How to Add Mushroom Compost to Your Vegetable Garden

Mushroom compost is inexpensive, which is the main reason so many gardeners wonder if they should try it in their gardens. Mushroom compost is the compost left over from growing mushrooms in a farm setting. Although it's no longer suitable for growing mushrooms, it still has nutrients that can be useful for growing vegetables and ornamentals. It also helps break up clay soil, makes it easier for root crops to grow without deformation, and adds water-retention properties to the soil. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Purchase mushroom compost and add it to your compost pile or bin. Mushroom compost cannot take the place of compost created from multiple organic sources.

2

Dig down about 12 inches in the garden and set the soil to one side of the resulting hole. Loosen the bottom of the hole with a spade, then add about 2 inches of the compost mixture. Cover it with a layer of soil, then another layer of compost. Repeat until the soil is level again.

3

Apply a 2-inch layer of compost mixture periodically throughout the growing season to keep the soil rich.

4

Apply 1 inch of mushroom compost directly to the soil if desired, but follow up with a 1-inch layer of ordinary compost on top.