3/8” Compost Uses :
3/8″ Compost is an excellent natural soil amendment for lawns from sod or seed, planters, backfilling for trees and shrubs or as mulch in garden beds and landscaped areas. When used as mulch, 3/8″ Compost will provide the same benefits as bark or wood mulch but will not draw nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes and will build the soil’s organic matter while providing beneficial microbes that compete with unwanted microbes and disease.
3/8” Compost Applications:
For amending area to be planted with turf, 3/8″ Compost should be incorporated into existing soils by applying 3″ to 4″ and rotor tilling to a depth of 6″ to 8″. When used for general planting or when backfilling trees or shrubs, mix 1 part 3/8″ Compost with 2 parts existing soils. Always leach organic salts by watering well before planting. Proper drainage is important with all applications. Compost may be used as mulch to retain water, reduce weeds and reduce soil temperature, while building soil organics, micro nutrients and beneficial microbes
What is mushroom compost?
Mushroom compost is a viable and useful by-product of mushroom farming. Those edible mushrooms found in the produce section of your grocery store are grown in a specific medium. This growth media is a mixture of agricultural materials, such as straw from horse stables, hay, poultry litter, ground corn cobs, cottonseed hulls, cocoa shells, peat moss, and other natural organic substances. These products are formed into a rich organic media that serves as the nutrient source for mushrooms. After the mushroom crop is harvested, this organic material is removed from the production house, where it is processed into a consistent homogeneous by-product called “mushroom compost.”
How does compost improve the soil?
Organic compost, if used properly, can improve plant growth in poor or marginal soils. This is because compost amended into those soils will improve the structure of clay soils, reduce surface crusting and compaction and therefore improve drainage, increase beneficial soil microbial activity, and provide nutrients to plants which can reduce the need for fertilizer. Overall, compost can be very beneficial to the soil, and mushroom compost is no exception.
What beneficial properties are found in mushroom compost?
The visual appearance of a good quality, thoroughly processed mushroom compost typically resembles a dark topsoil, has a loose crumbly structure, and has an “earthy” aroma. Recent research conducted at the Pennsylvania State University showed that mushroom compost contains an average of 25 percent organic matter and 58 percent moisture on a wet volume basis. Where uniform application and good mixing with soil is required, this amount of organic matter and moisture in mushroom compost is ideal for handling and making surface applications or incorporating into the soil. Mushroom compost contains an average of 1.12 percent nitrogen in a mostly organic form that slowly is available to plants.