Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) or spent mushroom compost (SMC) as mushroom compost is been labeled from purchase store, helps your plants to grow and thrive with its ability to supply both micro and macro nutrients coupled with other necessary structures to the soil which supports the growth of your plants.
Though the usage of this compost must be a very cautious process owing to its high levels of soluble salt; by making the usage of mushroom compost a careless process, you’re practically invoking damages that will terminate your germinating seeds, as well as your young seedlings.
How to Use Mushroom Compost
Using Mushroom Compost as Mulch
To use mushroom compost as mulch, you must never consider using it on plants like wintergreen, blueberry, azaleas, and other plants belonging to the heath family.
This is so because these plants already contained high salt contents, of which when used in conjunction with the ones contained in the mushroom compost, can become hurting to the plants, becoming a disadvantage to them.
Thus, the categories of plants you can consider when using mushroom compost as mulch are trees, shrubs and other perennial plants.
In the face of using fresh mushroom compost as mulch, it helps seeds to germinate by helping them to retain water in the soil.
In addition, the high salt levels of the fresh mushroom compost used as mulch also prevents weed seeds from growing on the soil.
Read also: How To Use Peat Moss On Vegetable Garden
Using Mushroom Compost for Vegetable Garden
By using mushroom compost on soil beds that are to a certain degree dry or sandy, the best rest is thereby given on these soil beds.
To use mushroom compost in this context, its reasonable to till three inches of the compost added to your vegetable garden or flower beds, into the top six inches of your soil.
Using Mushroom Compost as Fertilizer
For lawns, mushroom compost can be added to it, as it would be seen as a top layer that’s judiciously dressed on your lawn.
With time, the compost will find its way deep down into the soil, thereby, boosting your grass as it adds nutrients to it.
Furthermore, you can use about 25 to 50 percent of mushroom compost when mixing it with your soil as its most commonly used.
So by allowing your mushroom compost to easily blend in with your soil, the nutrients act as a slow-release fertilizer.
Read also: 5 Types Of Plants That Like Peat Moss
What Must You Consider On Your Use Of Mushroom Compost?
Mushroom compost has a pH level of between pH 6 and pH 7, though the range is neutral, yet it’s still important for you to know your compost before use.
You should also consider the kind of plants to be grown and your soil type prior to the usage of the mushroom compost.
More so, it would be reasonable not to completely use mushroom compost as substitute for all of your standard compost.
This is so because water logging might be inevitable as a result of mushroom compost holding too much of water for your soil, thereby affecting your plant’s health.
Without looking too focused at the disadvantages of mushroom compost, using it has more benefits for your garden, and adding the adequate amount of mushroom compost to your soil helps to create a suitable growing environment for your plants, as well as the beneficial microorganisms.
