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What is Mushroom Soil???
Mushroom soil is a byproduct of mushroom production. It is an excellent soil conditioner containing essential nutrients for plant development. Compost needed for mushroom nutrition is made from a mixture of horse manure, wheat straw collected from stables along with droppings, hay, corncobs, cottonseed hulls, poultry manure, cottonseed meal, and gypsum. These ingredients are formulated to exact standards. They are blended and composted under controlled conditions to yield high quality compost. Then mushroom growth breaks down these materials further, yielding compost that is an ideal soil amendment with important nutrients. Before mushroom soil is taken from the mushroom house, it is steam pasteurized to ensure purity.
Mushroom soil N P K runs approximately 2.75, 1.5, 1.5. Compared to inorganic fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate, they are not readily soluble in water. Therefore, they will not leach from the ground. Nutrients remain in the soil - available for plant nutrition and if applied correctly, do not contribute to ground water pollution, unlike inorganic fertilizers. The pH is usually about 6, though this can vary depending on age and how it is stored.
The most valuable aspect of mushroom soil is it's high organic matter. This allows soil to retain moisture in dry weather, and shed it during wet weather. Mushroom soil acts as a sponge in gravel or sandy soils. It creates air spaces in clay soils, allowing drainage.
Experimentation at Perdue University demonstrated increased corn yields of 20% during normal years and up to 60% in drought years. Broccoli and cabbage yielded higher by 13% and 17% respectively, with increased head diameters. Tomato yields were 28% higher. Due to stable soil moisture, each tomato developed a constant rate, avoiding cracks and blemishes. This increased No. 1 fruit production by 74%.
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