Work out compost for mushroom instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Button mushroom beds are filled at about 30-40 kg of finished compost per square metre of tray. Composting loses 30-40% of the raw stack weight as carbon dioxide, ammonia and water, so raw materials must exceed finished compost by that margin.
Compost requirement
Finished compost = beds x compost per bed; raw materials = finished / compost yield %
Formulation
Straw = compost x straw share; supplements = compost - straw
Chicken manure or horse manure, wheat bran, urea or ammonium sulphate for nitrogen, and gypsum at 2-3% to keep structure open and prevent greasiness.
Yes. Phase II pasteurisation at 57-60 C for 6-8 hours followed by conditioning removes ammonia and kills nematodes, mites and competitor moulds. Skipping it usually loses the crop.