of your raised beds, and improve your soil’s texture.

Mushroom soil is a by product of the mushroom farming industry and consists of the bedding material (straw, manures, and other organic matter) that is left over after the mushrooms have been grown and harvested. 

You can obtain scoops of composted mushroom soil from most nurseries and garden centers that sell tan bark and garden mulches. I purchase a truckload once every three or four seasons to incorporate into the garden’s raised beds.

Applying Mushroom Soil to the Garden

Fall is probably the best time to add mushroom soil to the garden, that will allow it to age and mellow over the winter. For convenience I’m usually not able to add mushroom compost until early spring, much closer to the planting season than I would prefer, but I haven’t noted any problems with over fertilization or burning of the plants or seedlings.

To be cautious I only add a two inch layer of the mushroom compost and mix it well into the top four inches of the soil in the raised beds. During the seasons that you incorporate the mushroom soil reduce the amounts of other organic fertilizers which are added to the garden.

Mushroom soil is inexpensive particularly if you purchase it by the truckload, and is especially beneficial if you’re unable to obtain or make regular compost to add to garden beds. In order to be certified as organic the mushroom soil must be composted at the required temperatures and avoid the addition of prohibited additives.