A mushroom substrate is a material that mushroom mycelium can grow and establish itself in. The substrate provides mushrooms with the nutrients, moisture and energy they need to grow and fruit. If you’d like to grow a wider range of mushrooms on sterilized substrate, try a supplemented sawdust mix of 60% hardwood sawdust, 20% wood chips, 18% bran and 2% gypsum. Masters Mix

Source: Growth response of selected vegetable crops to spent mushroom compost application in a controlled environment If you’ve been growing mushrooms for any length of time, you’ll soon end up with big piles of spent substrate. This might leave you asking yourself “What can I do with an old mushroom substrate?” The most common choice for mushroom growers is to compost it.The type of mushrooms you want to grow in conjunction with your compost will depend on composting and culinary goals. If you are looking to break down raw materials, select a mushroom a little higher on the rot chain. But compost mushrooms can be “planted” in a bed of finished compost much like you would other garden vegetables. However, other sources state that mushroom compost, while having certain benefits, is low in nutrients. Mushroom spores may be present in spent mushroom compost. While this is not usually a problem, it's important to be aware that these spores could potentially lead to the growth of unwanted mushrooms in your garden. If you notice mushroom growth, remove and discard them to prevent spreading.

Aeration: Ensure good aeration within the compost pile by turning it regularly. This helps the composting process and prevents anaerobic conditions. Mushrooms will add valuable nutrients to your compost. A good idea is to turn your compost pile every few weeks to help the mushrooms to break down faster. It’s a dense mushroom with an earthy flavor. While in its natural environment, you’ll spy wood blewit growing among the forests’ decaying leaf litter. This mushroom’s preference for slightly decayed organic matter makes it a great candidate for growing on garden refuse—both in a compost pile or straight in the garden. Increased nutrient availability: Mushroom compost is rich in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are vital for healthy plant growth. These nutrients are released slowly, providing a steady supply to your plants throughout the growing season. This involves submerging a bag full of straw underwater for about a week. If you’re fermenting a whole straw bale you’ll probably need to submerge it for longer, about two weeks.You can even use cardboard to grow mushroom spawn from the stems of oyster mushrooms that you buy at the grocery store. All you need to do is layer the mushroom between layers of damp cardboard and mycelium will start to grow. Pasteurizing your mushroom growing substrate is the equivalent of pulling as many weeds as you can out of the garden before planting vegetables. Sterilization is more like scorching the earth and killing every living plant and seed in it. Do You Have To Sterilize Mushroom Substrate? The most important factor in whether you need to sterilize or pasteurize is the nutrition content of the substrate. Manure is a perfect example of a substrate that should always be sterilized. By its very nature, it’s already teeming full of bacteria and microbial life.

While it is low in heavy metals, it can be high in soluble salts as compared to other fertilizers. In the neutral range, mushrooms compost has a pH of around 6.7. To begin preparing mushroom compost for mushroom growing, you must first perform a hot composting process for at least two weeks. Allow the material to age for a few weeks before creating a secondary pile. By doing so, you will gradually turn the compost darker brown and break it down further. If you want to add a soil additive to retain water, mushroom compost is an excellent choice. Some mushroom compost varieties contain higher levels of soluble salts than others. Some mushroom compost can have high salt levels, which may negatively affect plant growth, particularly for salt-sensitive plants. To avoid issues, it's essential to test the salt content of the compost before using it and, if necessary, dilute it with other organic materials like aged manure or well-rotted compost. If you’re thinking of growing mushrooms commercially, you may want to supplement your substrate to increase the yield of mushrooms. Most commonly, supplement materials are bran or seed derivatives. The best results happened when mushroom compost was used at a ratio of 20/30% – when a 50% concentration was used, lower yields were reported. The researchers attributed this to high salt content.

Mushroom compost is used to improve the soils in your gardens, flower beds, or anywhere else where you grow plants. Coco coir is a material made of ground-up coconut shells and husks. It’s available for sale in most garden stores. Vermiculite is a yellowish-brown mineral that’s used to retain moisture and is also widely available at garden centers everywhere. The main thing to remember is to avoid using mushroom compost with acid-loving plants. If you’re unsure about a specific plant, the best thing to do is either research that plant, or do your own trial side-by-side! Read more