what's up with this stuff and why is it so hard to find? In a hurry sometime last summer, I saw 1 or 2 bags at Home Depot, went back a few days later...all gone. I've heard quite a few master gardeners talk about this, where do I find it and is it the very best to use? Is more better? do you incorporate with other composting? any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Edie Magnussen

Hi Edie
Well, like you I keep missing the boat on it too. Haven’t tried it myself, but know of two folks who swear by it. I know a landscaper who adds it to all new beds and another spreads it on his lawn every 3 years – says he doesn’t need to add any fertilizer at all. Don’t know if you are local or not, but Sand and Gravel to Go in Burleson will deliver it in the Metroplex area.

Just one thing to be wary of, it is usually quite limey, or so this limey has been told. Just thought I'd mention it as it does look ideal for mulching and don't want anyone killing their Rhodies with it.

Amazing thing - I met some folks just tonight, who are dealing the mushroom compost on an industrial scale. They had photos of good results with it. Jumped right in and asked what the pH was on theirs - thanks to Terry's posting. They have sent some off for pH lab testing and are awaiting the results. Have promised to contact me as soon as they hear back. I am very interested in learning more about all this and in trying it in the garden.
Will keep yous updated on this thread.

I have a probe ph meter - stuck it in the sample of mushroom compost I got last night. Got a reading of 6.75
If that is accurate, my garden would love it. My native soil is an 8, before I amend with humus and such. I was usually able to get a virgin bed to a 7 within a year.

It will be interesting to see what pH the lab reports on that new source. I've always wanted to know how accurate that meter actually is! (I hate fiddling with the bottled test kits)

Subsequent readings with my meter are coming in at 7, might be 'cause it is somewhat more dry now. Have spoken with the folks above, who are still awaiting lab results. Will post it when I hear back.

So does anyone know where else it can be bought? I live near Cedar Hill, TX.

Try
Organic Soil Amendments in Dallas 214-691-1755
They deliver by the c yard

The mountain of mushroom compost arrived. Judging by the 'aroma' and substance, it appears to be mostly horsey stable stuff. That's great, because that's what helped me turn this piece of rock and clay into a garden, and its been needing another good dose of it for a long time. This will save me buying all those expensive bags of organic fertilizer this year - and maybe the next 2 also! It used to make the larkspur grow 6 ft. tall and the cannas would multiply beyound belief.
I used to edge the ter beds with radishes in spring and after the first few years, they didn't do very well. I didn't know why until Caro mentioned (while shoveling poop) that it takes manure to grow gooduns. Mystery solved. Guess I better try to find a sunny spot for some radishes, since the poop is on tap

wrong.... this supply did include wheat straw, but the manure is actually from poultry, and peat moss is also an ingredient. I have been doing a lot of research on it lately. Fascinating stuff.

Beth, you must be close to King's Creek Gardens. I believe they sell it in bags.

Maggie, how was the spreading it out project? Did you demolish the pile yet?

I plan to buy some of that gold this spring

Glad to hear that Beth. I hope it works well for you.

Well we sure didn't get it done all in one day Gail! The beds are all done, but sadly, there isn't enough to do all the lawn. Might have to get some more

Might be sneaking by to check on that....become a night stalker...for mushroom compost...hope I don't get thrown in the funny farm!

Or the pokey!

The trick will be to come early when they are not bright eyed and bushy tailed yet. Say about 5 a.m.......before the coffee/tea is perked.

I've been sitting here by the window for the last hour, but no sign yet of any poop prowlers. Promises promises

I was prowling up the Clear Fork trail this a.m. Didn't make it to your house...I'm waiting until you have got your guard down!

I checked - Clear Fork doesn't carry it Gail :-)

Since I haven’t been able to get a much-needed load of horse stable compost these last few years, I had a mountain of mushroom compost delivered. Such a relief - because the beds have really been needing a good augment to my homemade compost.

Where I had dumped some of the mushroom compost, (just before our little snowfall) the rye grass shot up 4 times taller than where it hadn’t yet been scattered. So impressed, I investigated it further with numerous interviews and much research. The results became the feature article of this Saturday’s Home and Garden section of the March 2 Ft Worth paper.

Here’s a sample of what it can do – both pics were taken this month in Plano.

With mushroom compost …

And right next door,,, without it.

The article details what it is, how its made, how to use it, why it works, and includes Metroplex sources for the top quality one that I used from Organic Soil Amendments. Also, includes quotes from others in our area who have been using it long term.

