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lenoir city Tennessee

Hey guys, how does mushroom compost compare to straight manure? I went and got a load at the mushroom factory the other day and the guy told me it had 8 different ingredients, two of wich he said was chicken and horse manure.Will this compost be enough or should I try and get some straight horse or cow manure?

1/4/2007 11:11:55 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

Here's the thing about mushroom compost. When it is made, it has high dose of nutrea Nitrogen added, this helps break down the manure /straw and other raw ingediants., Horse manure is a popular manure when making the compost
The mushroom use a lot of the nitorgen and other micro nutirents. so basicly your getting a product that has already been used. It is good for plants. But I have found that it just dosent compare to good ol fashion manure, forgrowing the big ones.
Add some straight manure and till. Then get your soil tested to see what you may need to add.

1/5/2007 12:20:48 AM

Saegertown Pa.

Up until last year all I ever used was mushroom compost, no other manure, my 1332 and 1286 along with other 1000 LB pumpkins were all grown using it. I switched to chicken because it's half the price, I wont say mushroom is the best thing in the world, it's got it's good points and bad. And I'm sure it's deferent depending on were you get it. The stuff I used raised my ph and potassium a lot and when you get it it's still not done composting, but one good thing I didn't have any weeds. If you use it only put two to three inches on, it has a lot of nitorgen in it. To much and you will have a proublem with setting fruit and it will stunt the plant.

1/5/2007 5:59:39 AM

New Castle, Pa.

"Quinn", Congratulations on a great last year! Where are you getting your chicken manure? Being as I'm right down the road within easy driving distance I'd like to know? If you don't mind telling E- mail me at Lockley_T@msn.com

1/5/2007 8:16:03 PM

Long Island,New York

A true grower never reveals his manure sources !! LOL

1/5/2007 10:05:37 PM

Don't know about them thar new york chickens but around here that manure comes from pretty close to the "ole egg chute" :-)

1/5/2007 11:10:39 PM

Saegertown Pa.

Old Hickory I couldn't get your email to send. I get the chicken manure at Sperry's they have a auction and you have to bid on it, you bid on the truck load that's 25 yard lots. Phone # 814-382-1860 address 11420 Sperry Rd Atlantic. Time to leave for the pumpkin cruise good luck.

1/6/2007 6:40:00 AM

Antigonish,Nova Scotia,Canada

LMAO @ G and Dan....great stuff!

1/6/2007 11:02:01 AM

Windsor Maine

dAng!... Auctioning off manure! whut will they thinK of next! ha hA!!!

1/6/2007 11:15:03 AM

New Castle, Pa.

quinn thanks! enjoy the pumpkin cruise! Tim

1/6/2007 5:31:22 PM

Montoursville, PA

My chicken farmer loads all we can haul and begs us to come get more. He has a hundred thousand birds pooping daily as the poultry machine demands more and more chicken on the market. He can't give enough away to avoid the cost of dealing with so much poop. I use it every third year big time while a little goes on each year through my compost pile to make it even better. I should have said this farmer turns out a hundred thousand market birds every six to seven weeks. Now that is a chicken factory.

Now don't pick this apart. I am quite aware that range open foraging birds are indeed a much better bird and that speaks for their natural spreading of the poop where it falls. We in fact purchase two range raised birds a month from a small co-operative farmer. That's it. I try to avoid the chicken factory birds, on our table. Kentucky Fried Birds aren't squat although I love the flavor, of them and their artificial gravies on dehydrated tatters. Have to sin once in awhile...mostly on my night to cook. :))

1/7/2007 10:57:33 AM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

The first year I dug a big hole, 4'X4' X 24" deep, filled with fresh mushroom compost.

This I know you do NOT want to do.

Age it and mix it with your native soil, in the fall only, it needs time to decompose

1/7/2007 9:58:16 PM