permaculture

[Grant Harper <ubergroover@yahoo.com>]

I've heard that it can be quite saline (up to an Ec of 14), may need to know 
the Ec of it if you're to use it on your garden. Or leach it prior to using. 
I'm not sure why fungal growing media would be saline, possibly from the 
fertiliser levels.

This from Acta horticulturae 697:
"...Compared to the other tested materials all spent mushroom composts showed 
growth reduction, especially at higher concentrations of the spent mushroom 
compost in the growing medium. This was mainly caused by a high salt content 
(EC). Washing the spent mushroom compost reduced most of the problems 
concerning nutrient content and growth reduction."

Potential of adapted Mushroom Compost as a Growing Medium in Horticulture in
ISHS - INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON SOILLESS CULTURE AND HYDROPONICS, Adana 
2004, submitted for Acta Hort

This on sustainable agriculture and spent mushroom compost is very good:
http://hort.snu.ac.kr/data/yurina0317.ppt

Otherwise it's triffic stuff :-)

Grant Harper
Melbourne Australia

Steve Diver <steved@ncat.org> wrote: A more appropriate name for this material
is "spent mushroom compost". You can still see
pieces of straw and manure. The SMC has gone
thru a partial composting process and is a
predigested and fungal-decomposed organic matter.

Anyways, gardeners around these parts love SMC.
It might be a combination of the nutrients, organic matter,
and fungal components that it provides.... whichever,
gardens respond to SMC and it improves soil conditions.
 
The price they are charging is a bargain.  You can
spread plenty of volume -- a 2+ inch top dressing --
then till it into your garden soil.

The ingredients are all natural.   Maybe you are saying
that the feedstock ingredients originate from conventional
agriculture rather than organic farms.  

Steve Diver



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