Celebrate Waste: Food Forest, Black Gold is mushroom compost

In this clip from the Sandgarden Food Forest series, Jordan Hosea of N'Credible Edibles describes the use of Organic Mushroom Compost. We call it "Black Gold".

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Celebrate
• Waste
• Sandgarden
• Dick
• permaculture
• food
• forest
• sustainable
• gardens
• Organic
• Mushroom
• Compost
• Black
• Gold

[coreolis7]

I also have NOT been impressed by mushroom compost in Olympia: high of fungicides, low in nitrogen. In the desert though, the earth craves+ADORES any kind of organic matter. In my garden in AZ I used to bury food waste and it would just evaporate into the soil in a week.. So both the product and your soil vary regionally as he says..

[sandgardendick]

Thanks for repeating this important point noted in the video. Compost quality does vary. Usually, mushroom companies are very careful NOT to use fungicides (or pesticides) because this can endanger their crop. But some don't. Don't know why your Nitrogen levels low. But in use we always plant cover and companion crops to keep it high. My advice, learn about practices of your local 'shroom farms and when you find a good source, seek a mutually benefital arrangement. Composition below.

[menderfire9]

Thanks for vids! I am an old greener, living near big mushroom farm in Olympia WA. I used a yard of their compost a couple of years ago in my patio garden; it didn't do well. Following year I mixed in some dirt;  things grew better. I didn't realize all mushroom composts were not created equal. Duh! It would be nice if you'd do a vid just on various composts, from various amimals' manure/human waste/grass/weeds/organic sawdust/twigs/leaves. Most peeps don't know these things.

Respect

[sandgardendick]

It was a "duh" to me too. The compost we are using contains gypson, ash, three types of grain (or off season, horse bedding) and "DPW" (dehydrated poultry waste (shit and stuff, but no chicken parts). Also, amnonia (not urine) may be added to adjust PH). I think maybe part of your problem was not using enough compost. We think of it as soil building and make it 8" to 3 ft deep (on our pure sand). I've never composted to such depth. At Sandgarden we get it 22 yards at a time.

[sandgardendick]

Thanks for the supportive comments. The compost really is amazing. To see what it did in 6 weeks, checkout the new Kitchen Garden video with "Wonder Wo".

[DeepestSleep]

Absolutely love the shirt! Think I'll have to have a look into this 'black gold' - mushrooms are pretty awesome in many a way!

Good to see you got the worker ants helping you out, and that you've opened your 'humble abode' to teach others in the area...I'd be honored to visit, but I'm stuck up in Ontario, Canada.