I am new to the whole organic growing scene, I definitely want to try next year. I have a simple question now though, I work at a local farmers market and a gentlemen here is selling some mushroom compost. Could i go about making a compost tea with this? Or no? Any help appreciated. I know I need molasses, and some other ingredients but can my main one be mushroom compost? I also have bat guano from a cave that I could use as well.
Take a look here first - Penn State Extension Spent Mushroom Substrate This product is not really a true compost. It's most common name is "spent mushroom substrate" or "SMS". Here is a brief notation from the article that may make you think twice, because, as you know, making an aerated compost tea is all about using the composts existing microbes/bacteria and breeding them in an ideal environment. "Before removing the spent substrate from the mushroom house, the grower "pasteurizes" it with steam to kill any pests or pathogens that may be present in the substrate and casing. This final pasteurization kills weed seeds, insects, and organisms that may cause mushroom diseases." Hth. J
i was under the impression they steamed the substrate before innoculation and grow out. after use they just composted the substrate before selling it as compost.
I would use the mushroom compost for a flowering aact. Mushroom compost will have higher levels of beneficial fungi which is good for flowering. For veg I would try to find yourself some EWC.
So I should have done some research before asking, But I was in a hurry lol. I am able to buy today I can get some earthworm castings, the bat guano, the molasses, seaweed extract, and fish emulsion. Would that be all the ingredients needed to make a compost tea ?
Wongsuxx should I go ahead and pick up some mushroom compost and add that to my tea? I am in flowering right now
I use a brand of Mushroom Compost called Savannah Gold. Its fucking awesome stuff and I'm not quite sure what everyones complaint here is...you can see mycelium growing on it so yah...you guys are misinterpreting sterilizing mushroom substrate...mycelium wont grow if its not sterilized, the innoculation is damn near impossible... If I need to have a bio lecture I will but the process that earth takes to get to a fungal compost like mushroom compost would take 1000's of years otherwise...it takes that long to get to a soil that can harbor fruit bearing plants and flowers...starts out small with berries than as the soil progresses trees become available. So thus fungal soil = ++++++ Mushroom compost fungal count = +++++++++++++ 1 Bale of ProMix BX 2.5 Cups AgLime 1.5 Cups Magnesium Sulfate 30 lbs. EWC 1 lb. Mykos 1 'Bag' Alaskan Forest Humus 10 Gallons par-boiled rice hulls 4 Cups Trace Elements (BioChar + Glacial Rockdust, expensive stuff but worth it..) 1 Bag Mushroom Compost Wongsux is right, much more beneficial in flower so be sure to break it down accordingly...a little doesnt hurt in veg but I personally am removing from my next run in veg... Thats my base recipe. To that I ammend various guanas and amounts of kelp/alfalfa for respective veg/flowering soils. Not being a braggart, but I've got nugs 4 weeks into flower that look like some of the stuff you guys are showing me at 8. Only thing you have to worry about is a magnesium deficiency, ammend with the epsom salts above and you'll be groovy...a foliar feed pre-flower for a guarantee wouldnt hurt either.
Yes, Jerry Endospores are present in pretty much all useable media, thats all pressure cooking is, removing those endospores, then its pasteurized. Trichoderma abounds in nearly environment in the world, its definitely there and if you don't kill it will definitely kill your mycelium. Thats just the most common, did I mention nearly the other 70 known to just mushrooms alone? End of story OP, its killer stuff, I use it with great results, alas I took a pic for you last night... Almost 4 weeks in saturday...
"Mycelium (plural mycelia) is the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. The mass of hyphae is sometimes called shiro, especially within the fairy ring fungi. Fungal colonies composed of mycelia are found in soil and on or within many other substrates. A typical single spore germinates into a homokaryotic mycelium, which cannot reproduce sexually; when two compatible homokaryotic mycelia join and form a dikaryotic mycelium, that mycelium may form fruiting bodies such as mushrooms. A mycelium may be minute, forming a colony that is too small to see, or it may be extensive: Is this the largest organism in the world? This 2,400-acre (9.7Â km2) site in eastern Oregon had a contiguous growth of mycelium before logging roads cut through it. Estimated at 1,665 football fields in size and 2,200 years old, this one fungus has killed the forest above it several times over, and in so doing has built deeper soil layers that allow the growth of ever-larger stands of trees. Mushroom-forming forest fungi are unique in that their mycelial mats can achieve such massive proportions. -Paul Stamets, Mycelium Running It is through the mycelium that a fungus absorbs nutrients from its environment. It does this in a two-stage process. First, the hyphae secrete enzymes onto or into the food source, which break down biological polymers into smaller units such as monomers. These monomers are then absorbed into the mycelium by facilitated diffusion and active transport. Mycelium is vital in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for its role in the decomposition of plant material. It contributes to the organic fraction of soil, and its growth releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. The mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi increases the efficiency of water and nutrient absorption of most plants and confers resistance to some plant pathogens. Mycelium is an important food source for many soil invertebrates. Sclerotia are compact or hard masses of mycelium. You need to do some homework before you state that mycelium will not grow if its not sterilized. Seriously. J
What are you talkin about? We're talking about farmers innoculating mushroom media to later be used as compost... Not obviously naturally occuring mycelium...shit had to come from somewhere...I'm sure we're not all that dumb... and you not to stop picking fights over stupid shit...not very kind mr.head
I was only going by what you said - not picking a fight. Maybe you needed to be more specific between farmed mushrooms and common mycelium. Original poster asked if he could make compost tea with mushroom compost - more commonly known as "Spent Mushroom Substrate". There's a reason it's called "Spent". There's a reason that it's often given away. It's been sterilized. There are much better items to make compost tea with. From http://www.mountainviewmushrooms.com/pdf/sms.pdf- "Before removing the spent substrate from the mushroom house, the grower "pasteurizes" it with steam to kill any pests or pathogens that may be present in the substrate and casing. This final pasteurization kills weed seeds, insects, and organisms that may cause mushroom diseases. Users may consider spent substrate clean of weed seeds and insects. Mushroom growers sometimes apply a registered pesticide during the crop cycle. The local garden center sells most of the same pesticides a mushroom farmer uses. Even if pesticides have been applied, they are generally hard to find for two reasons. Organic matter in the substrate effectively binds pesticides. Also, these compounds decompose rapidly at the high temperatures used for pasteurizing the completed crop. It is safe to assume that the pesticide residue on spent substrate is low. Some farms are strictly "organic" and will not use chemical pesticides. These farms can be identified by contacting your Cooperative Extension office." I don't want anything in my garden pasteurized and sterilized. This is not a good product for an aerated compost tea. J