Thanks again for opening the thread Edie!

Now why in the world did that happen,,, when the properties count shows that the top is twice the bytes of the bottom one ?!
Good, aren't I ?

That gigiantic picture thing has happened to me as well. Never did figure it out. Remember the piglet pic a couple of years ago that was so large that Terry didn't find me in it? I had reduced that pic several times. Shouldn't have been that large.

Anyway, I'm really excited about the mushroom compost. Have already made plans to get a truckload as soon as the frigid weather lets up. I realize its too much to hope for that the wind would let up.....ever.

I'm going to try the compost around the trees that somehow survived the grasshoppers last year and will keep you posted on the results.

Well...glad I could open up this mushroom "can-of-poop" I am so looking forward to the news article on Saturday! Not being a master gardener and forever trying to grow flowering plants in my almost totally shade yard, I will be purchasing mushroom compost for my hostas,ferns (all kinds of ferns!) camellias, etc. Mushroom compost sounds like a terrific problem solver for not-so-perky beds. I'm excited, I know this will be a great boost for my yard!

Your shade garden will become a rain forest with it Edie! One of the people I interviewed for the article has been feeding his azaleas and camillias with it for 15 years. He has applied it once every 5 years and hasn't seen a need to feed them anything else inbetween m c apps.

I have been fiddling with those pics some more and think they might come out the right size this time. Fingers x'ed...

with mushroom compost

and nextdoor without mushroom compost

Are you sure these pictures are correct???? It makes me think of the weight loss commericals on TV or in the Newspapers.......Wow, You might make a believer out of me soon, Maggie.......

Hey Maggie! Thanx so much for your excellent articles in the ST. Really appreciate your timely write up on mushroom compost this weekend. I've been trying to find out about that stuff since my sister in Oregon talked about using it years ago. Had heard about a place in Hillsboro, also checked with Clear Fork Materials with no luck. Soooooo, you have made my day, and I have ordered the full load! Wish me luck.

Linda

Hey David - Yes yes they're true picies!!! The mushroom poo is going to be great for your hungry sandy soil. My clay factory sure hasn't been the same since I was using horse poopoo, so its high time it got another good dose of raw food

Great to hear from you again Linda.
A lot of hours went into that one, but it sure has been worth it - hearing from so many other happy garden manics.
My Thanks to everyone for all those dear notes and calls!

We've been calling to have mushroom compost delivered since early January. There's never an answer. This is the company Maggie wrote about in her article for the Star-Telegram.

Have they moved or gone out of business. Help!
Joan

The co has changed its name to Advantage Compost at 972-228-8514. They still deliver bulk mushroom compost and other soil amendments, as well as sell bags of it through Redentas and other retailers listed in the article.

Another source for bagged product is Organic Brands Mushroom Compost through Marshall Grain in Ft. Worth and other retailers. Their website is here. It is at the mo, temp down as I write this, but should be up shortly.

I have used products from both companies with the same great results.
Let us know how it does for you Joan

Thanks, so much Maggie. Will let you know how it does.

Joan

I've been among the missing, but do have a question about the mushroom compost l yr. post! I'm in training now for Master Gardener and so overwhelmed, but that's another story. Old timer in the group and a speaker at one of the training sessions said he thought there was a lot of salt in mushroom compost and that since I had used it pretty liberally last yr. in the beds, I should use good mulch this yr.and stay away from the mushroom for at least another yr. What do my expert friends in the forum think, please.

I have been aching to find out if you entered the MG ranks last month Barbara. Good for you, no wonder we've missed you here.
About the m compost.. I’ve interviewed a lot of local folks who have used it in consecutive years without probs, and others that say they only needed to add it every 3 to 5 years anyway. About the salts, I have copy of lab tests on the local mc source. Yes, the salt was there, but the lab said it was not a dangerous level and that it would soon leech out via rain\irrigation. Many rose growers add Epsom salts to their beds, and esp to new rose plantings - even Martha Stewart demos it on tellie. Until I meet someone who has experienced a problem with the salt factor, I tend to take urban legends with a grain of salt. Whenever someone spouts bad news about mc, I always ask what their experience has been with it. Guess what,,, the answer is always Nadda, but they keep on repeating the hearsay, even those with letters after their names. Tsk Tsk

Thanks Maggie,
I think you are so right. Tomorrow when I go back to class I'll put the question to the "expert". Still, I'm wondering what you're doing in your beds this yr. Maggie, after having used the m-compost last yr. Will you add more or just your own black gold. Pray tell, what is your plan?

