Envar is excited to announce the launch of our latest product: Spent Mushroom Compost. This compost is a by-product of mushroom cultivation and is an excellent soil improver and mulch for home gardens and allotments.
Created from the substrate mushrooms grow in, Spent Mushroom Compost is a mixture of organic materials including horse stable bedding, poultry manure, wheat straw, gypsum and casing soil. The casing soil is composed of peat and lime and lies on top of the substrate during the cultivation of the crop. After the mushrooms are harvested the substrate is steam sterilised to remove any pathogens and is ready for our customers to use.
Spent Mushroom Compost also has other benefits such as being high in organic matter, good water holding capacity, free of odour and homogenous. This compost has a high salt content and is an acidity neutraliser. A fact that should be borne in mind where plants sensitive to these conditions are used.
Typically, one tonne of Spent Mushroom Compost contains on average:
- 340 kg Dry Matter
- 214 kg Organic Matter
- 3 kg Nitrogen
- 0 kg P2O
- 7 kg K2O
- 4 kg MgO
- 9 kg Na2O
- 3 kg Cl
- 45 kg CaO.
The structure of the Spent Mushroom Compost is also excellent for improving the structure and aeration of heavy clay soil, boosting drainage in the winter and adding moisture retention qualities in the summer.
In addition to its nutritional benefits, Spent Mushroom Compost is also a sustainable choice. By repurposing the waste products of mushroom cultivation, we are reducing the amount of agricultural waste that ends up in landfills, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Spent Mushroom Compost can be used in a variety of ways, used as soil improver to enhance your soil heath, a mulch layer and more! Due to the nature of the compost, nutrients can vary. The application rate of the compost depends on the P and K status and the nutrient requirements of your plants.
Overall, Spent Mushroom Compost is an exciting new product from Envar that offers numerous benefits for home gardeners, landscapers, horticulturalists, and agriculturalists. This sustainable compost is sure to become a favourite among gardeners and industry professionals alike.
