Mushroom Compost - a product you may or may not have heard of but probably have a couple questions about! Compost in many forms has always been a go-to for gardeners looking for a natural way to fertilize and enrich their soil. Compost is any type of biodegradable material that has broken down over time to form a nutrient-dense black earth. While compost can be made from food scraps, leaf and yard waste, grass clippings, and even coffee grounds, Greely Sand & Gravel has been supplying our customers with premium, locally sourced, Mushroom Compost for decades.
Simply put, Mushroom Compost is the compost that mushrooms have grown in. Our Mushroom Compost comes from Carleton Mushroom Farm right here in Osgoode, Ontario. We have been working with Carleton Mushroom Farm for many years and our customers are consistently impressed with the high quality of their product. Not to mention that this Mushroom Compost is certified for organic growing, giving you peace of mind that no chemicals or other potentially harmful substances are being added to your soil! This also gives added peace of mind that the compost is safe to use in vegetable gardens, as opposed to alternatives such as manure which can carry pathogens or pose other risks if not used properly.
Carleton Mushroom Farms has an experienced staff who carefully blend the compost and ensure that it is properly pasteurized once the mushrooms have been harvested. The team then uses conveyors to move the mushroom compost out of the mushroom house and into one of our Greely Sand & Gravel dump trucks. Our drivers transport the freshly produced Mushroom Compost to our main pit
Once we receive the Mushroom Compost, we stockpile it and allow the product to rest and aerate, continuing the composting process. This step can take between eight to 12 months, and over that time, the Mushroom Compost changes from light brown to dark brown. Before sale, the Mushroom Compost is put through a Powerscreen screener, removing any sticks, leaves, or clumps, and leaving an even more consistently blended compost.
Pure Mushroom Compost can be purchased to add to an existing garden or flowerbed to enrich soil that may have become depleted of nutrients over the years. Due to the composting process and the high level of nutrients contained in the product, we recommend adding Mushroom Compost to your existing soil at a ratio of one part Mushroom Compost to two parts soil. Make sure to thoroughly blend the Mushroom Compost into your existing soil so it is well incorporated. Avoid spreading pure Mushroom Compost directly around plants or grass, as the high level of acidity can be too much for the plants to handle.
When working with Mushroom Compost, you may notice that it has a strong smell. The naturally occurring high nitrogen levels in this product can give it an ammonia-like odour. This is why Mushroom Compost is recommended as a soil-conditioner, rather than a straight substitute for topsoil.
If you are starting a new garden or flowerbed, or want to add Mushroom Compost to your lawn, we recommend using our Greely’s Topdressing Soil. When you use Greely’s Topdressing Soil, you don’t need to worry about adding too much or too little Mushroom Compost - we have already perfected this triple mix blend to have a healthy balance of Mushroom Compost, topsoil, and black peat, optimized to give your grass, plants, and flowers everything they need to thrive.
Have more questions about our locally sourced Mushroom Compost? Call our office today for more information or come visit one of our landscape depots to check it out for yourself. Our experienced team is happy to share their expertise to help make your landscaping project a success!