Forgot to say that as a learning experience in the M.G. class, we all brought soil samples to be mailed off and analyzed. My samples were taken from several beds that had liberal doses of the M.compost last yr. so I'm very anxious to see what my reading will be. However, having never done that prior to M.compost I won't know what kind of improvement I've made. So, good to know about your "7" levels. Maggie.

Glad you asked Barbara. I had some bags of m c in the driveway that I had been holding for a bed expansion that still hadn’t happened by last fall. So I went ahead and added it to the twin-terraced beds to get it out of the way, and because I like to constantly top up the sinking grade with whatever I can get my hands on.

Soon after putting down 1-2 more inches of m c in Dec, I planted a flat or two of pansies there and transplanted some bareroot Scaboisias around them (the little green things in pic below). In January, I did more clearing and planted 100 tulip bulbs around the pansies and peony roots. I took this pic today – just for you

As you can see, two good doses of m compost applied only 9 months apart doesn’t seem to be killing anything. It looks awfully bare because I don’t pack pansies solid the way commercial landscapers do – I have things in between them that won’t show up ‘til later. Here’s a past pic of the tt beds with tulips up

and then later when the roses and peonies open,


Back to the here and now,, the mondo grass and Louisianna iris foliage are fine, the peonies and miniature roses have happy swollen buds about to break into leaf, and the most telling sign is that I’m having to weed out annual larkspur and poppy seedlings – that would not be able to germinate if all was not kosher.

I applied some bagged cow poo compost recently to the oak beds where crocus, daffs and hellebores are bloomin away right how. Will be doing a Feb comestrollie on them soon.

After being compost poo deprived for too many years, my garden has done so much better since last spring’s application of m c and I expect it do even better with this year’s 2nd feast following the famine.

Last years rose bushes showed great improvements so soon after the spring app and I am expecting them to do even better this year as manure-based composts have always had long term effects in my beds. I hope you too will benefit as much I do from the m c. I’ll come see for myself, okay?

All of the thread of the mushroom compost took place up to Feb. 2003. Now in June 2004, are the results of that compost pretty good? Is Advantage Compost still the only one?

Ed

Hi Ed
The m c enriched beds in my garden continue to thrive and I have visited many others this year that are having the same results. The new gate border and the Greek bed that I made last year consist of 12” of mc, laid solid on top of the black clay. They are such a luxury to dig in compared to the old clay-ridden beds, and the plants are growing incredibly well in it. The little 3 gal olive tree was 18” tall when it was planted in March 03. It is now over 4 feet tall!

There are probably other landscape materials providers who offer mc for bulk delivery listed in the yellow pages. It is also available in bags under several labels from nurseries that carry organic products.

Here’s an update on the above beds. The lighting in the following pics is a bit dodgie - taken at dusk, but there will probably be better ones of the beds in June on the next comestroll page, where you can always check to see what’s going on over here.
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I constantly add composted materials to the above beds to help keep the clay base friable and because of the soil-sinking tendency of raised beds. At this date, the back half of these beds have had mc added 3 years in a row. The third app was laid early this year. A washed-manure compost was added to the front halves this year when I was installing the alyssum, and a light topping of homemade compost was tossed across all of it, followed by mulch.

oops, I'll try connecting those update pics again

Come to think of it, the lawns were topped with an inch of mushroom compost in the spring of 02 and 03. No other plant foods were applied.

This year we applied a granular organic fertilizer from Marshall Grain - the Nature's Guide brand. Besides feeding the soil, the m c material improves the soil texture and water holding capacity - long term - so that subsequent granular feedings become all the more effective.

Just to add my two cents; I've used mushroom compost in my mixed borders for the last two yrs. Not nearly as heavily as you, Maggie, but about an inch worth, all over. First year the growth of all the plants was incredible, to the point that my mostly perennial beds required a lot more pruning to keep them in bounds. I even remarked to several people that there was something wrong with that picture; making everything so healthy required a lot more "cutting back". The point was though, it worked, big time!! The only other food the bed received was foliar spraying of Bioform, an organic fertilizer a few times during the growing season. This year we used some mc and also Black Kow, and again everything looks very healthy. I purchased my mc at Russell's feed store on 377 in Benbrook and some at Lowes. Barbara