Spent Mushroom Compost

[susieq100]

I have taken on half on an adjoining plot as the plotholder can't work it this year but did not want to give it up; he'll be back next year! I haven't really got time to clear it all for planting in the spring. I have been reading about lasagna gardening and wondered if spent mushroom compost would do for the brown,' compost' layer? If I cut down weeds, put down plenty of newspaper, then put the mushroom compost on top, would that do? I've got lots of stuff in the compost heap that is breaking down really slowly, could I add that? And if so, where in the layers? I would like to plant spuds and onions in the plot as they are easy, we eat loads of them and if he decides he does not want to 'come back', then they will have cleaned the soil a bit too. Advice please as there is an offer on locally at the moment for 1.5 cubic metres of spent compost delivered free for £100. It sounds like a bargain to me!

[Aberdeenplotter]

spent mushroom compost is high in lime. Spuds in limey ground tend to develop scab.

[SarzWix]

Spent mushroom compost is very good for conditioning the soil, we used it on our last plot. But like AP explained, it might not be the best thing for spuds. You could, however, raise brassicas and sweetcorn etc in modules/pots and plant those in the lasagna beds instead? When we used it, I put down a layer of cardboard, then the mushroom compost, then weed control fabric.

Bear in mind though, if you spend all this money on SMC and put it on his plot, when he comes back to take it over again, you've basically spent £100 improving his soil for him!! I'd be tempted to just do the covering with cardboard thing, weigh it down with stones of bricks, and plant spuds through that. You could chuck some pelleted chicken manure down first, or a multi purpose organic fertiliser (Osmo do a few, usually available in GCs) to feed the potatoes without spending a fortune on something that won't really give you much benefit later...

[susieq100]

Thanks for the advice guys. I went to the plot this afternoon to do some 'community work' - planting thorny stuff to improve the security and started chatting to some of the other chaps. I have now ordered 2 tons of green waste compost for £45.00 and some can go on my own plot, some can be brought home and some can go on the temporary plot, so I think that is a better plan (and a much cheaper one!).

[SarzWix]

Make sure you test it before spreading it on the plot - mix some with some soil in a pot and sow some beans or something indoors, just to make sure it isn't contaminated with weedkiller - people put grass clippings in the green waste bins which might have been previously treated with chlopyralid, a similar nasty to aminopyralid which ruined so many allotments over the last couple of years.

[susieq100]

Thank you Sarah - I would not have thought of that! I will. You are a gardening ninja.

[Currysniffa]

I grew my onions in a two beds that had had spent mushroom compost dug into it with good results Twitpic - Share photos and videos on Twitter

[susieq100]

Those are fab onions! What variety? Can you remember?