What is Mushroom Compost? [Advantages and Disadvantages]

People might think that mushroom compost is the process of composting mushrooms; on the contrary, mushroom composting is actually utilizing the soil for composting that has previously been used to grow mushrooms. When you buy mushroom compost from the stores, you will get it labeled as SMS (spent mushroom substrate) or SMC (spent mushroom compost). You can use mushroom compost as a soil amendment but be very careful as it has a high soluble salt level.

To better understand mushroom composting, read this article for a complete guide on the advantages and disadvantages of mushroom compost.

Advantages of Mushroom Compost

Mushroom compost has several benefits to offer. For plant growth and soil health, they are considered highly advantageous. Here are the benefits that you can get from mushroom compost.

Potential Fertilizers

Mushroom composts are one of the most beneficial fertilizers. They are used as potential fertilizers for newly established trees, shrubs, lawns, flowering plants, vegetables, herbs, and turf grasses. Mushroom compost is the best because it provides nutrients to the soil and its water retention ability. This potential fertilizer enhances the structure of tilted soils. Moreover, in grassland soils, it also increases dry matter production.

Provides Beneficial Nutrients

Mushroom compost is highly rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. More precisely, it has 1-2 nitrogen, 0.2% phosphorus, and 1.3% potassium. All of these nutrients are greatly important for the health of soil and plants.

Good Amendment Properties

Mushroom compost is used to amend clay-like soils. It improves the soil structure and enhances the quality of clay-like and sandy soil. Through amendments, it provides readily available organic matter to the soil, which increases the temperature of the soil; as a result, microbial activities increases.

Used as Mulch

Using mushroom compost as mulch has a lot of benefits to offer. It provides moisture to the germinating seeds and restricts weeds’ growth due to high salt concentration. For mulching, you can use 1 to 3 inches of mushroom compost. If you want good water retention and weed suppression, use 3 inches of mushroom compost as mulch.

Eco-friendly 

Another great benefit of mushroom compost is that it is entirely eco-friendly. It has all the organic ingredients, so it doesn’t pollute our environment at all. Moreover, it has the right combinations of organic matter, making the soil fertile.

Affordable

Mushroom compost is not at all expensive, unlike chemical fertilizers. It works efficiently but within an affordable price range.

Helps Reducing Land Waste

Mushroom compost means using the soil as a fertilizer at which you have previously grown mushrooms; thus, this practice helps reduce the land waste. By reusing the soil, landfill waste is decreased, that helps stabilize our environment.

Disadvantages of Mushroom Compost

Besides many advantages, mushroom compost has some disadvantages also. These disadvantages are given below.

Rich in Soluble Salts

Mushroom compost is rich in soluble salts. The higher concentrations of soluble salts damage plant roots and reduce the plant’s ability to absorb nutrients and water. So, you should be careful while applying mushroom compost to your plants. Check their soluble salt concentration and your plant’s tolerance before applying mushroom compost.

Can Cause Water Logging

Mushroom compost has water retention abilities, leading to water logging in the soil. Plants that are sensitive to water logging can get damaged with the applications of mushroom compost.

Can Contain Chemical Residues Instead of Beneficial Microorganisms

Mushroom compost can possibly contain chemical residues. It happens because of the chemical sprays applied to the mushroom crop. Besides this, mushroom compost may not contain beneficial microorganisms.

Possibly Cause Rot and Fungal Infections

Mushroom compost can also infect your crop with rot or fungal diseases. Due to water logging, fungus prefers to grow in soils with mushroom composting. Thus, they can possibly transfer diseases to your plants.

Plants That Don’t Like Mushroom Compost

Some plants don’t like mushroom compost because of high soluble salt concentration, water logging, and fungal attacks. Here is a list of such plants that don’t prefer taking up mushroom compost.

• Azaleas
• Blueberries
• Beans
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Magnolias
• Rhododendrons
• Radishes

Final Thoughts

Mushroom compost is a rich source of nutrients and moisture for plants and soils. It can be harmful to certain plants; you should be careful while applying mushroom compost to the soil. Please do not exceed the recommended dose and do not apply it to sensitive plants as well. Overall, mushroom compost is an excellent option to utilize as a fertilizer at an affordable price.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is mushroom compost better than regular compost?

Mushroom compost has more nutrients than regular compost. When you prepare new beds for sowing, the mushroom seed is best to use for amendments. It depends on your plant’s need which compost is better but using mushroom compost initially would definitely provide a lot of benefits.

2. When to avoid mushroom compost?

Avoid applying mushroom compost to the plants that require lower a pH. The pH of mushroom compost lies between 6.0 and 7.0+. The plants that thrive in slightly acidic soil don’t like mushroom compost at all. Besides this, if your plant is sensitive to water logging conditions, avoid providing them mushroom compost.

3. Is mushroom compost high in nitrogen?

Mushroom compost has 1-2% nitrogen, and this nitrogen is present in an organic form. This nitrogen is available slowly to plants and is indeed a good source of nitrogen for the plants.