Mushroom compost is a product which is used by gardeners and landscapers all over the world, the product you actually buy is the by-products of the growing process after the mushrooms are harvested. This article provides you the information to be able to make your own mushroom compost and so you can cut out the middle man.
The ingredients you need to start to make mushroom compost is manure, hay, poultry manure, gypsum and mushroom spawn as well as a large compost bin and steam machine. Once you have all these you are ready to make mushroom compost.
1. You need to begin by mixing the gypsum and manure.
2. You then need to put this base to the bottom of your compost bin and leave it in sunlight for 2 or 3 weeks to get decomposed completely. After this has happened the bin needs to be covered to allow it to become hot and all the organic matter also decompose.
3. You need to use your steam machine indoors to allow the compost to pasteurize. Make sure the room has ventilation to allow the steam to blow inside the room till it reaches an approximate of 1600.
4. After it is pasteurized it should be placed on trays and the mushroom spawn added and mixed.
5. Add peat and moss and make sure the humidity and room temperature is controlled. The full growth of mushrooms should be expected within 30 days.
A quality mushroom can be grown with the help of horse manure. The same can be purchased from the shops or in the case of the fresh manure 20% of wet straw has to be added and to be left outside in the heap. After a few hours the heaps will become hot in the centre. The process has to be repeated and it has to be kept moist. When it achieves the rotten position, the centre of the heap will not become hot.
